• About The Patch Expedition
• Climbing in Aid of Unicef
• Meet The Team
  • The Patch Team
• Corporate Sponsors
  • Become a Corporate Sponsor
• Training for Everest
  • Technical
  • Physical
  • Mental
  • Nutrition
• Climb Your Own Everest
• Climbing Everest
  • Everest Facts
  • The Gear
  • The History of Everest
  • The Route
  • Altitude and Illness
    • Our Bodies and Oxygen
    • Altitude and Oxygen
    • Acclimatisation
    • The Death Zone
    • Supplemental Oxygen
    • Sickness on the Big Hill
• FAQ's

 

 

Everest Facts

 

Age:

Everest is approximately 70 million years old and was formed when the Indo-Australian continental plate collided with the Eurasian Plate.

Height:

The official height of Everest is 8,848 metres (29,029 feet). However, in 1999 the National Geographic Society determined the height to be 2 metres taller at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet). This has not yet been made official by the Nepali government.

Heights of the Camps

Base Camp – 5,334 metres (17,500 feet)
This is higher than any mountain in the European Alps the highest being Mont Blanc 4,810 metres (15,781 feet)
Camp 1 – 5,943 metres (19,500 feet)
This is higher than Mount Kilimanjaro which at 5,892 metres (16,732 feet) is the highest mountain in Africa
Camp 2 – 6,400 metres (21,000 feet)
This is higher than any mountain in North America the highest being Mount McKinley (Denali) at 6,194 metres (20,320 feet)
Camp 3 – 7,162 metres (23,500 feet)
Higher than any other mountain outside of Asia. The highest mountain outside of Asia is Aconcagua in Argentina which stands at 6,962 metres (22,841 metres).
Camp 4 – 8,000 metres (26,300 feet)
Camp 4 is the only camp in the Death Zone. At 8,000 metres there are only a handful of places on the earth higher than this.

Everest is Growing:

Each year Everest increases in height by about 5mm each as the tectonic plates of India and Asia continue to press against each other forcing the great Himalayan peaks to continue to grow.

Location:

Mount Everest stands in the Himalayan range of mountains on the border of Nepal and Tibet. Its exact location is 27° 59' North latitude, 86° 55' East longitude.

How Everest got its Name:

Mount Everest is named after Sir George Everest who was the Surveyor General of India from 1830 to 1843. In 1841, Sir George Everest first recorded the location of what is now known to be the highest mountain on Earth.

Name in Nepali:

In Nepali Everest is known as Sagarmatha (Goddess of the Sky)

Name in Tibetan:

In Tibetan Everest is called Chomolungma (Mother Goddess of the Universe)

Temperature:

The temperature on the summit of Everest can fall below -75°C (-100°F), however on a good summit day it is typically around -25°C (-15°F).

On a clear day temperatures in the Western Cwm can reach 35°C (95°F). Therefore climbers not only have to deal with extreme cold but also intense heat.

Wind:

Mount Everest is so high that its summit sits in the jet stream, a fast moving wind current blowing from west to east around the Earth at altitudes between 23,000 and 39,000 feet. As a result winds of over 120mph blast the icy summit of Everest all year long producing the white plume of ice crystals characteristically seen extending from the tip of the mountain.

Those wishing to stand on the summit have to choose their moment carefully. During the spring, just before monsoon season, low pressure systems sometimes push the jet stream northwards providing a small window of opportunity to make a summit attempt.

Oxygen Levels:

Although the percentage of oxygen in the air does not change at altitude, the decrease in pressure means that the amount of oxygen available to breath on the summit of Everest is less than one third of that at sea level. As a result most climbers use supplemental oxygen when attempting the summit.

For more information see: Supplemental O2

Number of Successful Summits

As of 2009, the number of climbers who had summated Everest reached 3,684

Number of Deaths

At the end of the 2009 season the number of deaths reached 210

First Ascent:

Sir Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal) on the 29th May 1953 via the Southeast Ridge route

First Solo Ascent:

Reinhold Messner (Italy) on the 20th August 1980 via the Northeast Ridge to North Face route

First Ascent by a Woman:

Junko Tabei (Japan) on the 16th May 1975 via the Southeast Ridge route

First Oxygenless Ascent:

Reinhold Messner (Italy) and Peter Habeler (Austria) on the 8th May 1978 via the Southeast Ridge route

Fastest Ascent from South Side of Everest:

Babu Chhiri Sherpa (Nepal) took 16 hours and 56 minutes to summit on the 21st May 2000

Fastest Ascent from North Side of Everest:

Hans Kammerlander (Italy) took 16 hours 45 minutes to summit via the standard North Col Ridge route on the 24th May 1996

Youngest Person to Summit:

Temba Tsheri (Nepal) aged 15 on the 22nd May 2001

Oldest Person to Summit:

Min Bahadur Sherchan (Nepal) aged 76 on the 22nd May 2007

Person with most Successful Summits:

Appa Sherpa who as of 2009 has summated Everest a total of 19 times

Best Year on Everest:

In 1993 a total of 129 people summitted and 8 lost their lives, a ratio of 16:1.

Best Year on Everest:

In 1996 a total of 98 people summitted and 15 lost their lives, a ratio of 6.5:1.