The Eiger’s imposing and photogenic north face, 5,900 vertical feet of crumbling limestone, is famously the Alps’ most difficult climb, made notorious by the many deaths in early attempts. (These attempts are recounted in Heinrich Harrar‘s book, White Spider, whose title refers to one of the snowfields).
The north face (click on image to enlarge) continues to claim lives — at least 64 to date — but has been safely climbed hundreds of times, and modern equipment and techniques have made the ascent safer and easier, but it will never be a climb for the inexperienced or faint of heart.
The video below is one of the better climbing videos I’ve found in terms of giving armchair mountaineers a bit of feel for what it’s like, including a sense of the route’s verticality.