Why is Mount Everest an extreme place? By Rikhil Mathur and Moses chong MAP OF THE MOUNTAIN Death zone This is a map of the famous Mount Everest, as you may or may not have noticed there are numerous camps spread between this behemoth of a mountain, the closest one being basecamp and the highest one being camp 4. Additionally, anything above the line is considered as the “death zone” as the name suggests, it is not very safe to be above that death zone as proven by the numbers. Many people get wounded or even die attempting to reach for the summit, which brings us on to the next topic. Risks when climbing Temperatures The temperatures on Everest are dangerously freezing. In January temperatures are believed to get down to minus 60 degrees Celsius. This means that if something goes wrong when climbing, people could suffer from hypothermia and frostbite. Altitude The high altitude of Everest means that oxygen levels are extremely thin. The thin oxygen levels means that you need oxygen masks and tanks in order to get to the summit. This leads to fatigue and tiredness. If there was an oxygen tank failure, then the results for the climbers could be fatal. To assist with these problems the camps are all well equipped with oxygen and spares if needed. Avalanches As the world continues to get warmer, ice on Everest is beginning to melt. This sudden melting of ice has led to landslides and avalanches. The increasing number of these catastrophic events has made the journey to Everest extremely treacherous. Some avalanches occur on the great khumbu icefall. The Great Khumbu icefall It starts with the Khumbu glacier which is a 10mile/17km river of ice that is located between basecamp and camp 1 on the Lhoste face of the mountain. One this glacier moves leaves the Lhoste face it continues down what is known as the western CM for two miles before rapidly descending 2.5 miles creating the Great Khumbu icefall. As it is a glacier it moves. Khumbu moves around 3/1m a day! According to Kathmandu-based mountain research institute the glacier is melting. But thanks to its altitude it is melting lot slower than most other glaciers. It is the highest glacier in the world. Surprisingly, as the icefall melts it will become easier and safer to climb. However, there are hazards. According to the Himalayan database there have 44 deaths in the icefall or 25% of all 176 deaths on the Nepal side of the mountain from 1953 to 2016. This is why Khumbu icefall is still dangerous. Ice has collapsed on people, climbers and sherpas have fallen into crevasses and tragically ended their lives. Sherpas Sherpas are guides and experienced people that will safely help you reach the summit of the mountain. If you are with an experienced Sherpa, you will most likely be in safe hands. A few days ago a Sherpa managed to rescue a poor climber that was stuck. He heroically gave up his trip to the summit and bought the climber back to safety on his back. Climbers should remember to always listen to their experienced Sherpa to ensure a safe journey. Risks and Statistics • Between 2006-2019 Only 64.4% of all attempts to the summit have been successful. However, summit success is becoming increasingly more likely a better technology is coming about. • 2015 was the worst season on mount Everest. An earthquake occurs killing 18 people on the mountain and nearly 9,000 people across Nepal. • As climate increases, the number of deaths on the mountain will most likely increase as the ice will begin to melt causing avalanches, ice collapses and many more natural disasters. The amount of people climbing this mountain is also weakening places such as the Khumbu icefall allowing more destruction and natural disasters to occur. Costs to climb • In order to climb the mountain with a sherpa it costs $250,000 US dollars! • Suitable climbing gear and quality equipment must also be bought. The cost of these can range between $6000$8000 US dollars. • This proves that the expenses do eventually add up. Travel expenses will also have to be considered. • You will need to get to base camp first before you even attempt to climb the mountain. You then must acclimatise to your surroundings before starting. This adds time and money to your stay. Effects of climate change • Climate change is worsening the situation on Everest. The increase in heat is leading to melting of glaciers and ice. Many deaths on the mountain have been caused by falling off already slippery ice shafts and ice and snow falling on people. As the climate crises worsens these disasters will only become more common. If we act now we can stop any unnecessary deaths or avalanches occurring on top of the tallest and most extreme mountain on our planet.
