50 Interesting Facts About Mount Everest

Last updated on July 29th, 2022

41. To date, about 300 people have died during expeditions on Mount Everest. Some of the common causes of death during expeditions include, among others, falls, blizzards, lack of enough oxygen, altitude sicknesses, and fatigue.

42. Mount Everest contains more than 200 bodies of climbers who didn’t make it in their expeditions. The bodies still lie there due to the high risk and cost involved in retrieving them. For instance, there was a 2017 recovery process that cost $200,000.

43. The Green Boot Cave is an area within the death zone of Mount Everest. It was named after Tsewang Paljor, an Indian mountaineer who died wearing green boots. Here, most climbers take a break to rest and recharge their batteries.

44. Due to the large number of people attempting to climb the mountain at the same time, there are usually huge traffic jams and congestion that jeopardize safety even more. For instance, in 2012, 4 of the climbers in an expedition died trying to descend.

45. To be fit for an expedition, experts recommend months or years of physical training that puts you in the right shape to climb.

46. While climbing Mount Everest alone is a dangerous affair, listening to the guides is crucial as it increases your chances of survival. At one point, a serious dispute ensued after two climbers decided to ignore the Sherpas’ guidelines. It was later resolved with the intervention of a military officer.

47. No one died climbing Mount Everest in 1977, making it the safest year to date in the history of Mount Everest expeditions.

48. Famously known as “The sleeping beauty on Mount Everest,” Francys Arsentiev was the first female to make it to the summit of Mount Everest without an oxygen supply on May 22, 1998. Unfortunately, she died on her way back down due to body weakness and oxygen deprivation. Since 1998, her body still lies on Mount Everest, and that’s why she’s called the sleeping beauty.

49. It is difficult for helicopters to reach the peak of Mount Everest. At such an high altitude, the air is just too thin for most helicopters to generate enough lift to remain airborne. If the helicopter is equipped to reach that height, making the landing is still an incredibly delicate affair. However, Didier Delsalle,the French test helicopter pilot managed to pull this unbelievable stunt off on May 14th, 2005. After years of planning and weeks of waiting for the perfect conditions, he pulled off the impossible and landed on the summit.

50. Planes can reach the peak of this mountain. However, flying them to the summit of Mount Everest is a risky affair considering the turbulence that may result from extreme weather conditions. And there are plenty of other factors that come into play if you want to fly over the Everest. Thus, it is best to avoid flying over the mountain considering the potential risks that it involves.  

Facts about Sherpa people

Sherpa people are one of the Tibetan ethnic group and descent. The biggest number of Sherpas occupies mountain regions of Nepal and the Himalayas. With time, they have genetically adapted to survive the harsh environment mountains have to offer. Sherpas are famously known for their super mountaineering skills. They have recorded World’s best mountain climbers in various summits. They have managed to retain their culture while at the same time benefit from globalized technological advances.

1. The Culture of Sherpa People Base Their Descent on Clan Systems

These clan divisions are called Ru, and they are patrilineal. The clans are sources of identity and provide a sense of belonging. Each individual bears a clan name.

2. Sherpas Have High Regard for the Mountains As Homes of the Gods

Sherpas believe that gods occupy the highest mountain peaks. For this reason, they have a due to protect and preserve the mountains. They have reserved specific areas of the mountains where they believe people should not reach.

3. Their Religious Beliefs Are a Mixture of Buddhism and Animism

Sherpa people believe in the existence of varieties of deities and demons. They acknowledge that mountains, caves, forests, and water bodies are homes for the deities. Lamas, who are either celibate monks or married householders, guide the religious ceremonies and rituals of the Sherpas.

4. Sherpas Have a Unique Genetic Make-Up

Living in the mountains has made them biologically adapt to mechanisms of reserving energy, more efficient use of oxygen, and enduring extreme cold temperatures.

5. Sherpa People Are Multilingual

Sherpas have adapted to various languages in formal and informal domains. For instance, they use Tibetan script for writing and Nepali in their interactions with other people.

6. They Play a Great Role in Nature Conservation

Sherpa people have always had a great relationship with the natural environment. They preserve nature through their cultural practices, including religious beliefs. As mountain climbing guides, Sherpas make sure that foreign climbers don’t pollute the mountains in any way.

7. Most Sherpas Domesticate Yaks

Yaks are the most domesticated animals by Sherpas because of their ability to thrive in high altitude areas. Yaks have thick fur that makes them survive the cold on narrow mountain passes.

8. Sherpas Are Famous for Their Hospitality

Their welcoming and hospitable nature have enabled a good relationship between them and Westerners. Often, Sherpas take high risks guiding other people up and down the mountain.

9. The Sherpa People Have Excellent Mountaineering and Trekking Skills

Most Sherpas are mountain climbers and guides for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. They have produced most of the world’s known participants in various summits, more so that of Mount Everest.

10. Kami Rita Sherpa

He is so far the first person in the world to climb Mount Everest many times.

He first summited Mount Everest in 1994 at the age of 24 years. Between the years 1994 and 2021, Kami Rita has summited Mount Everest 25 times.

11. Ang Dorge Sherpa

He guided the first Indian woman to reach the Summit of Mount Everest.

Ang Dorge has been working as a Mountain guide on Mount Everest, Mount Rainier, Mount Kilimanjaro, and Island Peak. Part of his achievements including guiding Bachendri Pal in 1994.

12. Phurba Tashi Sherpa

He was in 2009 featured in the Discovery Channel series ‘Everest: Beyond the Limit.’

Phurba was featured as the main character in painting a picture of the different events happening during the ice avalanche in 2014.

13. Pemba Gyalie Sherpa

Pemba was the National Geographic Best Adventurer of 2008. This was because of his heroism during the K2 tragedy, where he saved other mountain climbers, including Confortola, who was stuck along the dangerous bottleneck.

14. Lakhpa Sherpa

She was the first Nepali woman to summit Mount Everest successfully. Lakpa is part of the 2016 BBC series, ‘100 Women’, which seeks to highlight the role of women in the 21st Century.

Mount Everest – Quick facts and statistics