KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) Nepali climbers said Tuesday that a rocky outcrop near the top of Mount Everest known as the ”Hillary Step” is intact, disputing a British climber’s claim the feature had collapsed.
British mountaineer Tim Mosedale, who last week reached the summit of the world’s highest mountain, said the outcrop had disappeared, likely because of a massive earthquake that shook Nepal in 2015.
Mosedale posted on Facebook that there had been speculation last year but heavy snowfall meant the collapse couldn’t be confirmed then. ”This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named `The Hillary Step’ is definitely not there anymore,” he said.