1. steep, broken sections of a glacier where the ice is fractured into crevasses and seracs due to the underlying terrain
Usage: mountaineering; glaciology

Examples

• The climbers had to navigate through dangerous icefalls on their way to the summit.
• The Khumbu Icefall is one of the most treacherous sections of the Everest climb.
• Seracs in the icefalls can collapse without warning.
• The expedition was delayed due to unstable conditions in the icefalls.
• Mountaineers use ladders and ropes to cross crevasses in icefalls.
• The glacier’s icefalls created a maze of ice towers and deep cracks.