SO much more than the highest summit on the planet, Everest is a spiritual home, action-adventure playground and a graveyard. Here’s a cheatsheet to be as clued up as if you climbed it yesterday.





The History:



It’s located in the Himalayas, Nepal.

It’s 29,029 ft above sea level , which makes it the highest mountain in the world.

, which makes it the highest mountain in the world. It wasn’t until 2010 that the official height was finally agreed due to an argument between China and Nepal. China won .

that the official height was finally agreed due to an argument between China and Nepal. . It was given the British name ‘Everest’ in 1865 by the Royal Geographical Society. It’s named after ‘Sir George Everest’ the British Surveyor General of India.

The Climb:

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay , were the first to reach the top of Mt. Everest on the 29th of May, 1953 .



, were the first to reach the top of Mt. Everest on the There are two main routes, Southeast and Northeast. Southeast is generally considered the safer option with easier access.

Southeast is generally considered the safer option with easier access. 6,871 ascents of Everest had been made by 4,042 different climbers.



of Everest had been made by different climbers. The death rate at the last count, found in 2014, 265 people had died .

. All climbers are required to have a permit. The average cost of a permit is $50,000 for 7 Climbers.

for 7 Climbers. The final leg of the climb begins at midnight so there is enough time to descent before nightfall. If climbers do not reach the summit by 2pm they are advised to turn back regardless of how close they are.

The Tragedy:

Many deaths occur on the descent due to fatigue/depleted oxygen supply.

supply. Due to the intense weather conditions and remoteness of the summit many of the bodies remain on the ascents trail.

and remoteness of the summit many of the bodies remain on the ascents trail. The dead bodies are preserved in an eerie, pristine state due to the cold. Many have nicknames and serve as way-points for climbers.

due to the cold. Many have nicknames and serve as for climbers. The worst loss of life was in April, 2014. 16 climbers died in a ‘Serac’ collapse.

The Rest:

The Sherpa believe Mt. Everest is blessed and karma is magnified on the mountain.

and on the mountain. Pilot Didier Delsalle landed a helicopter on the summit and coincidentally rescued two Japanese climbers in distress while there.

distress while there. Yuichiro Miura was the first man to ski Everest, descending 4,200ft before falling an sustaining severe injuries.

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