Everest's famous Hillary Step has collapsed, a climber has confirmed.

The 40ft rocky outcrop near the summit is thought to have been destroyed in Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake.

There had been rumours following earlier expeditions that the near-vertical step had been destroyed, but snowy conditions made it difficult to confirm.

There had been rumours following earlier expeditions that the near-vertical Hillary Step had been destroyed, but snowy conditions made it difficult to confirm

British mountaineer Tim Mosedale said the formidable rocky barrier has now been replaced with a potentially dangerous area of loose rubble and debris.

He wrote on Facebook after reaching the summit last week: ‘It’s official. The Hillary Step is no more.’

Photos he posted online show how the Step has changed dramatically compared with images taken a few years ago.

The outcrop stood at 28,800ft on the mountain’s southeast ridge, and was considered the last great challenge before the 29,000ft summit.

Hillary Step: The 40ft rocky outcrop near the summit is thought to have been destroyed in Nepal’s devastating 2015 earthquake

It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who was the first to scale it in 1953.

Climbers were often forced to wait to climb the Step one at a time with the aid of a rope line.

Its destruction could now create an even bigger bottleneck as the terrain is expected to be even harder to navigate.

Mountaineers may have to wait for long periods in perilously cold temperatures and at a high altitude while others attempt to find limited paths up the section.