noun
- a steep, crevassed section of a glacier where the ice breaks up and tumbles downward
Usage: mountaineering; glaciology
Examples
- The climbers had to navigate carefully through the dangerous icefall.
- The Khumbu Icefall is one of the most treacherous parts of climbing Mount Everest.
- Seracs and crevasses made the icefall nearly impassable.
- The expedition was delayed by unstable conditions in the icefall.
- Ice chunks constantly shift and fall in an active icefall.
- They established a route through the icefall using ladders and ropes.