How Many People Have Died on Mount Everest?
Here is a clear overview of the number of deaths on Mount Everest till now, have a look:
From the 1920s, the total number of Mount Everest climbers is estimated at 13,737, among them, 339 deaths have been recorded. This makes an average of 5-7 annual deaths.
How many people died on Everest in 2026?
As the spring 2026 season closed at the end of May, there were five confirmed deaths on Mount Everest, with a sixth case still unresolved in the final days. But the number alone misses the more uncomfortable truth that runs underneath it. The assessment was done by the people who track the mountain most closely, in a fairly ordinary year. Five dead is what "normal" looks like on the Everest Trek now.
That's worth sitting with for a moment before we get into names and dates.
Five confirmed deaths on Everest 2026
Here is who they were, in the order they died, because behind every tally is a person, and the dates tell their own story about where on the mountain the danger actually lives.
Lakpa Dende Sherpa, 52, is the first to die, and he never even reached the climbing. On May 3 2026, the guide from Gudel village collapsed at roughly 5,200 meters while trekking from Gorak Shep up to Base Camp, returning to work the season for Seven Summit Treks. He lost consciousness on the two-mile approach and died. He wasn't on the mountain. He was on his way to it.
Bijaya Ghimire Bishwakarma, 35, died on May 10 while moving up through the lethal Khumbu Icefall from Base Camp. He carried a particular distinction: he was the first Nepali Dalit climber to summit Everest. Unfortunately, a man who had pushed against a caste system died by suspected cardiac arrest in Icefall.
Phura Gyaljen Sherpa, 21, the youngest of the dead, died on May 11. He slipped and fell on the Lhotse Face at around 7,000 meters, just below Camp 3. There's a heavy poetry to his lineage: he was the grandson of Ang Rita Sherpa, the legendary "Snow Leopard" who summited Everest ten times without supplemental oxygen and remains the only person to have done it in winter. The mountain that made his grandfather a legend killed him at twenty.
Sandeep Are, 46, an Indian climber, died on May 21. He was an IT professional who left the world on the descent after successfully reaching the summit. He suffered from an illness that caused his death. The report says that Are left behind a 17-year-old son.
Arun Kumar Tiwari, 53, an Indian climber, died on 21 May. Tiwari reportedly died near the Hillary Step, one of the most crowded and technically punishing points on the entire route. Reports suggest that Tiwari also suffered an illness while descending after a successful summit. The illness literally took his life.
The sixth name that hangs over this Everest season
As the season formally wound down, a sixth case surfaced that veteran chronicler Alan Arnette flagged with a question mark. A Nepali guide named Dawa Sherpa, from Okhaldhunga, went missing on the evening of May 29 near Camp 3.
According to base camp accounts, his Polish client had abandoned the summit push after suffering frostbite at the South Col, and the two began descending. But the client moved ahead following other climbers down toward Camp 2, and Dawa was left alone up high.
As of the season's final updates, he was unaccounted for, his fate not yet officially confirmed. If verified, he becomes the season's sixth death and a sharp echo of an old, ugly pattern: the foreign client survives, the Sherpa who was hired to keep him alive does not.
What the Everest deaths actually tell us
Look at where these five people died, and you'll notice the danger isn't where most of us assume it is.
We tend to imagine the summit doing the killing. The death zone, the thin air, that last brutal stretch of ridge. But that's not the story 2026 told. One man, Lakpa Dende, never got onto the mountain at all; he died on the trek up to Base Camp. One slipped and fell low on the Lhotse Face. And the two Indian climbers, Sandeep Are and Arun Kumar Tiwari, died on the way down, after they'd already stood on top. Only one of the five fits the summit-day image we carry around.
The descent is where Mount Everest tends to collect its dead, and the reason isn't mysterious. People pour everything into getting up. They reach the summit running on willpower and a half-empty oxygen bottle, and then they still have to walk all the way back down, exhausted, brain starved of air, often stuck in a queue of other exhausted people. That's the dangerous part. The photo everyone wants is at the top. The dying mostly happens after.
