North West Couloir

This is a general term for a number of routes leading from the Lower Empress Shelf onto the West Ridge. The most regular routes are up either the narrow or the broad couloir in the NW Buttress, and then up a broad gully or the rocks further left to gain the West Ridge at about 3200m where it flattens out. A commonly used descent route – but beware of rockfall in the lower part of the couloir – scene of a number of fatalities.