Landforms of Mount Everest: Peaks, Glaciers, Valleys & More

Mount Everest (8,848 m / 29,032 ft) anchors a high Himalayan landscape of extreme relief. Key landforms include:

Major Peaks (8000ers & Nearby)

• Everest (Sagarmatha/Chomolungma) — 8,848 m
• Lhotse — 8,516 m (connected via South Col)
• Makalu — 8,485 m (SE, isolated pyramid)
• Cho Oyu — 8,201 m (WNW, "easiest" 8000er)
• Gyachung Kang — 7,952 m (between Cho Oyu & Everest)

Glaciers

• Khumbu Glacier — Nepal side; flows through Icefall to Base Camp.
• Rongbuk Glacier — Tibet side; North Base Camp access.
• Ngozumpa Glacier — longest in Himalaya (36 km); Gokyo Valley.
• Changri Nup / Imja Glaciers — feed Imja Tsho (glacial lake).

Valleys

• Khumbu Valley — main trekking corridor (Lukla → Base Camp).
• Dudh Kosi Valley — "River of Milk"; steep, suspension bridges.
• Imja / Bhote Kosi / Arun Valleys — radial drainages.

High Passes (Critical for Climbing/Circuits)

• South Col — 7,906 m (Everest–Lhotse saddle; Camp IV).
• North Col — 7,020 m (Tibet route; Camp I/II).
• Lho La — 6,026 m (W ridge access).
• Cho La / Renjo La — 5,368 m / 5,345 m (Gokyo trek crosses).

Glacial Lakes (Growing Hazard)

• Gokyo Lakes — sacred, turquoise chain.
• Imja Tsho — rapidly expanding; GLOF risk.
• Tsho Rolpa, Chola Tso, Panch Pokhari — monitored for outburst floods.

This terrain is active, unstable, and awe-inspiring — shaped by tectonics, ice, and gravity.