Western Cwm
The Western Cwm (/kuːm/) is a broad, flat, gently undulating glacial valley basin terminating at the foot of the Lhotse Face of Mount Everest. It was named by George Mallory when he saw it in 1921 as part of the British Reconnaissance Expedition that was the first to explore the upper sections of Everest, searching for routes for future summit attempts;[1] A cwm is a valley fully enclosed by mountains, from the Welsh word for "valley".
The Western Cwm is traversed by climbers using the southeast route to the summit of Everest and is typically accessed by climbing through the Khumbu Icefall. The central section is cut by massive lateral crevasses which bar entrance into the upper Western Cwm. In this section, climbers must cross to the far right, over to the base of Nuptse, to a narrow passageway known as the Nuptse corner. From there, climbers can see the upper 2,400 m (7,900 ft) of Everest—the first glimpse of Everest's upper slopes since arriving at Base Camp.
The snow-covered, bowl-shaped slopes surrounding the Western Cwm reflect and amplify solar radiation, warming the valley basin despite its high elevation of 6,000 m (20,000 ft) through 6,800 m (22,300 ft).[2]
See also
- Geneva Spur (Eperon des Genevois)
- South Col
References
27°58′51″N 86°53′53″E / 27.98083°N 86.89806°E / 27.98083; 86.89806
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and landmarks
- Base Camp
- Geneva Spur
- Hillary Step
- Hornbein Couloir
- Kangshung Face (East Face)
- Kangshung Glacier
- Khumbu Glacier
- Khumbu Icefall
- Lhakpa La
- Lho La
- North Col
- North Face
- Norton Couloir
- Rongbuk Glacier
- South Col
- South Summit
- Three Pinnacles
- Three Steps
- Western Cwm
- 1921 British reconnaissance
- 1922 British
- 1924 British (Affair of the Dancing Lamas)
- 1933 British aerial reconnaissance
- 1933 British
- 1935 British
- 1936 British
- 1938 British
- 1950–52 British–Swiss–US reconnaissance
- 1951 British
- 1952 Swiss
- 1953 British
- 1960 Chinese
- 1963 American
- 1975 British SW Face
- 1976 British–Nepalese SW Face
- 1979 Yugoslav West Ridge
- 1996 Indo-Tibetan Border Police
- 2006 Philippine
- 2007 Altitude Everest expedition
- Earth Day 20 International Peace Climb
- Mallory and Irvine Research Expedition
- Beyond the Edge
- The Climb (book)
- The Climb (2007 film)
- The Epic of Everest
- Everest (1998 film)
- Everest (2015 film)
- Everest (Indian TV series)
- Everest '82
- Everest: Beyond the Limit
- EverestMax
- Expedition Everest (roller coaster)
- Into Thin Air
- The Man Who Skied Down Everest
- Mount Everest webcam
- Paths of Glory
- Peak
- The Conquest of Everest
- The Wildest Dream
- Wings Over Everest
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