20 Fascinating Facts About Mount Everest

🏔️ 20 Fascinating Facts About Mount Everest

1 - The highest point on Earth.

Mount Everest rises about 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) above sea level, making it the highest mountain in the world.

2 - It’s still growing.

Due to the collision between the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates, Everest continues to rise by roughly half a millimeter per year.

3 - Born from a massive collision.

The mountain was formed around 50–60 million years ago when the Indian plate crashed into the Eurasian plate, uplifting the seafloor into the Himalayas.

4 - A mountain with many names.

In Nepal, it’s known as Sagarmāthā (“Head of the Sky”), while in Tibet it’s called Chomolungma (“Goddess Mother of the World”).

5 - Measuring it is complicated.

Everest’s exact height has been debated for decades because snow depth, shifting tectonics, and measurement methods can all affect the results.

6 - The “Death Zone.”

Above 8,000 meters (26,247 feet), oxygen levels drop to one-third of what they are at sea level, making survival extremely difficult.

7 - First successful ascent.

On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal became the first climbers to reach the summit.

8 - One of the world’s dirtiest mountains.

Overcrowding and decades of expeditions have left tons of waste — from discarded oxygen bottles to climbing gear and tents — on its slopes.

9 - A living science lab.

Scientists have installed high-altitude weather stations and collected ice cores to study climate change and the mountain’s ecology.

10 - Traffic jams at the top of the world.

During peak climbing season, hundreds of climbers attempt the summit, causing dangerous bottlenecks in the “death zone.”

11 - No roads lead there.

On the Nepalese side, there are no roads to Everest Base Camp — everything must be carried by porters, yaks, or helicopters.

12 - A vital water source.

Glaciers from Everest and the surrounding Himalayas feed rivers that provide water for hundreds of millions of people in Asia.

13 - Shaped by disasters.

The 2015 Nepal earthquake triggered massive avalanches on Everest, killing climbers and altering parts of the route.

14 - Different routes, same challenge.

The two main routes are the South Col route (Nepal) and the North Ridge route (Tibet), each with unique dangers and technical demands.

15 - Not the tallest mountain by every measure.

Everest is the highest above sea level, but Mauna Kea in Hawaii is taller from base to summit, and Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador is farther from Earth’s center.

16 - A sacred mountain.

For the Sherpa and Tibetan peoples, Everest is a sacred place, seen as a goddess or divine being that deserves respect and protection.

17 - Thousands of climbers, hundreds of deaths.

More than 6,000 people have reached the summit, but hundreds have lost their lives attempting it. Many of their bodies remain on the mountain.

18 - Climate change is reshaping it.

Glaciers on Everest are retreating, exposing old debris and human remains while changing the stability of climbing routes.

19 - A new official height.

In 2020, Nepal and China jointly confirmed Everest’s official height as 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet), resolving long-standing disputes.

20 - It grows and shrinks.

While tectonic uplift makes Everest slightly taller, erosion, melting glaciers, and earthquakes can also reduce its height — nature keeps it in balance.