After an avalanche left 16 people dead on Mt. Everest last year, questions about the future of climbing the mountain still reverberate.
One of those questions -- whether taking a route from the mountain's north face, long considered riskier than the popular south side, is actually safer -- has been thrust into the limelight by expedition leader Adrian Ballinger, who will lead his outfit up the North Ridge this year.
While he maintains he made the switch for safety reasons, others say the risks on the north are at least equal to those on the south.