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The Norton Couloir or Great Couloir is a steep gorge high on the north face of Mount Everest in Tibet, China, which lies east of the pyramidal peak and extends to within 150 m below the summit.
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![Norton Couloir Panoramio Photo of Everest 8848 m arrte NordNorton couloir](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-11d6838e-ca52-4075-a1bc-80bc5ed24fc-resize-750.jpeg)
Its companion to the west of the summit is the Hornbein Couloir.
Origin of the name
![Norton Couloir Everest the routes up the North Face](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-5f91f6af-df93-4f39-b0d2-9b405255451-resize-750.jpeg)
The steep gorge was named after the lead member of the 1924 British expedition, Edward Felix Norton, who reached a height of about 8,570 metres (28,120 ft) in this steep valley during an unsuccessful summit attempt on 4 June 1924. He avoided the dangerous windswept ridge and, by traversing the north face, ascended into the gorge which has since borne his name.
Everest solo, Reinhold Messner
![Norton Couloir 39bigjpg](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-9a1473ed-c186-4f57-aec5-482d08f28e8-resize-750.jpeg)
The Norton Couloir was the scene of one of the greatest mountaineering achievements when, in 1980, Reinhold Messner entered this gorge to avoid what, for a solo climber, was a dangerous ridge - especially to circumvent the Three Pinnacles - and ascended to the summit, alone and without using supplemental oxygen. The most successful climb to that point by F. Edward Norton in 1924, was Messner's inspiration for this attempt: Norton had also used no oxygen.
Other climbs through the couloir
![Norton Couloir Saddle Sores amp Summits Cycling to Ski Idaho39s Sawtooth Mountains](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-543b2a97-061c-40c1-b434-5b1a911e120-resize-750.jpg)
In 1984 an Australia expedition succeeded in climbing a new route. From the main branch of the Rongbuk Glacier they went directly onto the north face and established their third high-altitude camp at the entrance of the couloir at 7,500 metres. From another camp at 8,150 m Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer reached the summit on 2 October without bottled oxygen, the first Australians to reach the top of Everest.
![Norton Couloir Canadian Nancy Hansen Attempting Everest From Tibet Gripped Magazine](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-6b0550b7-9993-48f0-8367-15b0df7705f-resize-750.jpeg)
In 2001, young French snowboarder Marco Siffredi succeeded in the first snowboard descent of Everest by using the Norton Couloir. He died the following year attempting a new descent via the Hornbein Couloir.
![Norton Couloir Nature of Motion The Sawtooth Scenic Byway](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-f82a65ed-0f61-4114-85cd-3bd1da2cc4f-resize-750.jpeg)
![Norton Couloir Polar News ExplorersWeb Everest JeanNoel Urban to attempt a ski](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-d7260863-fd5c-445f-aa68-e71265c8956-resize-750.jpeg)
![Norton Couloir 38bigjpg](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-3bd349b9-cbf9-463d-8ee8-5f900d99784-resize-750.jpeg)
![Norton Couloir Polar News ExplorersWeb Everest JeanNoel Urban to attempt a ski](https://alchetron.com/cdn/norton-couloir-334899cd-9b55-487f-837d-b92943ac35d-resize-750.jpeg)