The South Summit, a small dome of ice and snow, is a climbers first small victory of summit day. To get there, the climbers having set off from Camp 4 in the early hours of the morning, or even late the previous night, first must ascend to the Balcony. The Balcony is a small platform at 27,700 feet at which they have a brief rest before climbing the Southeast Ridge to the South Summit.
From the South Summit the final obstacles of the summit climb can be seen: the corniced traverse, the Hillary Step and the final slope to the summit.
At 28,500 feet the South Summit is higher than any other mountain on earth, however, there is still a long way to the summit of Everest itself. If it is getting late in the day or if the weather is starting to deteriorate this is the place to make the all important decision to turn around. Those that succumb to summit fever and push on despite their better judgement rarely return to tell the tale.
The Hillary step is named after Sir Edmund Hillary who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was the first person to scale it on their way to the summit. It is the last major obstacle standing between a climber and the summit. However, before they even reach its base the climbers must first pass the corniced traverse lying between the South Summit and the step.
The traverse crosses a knife edge ridge of wind carved snow plastered to deep black rock. This is by far the most intimidating and exposed section of the climb. If it were not for the fixed rope, one misplaced step to the right would send a climber tumbling down the 10,000 foot drop of the Kangshung Face, a step too far to the left would see the climber fall 8,000 feet down the Southwest Face.
Once over the corniced traverse climbers stare up at the near vertical 40 foot high face of rock, snow and ice. Climbing the Hillary Step is achieved with the assistance of fixed ropes put in place by the first ascending team of the season. As a result the step frequently becomes a bottleneck where climbers wait their turn to use the ropes to tackle the most technically challenging section of the climb.
When atop the Hillary Step all that lies between the climbers and their dream is a one hour slog up the summit ridge towards the summit itself.