Reports by Arnette say both Indian men were reportedly feeling unwell on the way up, and in his view, that should have ended their climbs right there rather than continuing to the summit. He called the deaths preventable and argued that every Sherpa responsible for a client should have far better high-altitude medical training than most currently get. It's the kind of thing he says he watches happen nearly every season.
Deaths on Mount Everest 2026 - the number behind the number
Five doesn't sound like much until you set it against how many people were up there. This was a record year. By mid-May, Nepal had handed out 1,134 climbing permits across 30 peaks, and Everest alone accounted for 492 climbers and around $7.1 million in permit fees. On May 20, the mountain saw 274 summits in a single day, and the summits kept coming after that.
Push that many people through a couple of narrow good-weather windows and the crowd itself turns into a hazard. So, in the cold arithmetic that Everest forces on you, several hundred climbers and only five dead actually count as a fairly safe season. That's the part I find hard to sit with. Arnette's own read on the year was that, headlines aside, it was a pretty normal season - frostbite, helicopter evacuations that mostly stayed out of the news, big crowds, and a death toll that didn't really stand out against the historical average.
Which is the thing worth remembering? On Everest Trek Nepal, a normal year is still five families getting the call nobody ever wants.
A note on counting
If you go looking, you'll find slightly different death tolls for Everest in 2026 depending on the source, and that's not sloppiness. The climbing world has never settled on what actually counts. Some people only count climbers who die above Base Camp while going up. Others count everyone, including workers who die at Base Camp or somewhere along the long trek in. Lakpa Dende, who died on the approach, is exactly the case that splits the two camps.
Outlets like Outside and chroniclers like Arnette count everyone who dies working or climbing on the mountain, which is how they land on five, where a stricter count might say four. Factor in the unconfirmed disappearance of Dawa Sherpa near Camp 3, and the working figure becomes six.
Mount Everest Success vs. Death Rate Statistics
Talking about success vs. death rate statistics, it’s weird but kinda hopeful that more people make it than don’t. In fact, overall, about 1 % of climbers die on Everest. That is, if you count those who go above Everest Base Camp.
If you look at long-term averages, roughly 5 to 6 climbers die every year; between 1921 and 2024. So it’s about 5 annually, and in recent decades (2010–2024) it’s climbed to roughly 6 because of outsized years like 2015 and 2023.
So while "success" seems common nowadays (like hundreds summiting each spring), the Everest fatalities per year still matter. Because even a small rate means lives lost.
Mount Everest Annual average fatalities
Talking about annual average fatalities, they shift over decades. From the year 2000 to 2019, the average was around 3.2 per year. Before that was more deadly but slowly improved over time. Still, in 2023, there were 18 deaths, one of the deadliest seasons ever.
But in 2025, just five fatalities, which is a big drop compared to that spike. So the Everest fatalities per year number jumps up and down. But the long-term trend shows some improvement, though the risk never really goes away.
Why Are Bodies Left on Mount Everest?
People always wonder why bodies are left on Everest, and it’s not easy to explain. The mountain is super dangerous, cold, and high. Many climbers die above 8,000 meters, where the air is thin, and the weather can change in minutes. Recovering a body is almost impossible sometimes.
Even helicopters can’t go that high. And carrying a body down takes huge energy, risk, and time. So lots of climbers stay there forever, frozen in the ice. The frozen bodies on Everest almost become part of the mountain. This is a silent reminder of the risk. Even experienced climbers sometimes can’t save them, that’s why Everest body recovery is rare and very expensive.
Some climbers say seeing these bodies is sad but also a warning. They tell stories about human courage and mistakes. Some families never get closure because the mountain keeps the bodies.
Others see it as respecting nature. Sometimes, leaving the body is the safest choice. And weirdly, these frozen bodies also help future climbers know where danger zones are, almost like invisible guides on Everest trails.
