The North Col, at about 23,000 feet / 7010 metres, is the low point on one of the three ridges that extend out from the summit of Everest. The North Ridge drops thousands of feet to a saddle between Everest and Changtse. Col is a Welsh Word meaning saddle. To get to the North Col, climbers ascend an ice face using a fixed rope. The route starts on loose rock then moves to snow followed by increasingly steep slopes up to 60 degrees.