Mount Everest, one of the tallest peaks in the world, presents its challenges for any trekker who wishes to climb it. A lot of the trekkers can do the Everest Base Camp Trek, but climbing the mountain in itself is a tough task. There are plenty of remarkable factors about Mount Everest Peak that tend to make the peak one of the most challenging and beautiful at the same time. Today, we would like to look into the top 10 remarkable facts about Mount Everest Peak.
1: Radhanath Sikdar was the first person to discover Mount Everest
This could be one of the most surprising facts in the top 10 remarkable facts about Mount Everest Peak. Although the name of Mount Everest was named after George Everest but he didn’t discover it.
Mount Everest was first discovered by the Indian surveyor and mathematician Radhanath Sikdar. The name Everest, however, was proposed by British Army officer Andrew Waugh.
2: Mount Everest Doesn’t Belong to Nepal
A lot of the tourists and trekkers might have heard that Mount Everest doesn’t belong to Nepal. Well, that is a reality. Mount Everest lies at the border of Nepal and China, where the higher portion is dominated by China.
But when we talk about trekking, Mount Everest is easier to ascend from Nepal with easier and more commonly used access. Nepal might have Kalapatthar (5,644 m) for beautiful views, but China also has the Tibetan Plateau to admire Everest.
3: Kami Rita Sherpa Has Climbed Mount Everest the Most Number of Times
Mount Everest, the tallest mountain, standing at an altitude of 8848 m, is tough to climb. But Sherpa guide Kami Rita Sherpa has climbed Mount Everest the most number of times. She has ascended the tallest mountain 30 times.
This brave heart climber made the record on 22nd May, 2024, when she climbed the peak for the 30th time. Interestingly, Kami Rita is 53 years old, but her willpower to ascend the tallest mountain in the world is admirable.
4: Mount Everest is About 60 Million Years Old
In the blog for the top 10 remarkable facts about Mount Everest Peak, this mountain was formed some 60 million years ago. Although no survey expert knows the exact date, it is assumed to have formed when the Eurasian Plate and Indian Plate collided during the formation of the mountains.
It was only in 1924 when marine fossils were first discovered by Noel Odell, which suggests Mount Everest was under the ocean for a very long time. Although the age of sedimentary rocks is way older, Everest is only 60 million years old.
5: More than 300 People Have Died on Mount Everest
Sad but true, more than 300 people have died at the top of Mount Everest. Climbing the tallest mountain in the world can’t be easy at all. More than 100 climbers do the Everest climb, but not all return safely.
The major causes of death at Mount Everest are avalanches, hypoxia, exhaustion, hypothermia, etc. The Khumbu glacier, present in the Everest region, has taken the maximum number of lives to date. Such a sad fact about Everest.
6: There is a Death Zone on Mount Everest
Yes, you read that right. In the top 10 remarkable facts about Mount Everest Peak, there is a specific death zone during the Everest climb. As the climbers reach the 6000m altitude, the oxygen level drops to 10%, while touching 8000m it goes to 8%.
Anything above the 8000m mark is called the death zone on Everest. Going past the 8000m means that you will need supplemental oxygen. With the body unable to adjust to 8000m, a lot of deaths take place due to hypoxia and hypothermia.
7: Ten Weeks are Needed to Climb Mount Everest
If the readers thought climbing Mount Everest was a walk in the park, they are wrong. Anyone can do the Everest Base Camp Trek, but climbing Mount Everest is a different beast. The maximum amount of time taken to climb and descend Mount Everest is 70 days.
Even though reaching the Base Camp is less than 2 weeks of work, it is the climb after that that brings in all the toughness. A lot of the time, getting back down is tough compared to the climb.
8: More than 4000 People Have Submitted to climb Mount Everest
The first climb to Mount Everest took place in 1953 when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa completed it successfully. 71 years down the line, the tallest mountain has been breached by more than 4000 people.
Likewise, the tallest mountain has been climbed more than 8000 times, which is the key number. A lot of the climbers have done the rounds more than once, which makes the number of climbs way higher than the people.
9: Francys Arsentiev is the Sleeping Beauty on Mount Everest
Yes, you read that right, there is a dead body on Mount Everest whose name is Francys Arsentiev. She was the first woman who try to climb Mount Everest (8,848.86 m) without the oxygen supply.
This American woman did become successful, but during the descent passed away due to hypothermia and cerebral edema. She couldn’t make it to the bottom. This incident took place in 1998 and since then, her body has remained at the top of Everest, claiming to be the sleeping beauty on Everest.
10: Mount Everest isn’t Technically the Tallest Mountain in the World
This could be a massive surprise for the list of the top 10 remarkable facts about Mount Everest peak. Yes, technically Everest isn’t the tallest peak in the world. Although it has an altitude of 8848m, Hawaii’s Mauna Kea (13,796 feet) is known to be the tallest.
It stands at an altitude of 10210 meters. It is a dormant volcano present on the island of Hawaii. So technically, if we measure its altitude from sea level, it could easily beat Mount Everest.
As we know, the majority of Mount Kea (13,796 feet) resides below sea level, so the actual height is yet to be measured. Even on the rougher scale, Mount Everest gets easily beaten as the tallest peak in the world.
Conclusion:
Accommodating the remarkable fun facts about Mount Everest in just 10 headings is impossible. From the naming to pronunciation, several people couldn’t climb the sacred nature of the mountain, but there’s much more to know and admire about Everest.