Dead Bodies and Landmarks on Everest
Some bodies on Everest are kinda famous now, almost like little landmarks. George Mallory’s body on Everest was found decades after he vanished in 1924. And people still talk about it when they dream of climbing. Then there’s the spooky Green Boots Everest spot, where a climber’s boots stick out of the snow, and everyone notices it.
Not just that, climbers sometimes even use these places to figure out where they are going. It’s sad to see. But at the same time, these bodies become part of the mountain’s story and climbing culture.
Climbers mention these spots a lot. Looking at a frozen body or passing Green Boots Everest reminds you that the mountain is more than just ice and rocks. Actually, it holds history, stories, and lessons.
Some take photos, some just walk past quietly, but it sticks with you. Everest is beautiful but also really dangerous. Further, seeing these bodies makes that very real. Strange but true, the bodies up there tell stories that no book or video can really show fully.
Green Boots – Everest’s Northeast Route Legend
Perhaps one of the most recognized figures on Everest is “Green Boots,” believed to be Tsewang Paljor, an Indian climber who died during the 1996 Everest disaster. His body, marked by distinctive green mountaineering boots, lay in a small rocky cave at around 8,500 meters on the Northeast route. For many years, every climber passing through this section would encounter Green Boots, making him an unintentional landmark on the journey to the summit.
Although his body was eventually moved from sight, the story of Green Boots remains deeply tied to Everest’s legacy. His presence reminded climbers of the razor-thin line between success and tragedy on the mountain. Today, even without his physical remains marking the trail, his story continues to echo in mountaineering circles as a symbol of both the dangers of Everest and the respect owed to those who lost their lives chasing the summit.
Rainbow Valley, Nepal – Everest’s Death Zone Graveyard
Everest Rainbow Valley is a chilling landmark high on Mount Everest, located above 8,000 meters in the “Death Zone.” The name comes from the colorful jackets, boots, and climbing gear of fallen climbers that remain scattered across the slope. At this altitude, oxygen is scarce, winds are brutal, and temperatures stay below freezing. These extreme conditions make it nearly impossible to retrieve bodies, and many who perish here become part of the mountain forever.
For climbers attempting the summit, Rainbow Valley is more than just a name on the map—it’s a haunting reminder of Everest’s unforgiving power. Walking through the area, climbers pass by the silent remains of those who once had the same dream. The bright colors stand out against the white snow, symbolizing both the determination and the high price of mountaineering on the world’s tallest peak.
In 1998, American climber Francys Arsentiev became the first woman from the United States to summit Mount Everest without supplemental oxygen. However, the triumph quickly turned to tragedy during her descent. Exhausted and unable to continue, she collapsed near the summit. Climbers who encountered her reported her final words as a plea not to be left alone. Despite attempts to help, the altitude and exhaustion made it impossible for anyone to carry her down.
Her body, resting peacefully in the snow, earned her the heartbreaking nickname “Sleeping Beauty.” For nearly a decade, she remained a haunting figure on the mountain until, in 2007, climbers moved her to a more discreet resting place. Her story continues to live on as one of Everest’s most emotional tragedies, symbolizing both the courage and the risks faced by those who dare to climb the world’s highest mountain.
Where Are Most Dead Bodies Found on Everest?
Most of the Everest bodies are located in what climbers call the "Everest death zone". That’s above 8,000 meters, where the air is super thin and cold can kill fast. People often ask where most deaths occur on Everest. And the answer is usually near the summit or just below it.
Falling, exhaustion, and lack of oxygen make it really dangerous there. Once a climber dies in this zone, it’s almost impossible to bring them down. So many bodies stay frozen forever.
Likewise, the Everest death zone is like a silent graveyard. Some bodies lie along popular climbing routes, so climbers see them while going up or down. The most famous spots, like near Hillary Step or the upper Khumbu Icefall, have several Everest bodies location that became known to mountaineers.
It’s sad, scary, but also part of the mountain story. Everybody warns about how deadly Everest can be, and why even experienced climbers must respect it.
