Mount Everest Facts You Must Know

Mount Everest, the summit of the mountain straddles the boundary that separates Nepal and China. This mountain is indeed a very popular one not just because of its height, but also because people from all over the world has tried and still is trying to reach its summit. The following are some of the well-known Mount Everest Facts.

Interesting Mount Everest Facts

1. It was in 1856 when the height of the Mount Everest was determined at 29, 029 feet above sea level. The mountain was first known as Peak XV when the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India pegged it at that height. The surveyors though, were at a disadvantage because Nepal did not grant entry because it was concerned that the country would be annexed or invaded. The present elevation of Mount Everest was determined in 1955 by an Indian survey was backed up by Chinese measurement done in 1975.

2. One of the most interesting Mount Everest facts about Mount Everest is that before it was ever known by its present name, it was called by the Tibetans as Chomolungma, meaning the Holy Mother. That name was used for many centuries.

3. It was in 1865, when India’s British Surveyor General made a suggestion that Mount Everest be named after the former Surveyor General, Sir George Everest. Waugh had no idea at that time that the mountain already had a name because both Tibet and Nepal were inaccessible to outsiders.

4. Despite the fact that climbing this mountain is never an easy task, one of the most known Mount Everest facts is that it still attracts mountaineers and climbers from all over the world. And currently, nothing can be more adventurous than climbing the great mt Everest.

5. Out of the many mt Everest facts, one that is usually overlooked is that climbing it is a very deadly feat. Out of the over five thousand people who have attempted to climb Mount Everest, 219 have been reported to have perished in their attempts.

6. The weather, the wind and altitude sickness are the major roadblocks encountered by the climbers in their attempt in making it to the summit.

7. About 77 percent of the recorded ascents were accomplished from the year 2000. A record of 633 ascents has been recorded in 2007.

8. There are two main routes for climbing the Mount One is from the Nepal’s south ridge and the other from the Tibetan north ridge. The more frequently used route is the south ridge as it is considered to be technically easier to climb.

9. Another record on the Mount Everest Facts is that, early expeditions to climb the mountain in the 1920s and the 1930s were done through access from the Tibetan side. Unfortunately, this entry was closed by the Chinese when they took control of Tibet in 1950. It was then that Bill Tilman and his team tried to gain entry to the mountain through the Nepal route, which became the more commonly used access route.

10. It was in 1921 when the northern route was discovered by George Mallory at the time of the British Reconnaissance Expedition. It was a simple investigative expedition, and was no intention to really try to reach the summit. But according to Mallory, he wanted to climb the mountain just because it is there.

11. Use of oxygen in climbing the Everest was first attempted in 1922 by Brit George Finch. It would have been a great feat if he was able to fulfill his goal. But the expedition was sadly foiled by an avalanche.

12. In June of 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine tried to reach the summit but not survive. Mallory’s body was found in a 1999 expedition.

13. One of the most popularly accepted interesting Mount Everest Facts is that Apa Sherpa is considered as the only one man who knew the mountain most. Hi climbed it 21 times until dying during his last attempt due to an avalanche in 2014.

14. Mount Everest is a dead zone – this is probably that saddest and yet the most true Mount Everest facts ever recorded. The mountain is simply and literally littered with human corpses.

Mount Everest Facts for Kids

The following are some of the most common Mount Everest facts for kids:

15. Sherpa Nawang Gombu, from Nepal was the first man ever to reach the mountain summit in 1064 and he did it again the following. Making him the first ever man to do this feat twice, and was not surpassed more than 20 years after.

16. The first woman to ever reach the summit was Junko Tabei, from Japan; she achieved this accomplishment in May of 1975.

17. In May of 1980, Yasuo Kato from Japan, reached summit for the second time. He made his first success in 1973.

18. The first man ever to reach summit on his own was Reinhold Messner and this happened in August 20 of 1980.

17. During the 1996 climbing season, 16 people died in the attempt and it was the highest fatalities ever recorded in a single year. On May 10 of that year alone, a storm took the lives of eight climbers.

18. Apa Sherpa made it to the summit for the first time on May 10 of 1990 and on May 11 of 2011, he made his 21st summit.

19. Aside from Mount Everest, the highest mountain on Earth has two other names; Sagarmatha (Goddess of the Sky) and Chomolungma (Holy Mother).

20. Probably one of the most recent mt Everest facts to be recorded is that it is possible to Tweet from the top of the mountain. The first ever Tweet from the summit of Mount Everest was sent in 2011 by Kenton Cool. The Tweet goes, “Everest summit no 9! 1st tweet from the top of the world thanks to a weak 3G signal”

Mount Everest is indeed very fascinating. It is the world’s highest mountain and that is not likely to change ever. Despite the fact that reaching its summit is probably the deadliest feat ever, many people are still trying their lucks. And it is known that the Mount Everest Facts are true and recorded.