In an unparalleled display of ski mountaineering, Jim Morrison completed the first-ever ski descent of Mount Everest’s formidable Super Direct route on the North Face, cementing a legacy while honoring the memory of Hilaree Nelson.
In a feat that will undoubtedly be etched into the annals of extreme sports history, Jim Morrison, the 50-year-old American ski mountaineer, has achieved what many considered to be the most audacious ski run ever attempted. On October 15, 2025, Morrison not only summited Mount Everest but also successfully skied down the notoriously challenging Super Direct route, a combination of the Hornbein Couloir and the Japanese Couloir on the mountain’s North Face.
This monumental achievement marks the first time anyone has skied or snowboarded this steep and avalanche-prone route. The last individual to attempt a similar descent, snowboarder Marco Siffredi, tragically perished during his 2002 endeavor, his body never recovered. Morrison’s success, therefore, is not just a personal triumph but a testament to the evolving possibilities of human endurance and skill in the world’s most extreme environments, as reported by National Geographic.
A Personal Mission: Honoring Hilaree Nelson
Morrison’s extraordinary descent carried profound personal significance. After reaching Everest’s summit at 29,032 feet, he dispersed the ashes of his late partner, the renowned ski mountaineer Hilaree Nelson, into the thin air. Nelson had tragically died on Manaslu in 2022, and Morrison had pledged to ski down Everest’s North Face as a tribute to her. He eloquently articulated his motivation, stating, “I’d risked so much, but I was alive. It felt like a tribute to Hilaree—something she’d be proud of. I really felt her with me, cheering me on.”
This emotional connection fueled a journey that began with years of preparation and multiple attempts. Speaking to National Geographic, Morrison reflected, “Standing on the north face of Everest, finishing this climb was overwhelming and deeply personal. It’s the culmination of years of work and an extraordinary team effort. Climbing the direct north face and skiing what Hilaree and I believed to be the world’s greatest ski run was a dream we chased together.”
The Descent: A Battle Against the Elements
Morrison began his descent shortly before 2 p.m. local time, embarking on a four-hour and five-minute odyssey down 12,000 vertical feet (3,650m) of icy, 50-degree slope. The conditions, as Morrison described them, were “abominable.” The treacherous terrain included sections of giant sastrugi – frozen waves formed by violent winds – that were “rutted and raised four feet up and down.”
A critical point of the descent, the “crux pinch point” of the couloir, was entirely bare rock. This forced Morrison to remove his skis and rappel approximately 650 feet, passing oxygen canisters left by the legendary Tom Hornbein and Willi Unsoeld from their pioneering 1963 climb. Only after navigating this perilous section could he clip back into his skis to continue the historic run towards the Rongbuk Glacier at Everest’s base.
The successful descent marks the first complete ski descent not only of the Super Direct route but also of the entire North Face of Mount Everest, a testament to unparalleled skill and courage. The ascent itself was a collective effort, with Morrison joined by a formidable team:
- Yukta Sherpa: A veteran Sherpa who had been injured in a previous attempt.
- Jimmy Chin: Celebrated climber and filmmaker, documenting the feat for a forthcoming National Geographic documentary, “Everest North.”
- Topo Mena, 35, of Ecuador: A key climber in the team.
- Tico Morales: Mena’s friend, instrumental in fixing ropes up the Hornbein Couloir.
The Hornbein Couloir: A Route of Legend and Tragedy
Merely climbing the Hornbein Couloir into the Japanese Couloir is an achievement reserved for only a handful of mountaineers. This route, first climbed by Thomas Hornbein in 1963, has seen very few successful ascents since, with the last recorded summit via the Hornbein Couloir prior to Morrison’s team being in 1991. Morrison himself noted, “Only about five people have ever climbed the Japanese Couloir into the Hornbein, and we had 12 on the summit.”
The dangers of such a route are immense. The shadow of Marco Siffredi’s 2002 disappearance on the North Face looms large in ski mountaineering lore. Siffredi, a world-class snowboarder, vanished during his attempt to descend the Horbein Couloir after achieving the first snowboard descent of Everest via the Norton Couloir a year earlier. His fate serves as a stark reminder of the unforgiving nature of Everest’s highest slopes, a fact well documented by The Guardian at the time of his disappearance.
Filming the Impossible: National Geographic’s “Everest North”
The entire expedition was sponsored by National Geographic, with Oscar and BAFTA award-winning directors Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin—the duo behind the critically acclaimed rock climbing film “Free Solo”—in production for a documentary titled “Everest North.” This film is set to capture the raw emotion, logistical complexities, and breathtaking challenges faced by Morrison and his team, offering fans an unprecedented look into this historic ski descent.
For the fan community, Morrison’s achievement transcends mere athleticism; it’s a story of profound dedication, personal tribute, and pushing the boundaries of what is possible in ski mountaineering. His successful navigation of the Hornbein and Japanese Couloirs on skis is not just a chapter in climbing history, but a powerful narrative that celebrates human spirit in the face of nature’s grandeur and challenges.
