Mount Everest

• Since it was first scaled in 1953, Everest expeditions have put more than 550 people on the top, but also killed 95 people.
• The conditions at the top of Mount Everest are very dangerous. In addition to the challenges of the climbing, there is the cold, the wind, and the low oxygen levels. Most expeditions to the top are done over a period of months, so that the climbers can gradually get used to the cold and the thinner air.
• Everest was formed about 60 million years ago. Its elevation is 29,035 feet (8850 meters). Its summit ridge seperates Nepal and Tibet.
• In 1999, it was found to be 6' higher than previously measured!
• In 1865, Everest was named after Sir George Everest, the British surveyor-general of India. It was once known simply as Peak 15.
• In Nepal, Everest is called "Sagarmatha," which means goddess of the sky.
• In Tibet, Everest is called "Chomolungma," which means mother goddess of the universe.
• The first ascent was on May 29,1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, Nepal, via the South Col Route.
• The best and worst years for climbing Everest: Best—1993, 129 summitted and eight died (a ratio of 16:1); Worst1996, 98 summitted and 15 died (a ratio of 6*:1)
• Highest cause of death to those climbing the mountain is from avalanches (about a 2:1 ratio over falls).
• Most famous quote about Mt. Everest: "Because it is there." said by George Mallory (1886-1924), in answer to the question 'Why do you want to climb Mt. Everest ?'. [Check out "Mount Everest" in our Quotes Archives for more of what people have said about Mt. Everest.]

Mt. Everest is growing!