Climbing Mount Everest Photos
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Mount Everest in the Morning
Photograph by Bobby Model
Historian Walt Unsworth once said, "Had Mount Everest been climbed at the first attempt, the achievement would have been hailed as notable and then quickly forgotten. It was, ironically, repeated failures which gave the mountain real stature."
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Everest Base Camp
Photograph by Bobby Model
Mount Everest's base camp—at an elevation of 18,000 feet (5,500 meters)—is already higher than the highest peaks in Europe. Here, though, it is just the starting point.
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Everest Crevasse
Photograph by Bobby Model
A climber uses a ladder to cross a crevasse at Everest's Khumbu Icefall, not far above base camp. Shifting ice exposes new crevasses with little warning, making the Khumbu Icefall the most dangerous section of a southern Everest ascent.
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Khumbu Icefall
Photograph by Bobby Model
"Universally terrifying, it is the most dangerous part of the southern route on Everest. The constantly shifting Khumbu Icefall is like a bunch of ice cubes continually tumbling down the icy mountain wall," said photographer Bobby Model about this image.
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Khumbu Ladder Ascent
Photograph by Bobby Model
Stark against blue-white ice, a mountaineer ascends a ladder on Mount Everest's upper Khumbu glacier. Occasional pops and groans remind climbers that the glacier is constantly shifting beneath them, a treacherous surface not to be trusted.
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Yak Herding Near Everest
Photograph by Bobby Model
Yaks still play a vital role in the Khumbu region of Nepal near Mount Everest, too remote for many modern conveniences. When a Sherpa family builds a home here, all the materials must be carried up from the valley on the backs of people and yaks.
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Everest Memorial
Photograph by Bobby Model
A cairn and stone marker memorialize climber Scott Fischer, who died on Everest in 1996. A dangerous tourist spot, the mountain has claimed many adventurers' lives—from falls, lack of oxygen, exposure, and other deadly pitfalls.
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Traversing Khumbu Icefall
Photograph by Bobby Model
Every step is critical on Mount Everest. The treacherous Khumbu Icefall has taken the lives of many climbers on their first day as they head to their first camp.
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Nepalese Ceremony
Photograph by Bobby Model
Every Mount Everest ascent begins with a Puja ceremony, in which Sherpa pay homage to the mountain deity. The Sherpa have played crucial roles as guides, porters, and climbing partners on nearly every Everest climb in history.
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Heidi Howkins
Photograph by Bobby Model
Heidi Howkins makes a radio call from Camp Two on the south face of Mount Everest. Howkins went on to become the first woman to successfully climb K2, the second highest peak behind Everest and a much more difficult mountain to climb.
On Everest
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2012 Expedition
Follow Conrad Anker and the team as they retrace the 1963 American expedition with photos, videos, and blog posts.
Top Everest Photo Galleries
Climbing Gear— Then and Now
Your Nepal Trekking Photos
Everest Favorites
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Nat Geo Trips to Nepal
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Everest Base Camp Trek
Join a 14-day Himalayan trek through some of the world’s most spectacular mountain scenery.
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Tibet and Nepal Journey
Delve into the fabled cities of Lhasa, Shigatse, and Kathmandu over 16 days with mountaineer Peter Hillary.
