Everest: Southeast Ridge (South Col)

The normal route to the summit of Everest from Nepal, first climbed by Hillary and Tenzing in 1953. Climbers trek in from Lukla to the south base camp.

This is not a substitute for training, a qualified guide or medical advice. Climbing at altitude can kill. Learn from qualified instructors and climb with licensed Nepali guides.

At a glance

Everest Base Camp (south): 5,364 mSource: Wikipedia (English)
Base camp location: 28.0072° N, 86.8594° ESource: Wikipedia (English)
Camp I: 6,100 mEstimatedTypical Nepal-side camp altitude from a rounded table; actual sites vary by season.Source: Wikipedia (English)
Camp II: 6,400 mEstimatedTypical Nepal-side camp altitude from a rounded table; actual sites vary by season.Source: Wikipedia (English)
Camp III: 6,800 mEstimatedTypical Nepal-side camp altitude from a rounded table; actual sites vary by season.Source: Wikipedia (English)
Camp IV (South Col): 8,000 mEstimatedRounded typical figure. The same source gives 7,986 m for the South Col reached by the 1952 Swiss expedition.Source: Wikipedia (English)
First climbed: 29 May 1953Source: Wikipedia (English)

Base camp to summit

Everest Base Camp (south)5,331 mEverest8,715 m

Terrain on a straight line from Everest Base Camp (south) to Everest, 6.8 km, sampled every 86 m from elevation data at about 60 m resolution. This is the ground between the two points, not the climbing line, and the DEM rounds summits down.

The route

The Southeast Ridge is listed as the normal route from Nepal and was the line used for the first confirmed ascent on 29 May 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.¹

Climbers from the Nepal side generally trek from Lukla to the south base camp before starting up the mountain.¹

Sources

Mount Everest, Wikipedia (English). Retrieved 4 November 2026.
Everest Base Camp, Wikipedia (English). Retrieved 4 November 2026.

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