When people talk about the dangers of climbing Everest they seem to always fixiate on the summit and the perils associated with "The Death Zone". They rarely talk about the dangers at the lower levels, and few have even heard of the Khumbu Icefall.
The Adventurist has posted a cool little article that serves as a nice introduction to the Khumbu Icefalls explaining where it is located and exactly why it is the most dangerous place on the mountain. There is even a link to a 360 degree view of the Icefall on the PBS website.
The article notes that the Icefall was responsible for three deaths and four induries during the 2006 climbing season and if history is any indication, there is likely to be more injuries, or even deaths, in 2007. The dangerous crevasses are unforgiving, and the glacier is constantly shifting, requiring climbers to use ladders and ropes to slowly move through the Icefall after departing from Base Camp and moving up to Camp 1.
By the way, if you haven't bookmarked The Adventurist yet, what are you waiting for?
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