Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world and part of the Seven Summits. Over 3,100 climbers from over 20 countries have made over 5,100 recorded ascents, with over 220 recorded deaths. Notable ascents include the first official summit by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, and the oldest and youngest climbers. There are two main routes to climb Everest, with South Base Camp being more popular. Climbers face physical effects such as altitude sickness, HACE, HAPA, frostbite, and hypothermia. Increased traffic has led to litter and human waste being left on the mountain.
At 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. It is considered one of the most challenging mountains to climb and is part of the Seven Summits, which have the highest peaks on every continent. While it is impossible to say how many people have summited Everest at any given time since the number changes every year, as of September 2011 over 3,100 climbers from over 20 countries had made over 5,100 recorded ascents, mostly after 2000 CE. As of 2012 there were over 220 recorded deaths, most of which took place before 1990. Changes in climbing equipment led to a steep decline in deaths in the 2000s, with the death rate being increased from 37% in 1990 to about 4.4% in 2004.
Notable ascents
The first officially recorded summit was reached by Sir Edmund Percival Hillary from New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal on May 29, 1953. There have been several claims that previous climbers had reached the summit before them, in especially George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy “Irvino. Mallory and Irving may have reached the summit of Everest in 1924, but they died trying and it is unclear from the position of the bodies whether they actually reached the top or not.
The first woman to climb Everest was Junko Tabei, who reached the summit in 1975. Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first to climb Everest without supplemental oxygen, which they did in 1978. In 1980, Messner he was also the first solo climber to reach the summit. Other notable climbs include:
Min Bahadur Sherchan May 25, 2008: Oldest person to climb the mountain in 2011. He was 76 when he reached the top.
Jordan Romero, May 25, 2010: The youngest to climb the mountain in 2011. He was 13 when he reached the top.
Erik Weihenmayer, May 25, 2001: The first blind climber to reach the summit of Everest.
Tamae Watanabe, May 19, 2012: Oldest woman to reach summit. She was 73 years old.
Apa Sherpa May 10, 1990 – May 11, 2011: The person who reached the most peaks in 2011. Sherpa has climbed Everest 21 times between 1990 and 2011.
Mona Mulepati and Pem Dorje Sherpa May 30, 2005: The first couple to wed atop Mt. Everest.
Make a climb
There are a total of about 15 recognized routes for climbing Everest, but only two main ones. One starts in Nepal and goes up the southeast ridge of the mountain, and the other starts in Tibet and goes up the north ridge. Each of these trails has its own base camp to start from, called South Base Camp and North Base Camp respectively. South Base Camp is generally more popular, as the southeast climb is easier and several permits are required to go to North Base Camp. As both camps are high above sea level, most people stay for a few days to get used to the altitude.
After resting at base camp, climbers typically begin their ascent very early in the morning, as it is much more dangerous to attempt the summit after around 11am. People almost always go as part of an expedition or guided tour. Many expeditions and tours include helpers and people carrying equipment and sometimes even cooks. Members of a local ethnic group, called Sherpas, often work as guides or helpers. Climbers make their ascent and descent in steps, moving from camp to camp over the course of several days, which gives them time to adjust to the changing altitude and to rest between climbs.
Effects on climbers
The combination of cold and altitude has a number of physical effects on climbers. Many people suffer from altitude sickness, which causes dizziness, fatigue and nausea. There is only about one-third as much oxygen near the summit of Everest as there is at sea level, making it difficult to breathe and putting climbers at risk for high-altitude cerebral edema (HACE), a condition in which fluid accumulates in the brain. Climbers are also at risk for high-altitude pulmonary edema (HAPA), a condition in which fluid builds up in the lungs. Cold also causes frostbite and hypothermia.
Impact on the mountain
Increased traffic of climbers and tourists on Mount Everest has led to an increase in litter and litter being abandoned. As of 2008, there were about 120 tons of rubbish on the mountain, mostly oxygen tanks, tents and other equipment. Human waste is also a problem, with nearly 900 pounds (about 400 kg) of human waste collected from Mount Everest between 2008 and 2011.
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