Mount Everest could be more dangerous to climb after earthquake destroys 'Hillary Step'

Climbing Mount Everest could be an even more perilous challenge to overcome after it was confirmed by a mountaineer that the 'Hillary Step' – a famous rock face located near the summit –had been destroyed in the aftermath of an earthquake in Nepal in 2015.

The step owes its name to Edmund Hillary – the first man to conquer world's tallest mountain in 1953. British mountaineer Tim Mosedale has now claimed the latter stages of the climb will now be "tricky to negotiate".

"It's official - The Hillary Step is no more," said Mosedale.

"Not sure what's going to happen when the snow ridge doesn't form because there's some huge blocks randomly perched hither and thither which will be quite tricky to negotiate."

"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.

He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there anymore."

Despite the earthquake occurring nearly two years ago, and Mosedale having climbed Everest last year, he admitted it wasn't clear at the time as the area was covered in snow – with him only being able to verify that it had vanished when climbing the mountain this year.

"It was reported last year, and indeed I climbed it last year, but we weren't sure for certain that 'The Step' had gone because the area was blasted with snow," Mr Mosedale wrote on Facebook.

He concluded: "This year, however, I can report that the chunk of rock named 'The Hillary Step' is definitely not there anymore."

There have been signs for years that the zone near the Hillary step could prove a particularly troublesome part of the Everest voyage, with another British mountaineer in Sir Chris Bonington claiming that a delay in climbing the step could endanger lives.

"If it's a perfectly fine day, it doesn't really matter too much if you are delayed for say, an hour and a half, two hours on the Hillary Step, which is just short of the summit.

"If the weather is breaking up, that two-and-a-half hour wait can be a matter of life and death."