Western Cwm

The Western Cwm with the Lhotse face in the background

Often called the Valley of Silence, the Western Cwm (cwm, pronounced coom, is Welsh for a bowl shaped valley/cirque) 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 Leigh Mallory when he first saw it in 1921. It is traversed by climbers using the southeast route to the summit of Everest. 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 have a stupendous view of the upper 8,000 feet of Everest—the first glimpse of Everest's upper slopes since arriving at Base Camp. The last 5,000 feet on Everest, including its distinct black pyramid summit, are not visible from Base Camp. The snow-covered, bowl-shaped slopes surrounding the Western Cwm reflect and amplify the solar radiation, warming the valley basin despite its high elevation of 6000 to 6800 metres (19,600–22,300 feet). Some of the most difficult days on Everest are in the Western Cwm, when on a sunny windless day it is desperately hot, up to 35°C (95°F).