Main Causes of Death on Everest
Climbing Everest is dangerous, and many climbers die. Here are the main causes of death on Everest:
- Altitude sickness Everest: Lack of oxygen at high altitude makes climbers weak and confused. And sometimes this results in death.
- Falls and slips: Ice and rocks are slippery, one wrong step can be fatal there.
- Avalanches: Snow can come suddenly, burying climbers fast.
- Extreme cold and hypothermia: Freezing temperatures make the body stop working properly.
- Exhaustion and fatigue: Climbers push too hard, get tired, and collapse.
- Lack of experience or preparation: Poor planning, wrong gear, and not knowing the route increase risk.
- Storms and sudden weather changes: Strong winds, snowstorms can trap climbers. This can make it almost impossible to survive.
These all show why dangers of climbing Everest are very real, and every climber must be careful. Mountains are beautiful but unforgiving, and these causes of death on Everest remind everyone that the summit is not easy.
How Many Bodies Are Still on Everest Today?
People always ask how many bodies are on Everest today, and the answer is kinda shocking. There are still over 200 dead bodies remaining on Everest. They are frozen in ice or hidden in snow. Some never recovered because the mountain is too dangerous.
Not just that, these Everest frozen bodies become part of the route, and climbers sometimes see them while going up or down. Some bodies are famous, like near the Green Boots spot, and some are unknown.
They remind everyone how deadly Everest can be. Even though it’s sad, these frozen climbers are now almost part of the mountain itself, frozen in time forever.
Death Rate of Sherpas vs. Climbers
Climbing Everest is dangerous for everyone, but Sherpas face some extra risk. They carry heavy loads, set ropes, and go first on risky parts. That’s why Sherpa deaths on Everest are sometimes higher in certain years, even if total numbers look small.
Many climbers don’t realize how much work Sherpas do to make the climb possible. The Everest guides' risk is real, and it shows why they are considered heroes of the mountain.
Comparison of Sherpa vs climber deaths:
| Group | Approx Death Rate | Notes |
| Sherpas | 1 - 2 % | High risk zones, rope fixing, heavy loads |
| Climbers | 0.5 - 1 % | Summit push, altitude sickness, falls |
So basically, both face danger, but Sherpas take extra responsibility. This makes Sherpa deaths on Everest an important part of understanding mountain risks.
Safety Measures & Modern Climbing Improvements
Climbing Everest is still risky, but things have improved over the years. Here are the main points about Everest climbing safety:
- Better gear and clothing: Warm jackets, boots, and oxygen systems help climbers survive cold and thin air.
- Fixed ropes and ladders: Trails are safer now. This reduces the chance of slipping and Everest accidents.
- Experienced guides and Sherpas: They help climbers navigate dangerous parts.
- Weather monitoring: Modern forecasts warn about storms and dangerous conditions.
- Training and prep programs: Climbers learn altitude acclimatization and survival techniques.
- Helicopter rescues at lower altitudes: Emergency help is faster in Base Camp and lower sections.
- Route management: Crowding is reduced, so less traffic, fewer accidents.
- Medical support on Everest: Some camps have doctors and oxygen for emergencies.
- Awareness campaigns: Due to this, climbers know the risks, and Everest is safe to climb. They make smarter decisions before summit attempts.
Even with all these improvements, Everest climbing safety is still a serious matter. Mountains are beautiful but dangerous. And Everest accidents still happen every year, so careful planning is a must.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mount Everest Deaths
How many people die on Everest each year?
On average, about 5 to 7 climbers die every year. But some seasons are worse, like 2023, with 18 deaths.
How many bodies are still on Everest?
There are over 200 bodies still on Everest. They are either frozen on slopes or hidden under snow.
Can bodies be removed from Everest?
Yes, bodies can be removed from Everest, but very hard to do that. It costs lots of money, takes many Sherpas, and is super dangerous. So most are left there.
Is the north or south route safer?
The south route from Nepal is usually safer than the north side in Tibet. The Tibetan side is windier and colder.
What is the chance of dying on Everest?
The death rate is around 1% overall, so the risk is small but still very real.
