The Hillary Step was a near-vertical 12-meter (40-foot) rock face on the southeast ridge of Mount Everest, just below the summit. It was named after Sir Edmund Hillary, who, along with Tenzing Norgay, was the first person to reach the summit of Everest in 1953.

The Hillary Step was a challenging obstacle for climbers and was considered one of the most dangerous parts of the ascent to the summit. Climbers had to use ropes and ladders to climb the Step, and it was not uncommon for climbers to fall and be injured or killed.

In recent years, the Hillary Step has been showing signs of collapse. In 2014, a large piece of rock fell from the Step, and in 2015, another large piece fell. In 2016, climbers reported that the Step had become much easier to climb, and that it was no longer necessary to use ropes or ladders.

In 2017, a scientific team from the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom conducted a study of the Hillary Step. The team used drone footage and 3D scans to map the Step and found that it had indeed collapsed. The team also found that the collapse of the Step had made the ascent to the summit of Everest safer.

The collapse of the Hillary Step is a significant event in the history of mountaineering. It marks the end of an era in which climbers had to face a daunting challenge on their way to the summit of Everest. The collapse of the Step has also made the ascent to the summit safer, and it is likely to encourage more climbers to attempt to reach the top of the world.