10 Most Shocking Mount Everest facts | Surprising Everest Stories

  • Kishwor Adhikari
  • Last Updated on Nov 2, 2023

Mount Everest, apart from being the tallest peak in the world, is also the most interesting one. There are numerous Mount Everest facts revolving around the peak. Getting to know about these Mount Everest Facts is not just entertaining but knowledgeable up to a great extent. It’s crucial for any climber to know about these Mt. Everest facts, as they help the mountaineers prepare for the journey. Along with Mount Everest facts, there are also certain Everest stories. Some of them legends; some of them real. It’s an absolute pleasure and great fun to get to know about them.

Table of Contents

Mount Everest Facts

There are so many Mount Everest Facts that you’re bound to get astonished after getting to know about them. These are the top 11 most shocking Mount Everest facts, related to the various aspects of Everest.

1. Mount Everest Height

Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. Mount Everest height is 8848 m. Mount Everest height was concluded to be 8848 m after years of observation and calculation by the Great Trigonometric Survey. The fact was jointly recognized by Nepal and China. Initially, in around 1856, Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India proposed the height of the peak to be 8840 m, however, as mentioned above, the data was reviewed and corrected.

mount everest

2. Who Was Mount Everest Named After

To answer the question, who was Mount Everest named after, it was named after Sir George Everest, who once held the title of British Surveyor General of India. The name was proposed by Andrew Waugh, who held the same position at the time of naming the peak. Royal Geographical Society changed the name of the mountain from Peak XV to Mount Everest, making it official. George never wanted the name of the peak to be in his name, as he had nothing to do with its discovery.

3. How Long Does It Take To Climb Mount Everest

To answer the question, how long does it take to climb Mount Everest, the entire journey is around 43 days long, which includes climbing, trekking to Everest Base Camp, and rest days assigned for acclimatization. The core climbing lasts for a duration of only 26 days. This is exactly how long it takes to reach the peak from the base camp of Mount Everest. However, this number might fluctuate depending on the weather and other factors. Additionally, the climbers trek for 9 days; 8 days are spent either travelling or resting.

everest climb

4. Mount Everest Rainbow Valley

Mount Everest Rainbow Valley is among the interesting Mount Everest Facts. Everest Rainbow Valley is a section of the peak that is filled with dead bodies of climbers who perished while climbing on the peak. The reason why the area is called Mount Everest Rainbow Valley is because the place is very colorful, which is quite unique, considering the white and grey tone of the mountain. Everest Rainbow Valley gets its colors from the colorful clothes that covers the bodies of the dead climbers.

5. Everest Death Zone

Everest Death Zone is the part of the peak that lies between the altitude of 8000 m and 8848 m. The reason why it’s called the death zone because maximum number of deaths that have occurred on the peak have happened here. Because of features such as high velocity wind, extreme cold, low oxygen level, and so on, it is one of the most challenging points to cross in the entire mountain. A lot of climbers have perished not just in terms of reaching the peak, but also in terms of descending.

6. Oldest Person To Climb Mount Everest

The oldest person to climb Mt. Everest was Yuichiro Miura. He is a professional climber from Japan, who climbed Mount Everest at the age of 80, in 2013. He’s held this record before as well, when he became the oldest person to climb Mt. Everest at the age of 70. He climbed the peak in 2003. He is also the first person to ski on Everest, which he did in 1970. This feat of his was featured in the 1975 Academy Award winning movie ‘The Man Who Skied Down Everest’. It is among the exciting Mount Everest Facts!

7. Youngest Person To Climb Mount Everest

The youngest person to climb Mount Everest was Jordan Romero. The American climber conquered Everest in the year 2009, and at that time, he was only 13 years old. In doing so, he broke the record set by Temba Tsheri Sherpa, a Nepali Climber, who was only 16 when he reached the peak. He climbed the mountain in the year 2001. Jordan also holds the record of being the youngest climber to successfully climb the tallest peaks of all the seven continents. Another interesting Mount Everest Facts!

8. Climb Everest Without Oxygen

Reinhold Messner was the first person to climb Everest without Oxygen. He scaled the summit in 1978 solo. He has a few other records in his name. For instance, he was the first climber to successfully ascend the fourteen highest peaks in the world. In the same way, he’s crossed the Gobi desert alone, and is the first person to cross the entire continent of Antarctica, and Greenland, on foot. This fact about Reinhold Messner, is among the unbelievable Mount Everest facts.

9. Dead Bodies On Everest

Generally, the dead bodies, when not attended gets decomposed. However, for that to happen, a certain environment is needed. On Everest, the climate is so cold, that the bacteria and other organisms, responsible for decomposition of the body, can’t survive. Because of this, the dead bodies on Everest remain intact, retaining their shape. Everest, in the past few years, has become a junkyard of dead bodies. In every other section of the peak, the climbers find dead bodies of deceased mountaineers.

10. Mt. Everest Traffic Jam

On May 22 this year, the tallest mountain in the world experienced its first traffic jam. Around 200 mountaineers lined up to reach the top of the peak above Base Camp IV. The climbers stuck in this long Mt. Everest Traffic Jam had to wait a minimum of two hours to wait for their turn to reach the top. Unfortunately, because of waiting for a long time and exhaustion, quite a few climbers died in queue. Though heartbreaking, it is one of the latest Mount Everest facts.

Everest Stories

Quite like the Mt. Everest facts, there are certain Everest stories that surround the mountain. The following two are among the most popular Everest Stories that you need to know about.

1. Sleeping Beauty Everest

Sleeping Beauty Everest is among the most tragic Everest Stories. Francys Arsentiev who is known as Everest Sleeping Beauty, was the first American to scale the peak without the help of supplement oxygen. She achieved this feat in the year 1998. She was able to reach the peak successfully, however, in terms of returning, she had to face the wrath of the unforgiving climate. Most parts of her body were frostbitten beyond treatment, and she was unable to move. Even the rescue party that was sent to rescue her couldn’t bring her back and save her life. They had to return in order to save their lives.

2. Green Boots Everest

Another such Everest story is about Green Boots Everest. Green Boots Everest is actually a person. In fact, it’s a dead body on the peak whose identity is unknown. The reason why it’s called Green Boots Everest is because of the pair of Green Boots that are on the feet of the body. It was first discovered in 2001 by a French Climber. It is speculated that the body belongs to an Indian climber known as Tsewang Paljor, who died on the peak in 1996 because of the Everest Disaster, and whose body went missing.

green boots everest

Whether you’re looking to climb the peak, simply go for the trek, or do nothing at all, these fantastic Mount Everest facts and Everest stories are a great way to know about the mountain altogether. This enormous giant hides within itself so many mysteries; it is through these Mount Everest facts that you can unfold them and hope to have a clear view of Everest altogether. If you’re looking to go for the Everest climb, go through these Mount Everest facts, as they will give you all the info that you need.

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Kishwor Adhikari

Kishwor Adhikari

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