What are the two main routes used to climb Mount Everest?

The two primary routes used to climb Mount Everest are the southern route and the northern route.1

• Southern Route: This is the most commonly used path for summit attempts. It approaches the mountain via the Khumbu Icefall and the South Col. This was the route taken during the historic 1953 expedition when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay achieved the first confirmed ascent.1
• Northern Route: This approach is located on the Tibetan (Chinese) side of the mountain. After several unsuccessful attempts by British expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s, the first successful ascent via this route is generally credited to a Chinese expedition in 1960.1

While these are the standard approaches, other, more difficult routes exist, such as the East Face, though they are climbed much less frequently.12