The Ice Fall's Characteristics

Even though the Ice Fall changes day by day and year by year it does hold on to some characteristic parts. I have my own name for some and others I have picked up from the Sherpas. The base of the Ice Fall is a series of low hills with cracks and above looks like a baked apple pie with small vents cut in the crust - crevasses. I call that the pie section. Above the pie section the terrain becomes steeper and one gains a better perspective on Base Camp. At the top of this is a dangerous break down called the popcorn section. This area is made up of large blocks of white firm snow jumbled and collapsing. Above the popcorn is a flat area I refer to as the Happy Valley. The snow is smooth with a few deep crevasses, a safe place to stop for tea or a break.

At the far side of the Happy Valley the real Ice Fall begins. From Base Camp it looks like the top but it is really only half way and here the true danger begins. As the Western Cwm glacier reaches the lip of its valley it breaks into huge slabs of ice with equal crevasses that cross the entire half mile wide valley. Like million ton slabs of fresh sliced bread these begin to curl over beginning at the top. Ice is a funny substance in that it is both elastic and brittle. Combined this also makes it deadly. These massive slabs slowly curl over and then break suddenly. There is no warning or time of day, it just happens all at once. When the route crosses one of these it is a matter of time before it will collapse. Every few days and some part of the route is obliterated. The hope is that no one is there when it does. Last year three Sherpas were killed when one of these ice blocks fell.
This year there are three or four places that make me really nervous. One is a steep serac with two ladders and a snow ramp on its face. It tends to bunch people on its front face and it is clear that one day the whole thing will topple. As a bottleneck it increases the risk because people get stuck there so if a tragedy does happen it is likely to effect several people.

The second danger is a natural arch of cold blue ice and the route actually goes under this crazy feature. Seeing the risk I tried to go fast but half way under the rope I was clipped to dove right under a five hundred pound block of ice that had already fallen - after the route was placed. I had to stop and un-clip before continuing. Being under the ice was a really terrible feeling.