Death Rate on Mount Everest Climbing: The Harsh Truth Behind the World’s Tallest Peak.
For centuries, Mount Everest has represented human determination, bravery, and dreams. Every year, innumerable climbers embark on the journey from different places in the globe to stand on the top of the highest point of the Earth, 8,848.86 meters (29,031 ft) above sea level. Unfortunately, there is a more sobering truth that is not seen in the photo from the summit .Mount Everest is one of the most dangerous places on Earth. For anyone contemplating the ultimate attempt at adventure, it is important to address the death rate of climbing Mount Everest and understand the prevalence of risk versus death rate, and the likely risk opinions.
So Just How Dangerous is Everest?
While it may be the highest mountain in the world, Everest is not the most challenging mountaineering technical ascent. The dangers here come from its altitude, the unpredictable weather, or the harsh environments. Since the first successful ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, over 330 climbers have died climbing Everest.
No doubt all the improvements in gear, logistics, and professionally experienced guides have made climbing Everest safer than in the past, but the death toll will still keep slowly rising annually, whilst more people continue to climb the mountain. The thin air, howling winds, cold, and icefalls, even if you are prepared, Everest is never fully achieved.
Death Rate Statistics on Mount Everest:
The overall mortality rate of climbers on Mount Everest is between1%1-2%, indicating that for every 100 climbers, at least one climber will not return. While that percentage may not seem large, and it actually looks worse, when we consider that around 6000 summits of Mount Everest have been then 300 climbers will remain forever entombed on the mountain. In past years (1950s to 1990s), the death rate percentage was often much higher, approximately 4-5%.
Despite better equipment for climbing, better communication, and better rescue skills, the annual average mortality still remains just about 1% each year.The “Death Zone” above 8,000 meters appears to be the place where the climbers die from lack of oxygen and fatigue.It is safer to climb Everest today than it ever has been, but death risk is still a very real possibility.
Common Causes of Death on Mount Everest.
To understand the most common causes of death on Everest is to appreciate how unpredictable the climb can be:
1. Altitude Sickness.
The lack of oxygen at high altitude can bring on symptoms of Acute Mountain Sickness (AMS), High Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE), or High Altitude Cerebral Edema (HACE). All of which can lead to death if not treated in time.
2. Severe Weather Conditions
Storms can come on with little or no notice and leave climbers disoriented in a whiteout situation or freezing temperatures. Wind chills can bring temperatures to approximately -60°C, which creates a nearly impossible survival situation.
3. Avalanches and Icefall Collapse
The Khumbu Icefall, which is located just above Base Camp, is one of the most dangerous portions of the ascent. Blocks of ice can collapse at any moment without warning, which can bury climbers under several tons of snow and ice.
4. Fatigue and Physical Exhaustion
It is possible for staggering up to the summit to take longer than 12 hours and usually happens after climbers have spent up to several weeks at high altitude making the ascent. Climbers are often too fatigued and physically exhausted trying to climb their way through thin air and are too weak to attempt a descent.
5. Falls and Accidents
Narrow ridges, slippery ice, and unstable ropes have led to numerous falls and death particularly in the aforementioned area known as the Hillary Step or in exposed climbing areas.
6. Delays No Traffic
Unfortunately, overcrowding brings on an additional danger in recent years. Climbers can wait in line for hours very near the top of the summit after they have run out and do not make the move to turn back either.
The Role of Sherpas in Safety
Sherpas, the renowned mountain guides of Nepal, help to reduce the death rate on Everest. They place fixed ropes, deliver supplies and guide climbers safely through dangerous terrain. Though skilled in climbing and endurance, many Sherpas face serious risks because many recorded deaths have been Sherpas who sacrificed their lives helping the climbing expeditions.
Is Climbing Everest Worth the Risk?
For many, standing on top of the world is a dream that has persisted all their life! But the stats show tundra and high altitudes come at a cost. The actual costs are enormous. The physical toll is nothing less than risking your life. Tragically, even highly trained athletes die on the slopes of Everest.
If all you want to do is see Everest, you don’t have to risk your life to do so.
A Safer Way: Trek to Everest Base Camp
The Everest Base Camp Trek (EBC) gives adventurers the opportunity to experience the spectacular scenery, Sherpas, and fabulous views in the Himalayas while not having to enter the deadly altitude of the “Death Zone.” At Everest Base Camp, you will find it is a lot higher at 5,364 m (17,598 ft) than your sleeping bag. It is not the summit at 8,848 m (29,029 ft), but it is “high” enough to be a little taste of extreme altitude traffic with consideration to going for the summit attempt.
You will ascend green valleys, walk on a suspension bridge, travel to Namche Bazaar, and be up close with Everest, minus all the risk and danger of climbing. It is a great experience for an adventurer who wants to have an Everest experience without risking their life.
In Conclusion
The climbing death rate at Everest will offer humanity a sobering reminder of how nature has been, and continues to be, much greater than we are as humans. Though technology and better organization have, or at the very least should have, reduced the death rate, the reality is that Everest is still incredibly dry and treacherous.
For many adventurers, achieving the trek to the Base Camp is a way to satisfy an adrenaline experience while being awed by Everest’s beauty and culture, and successfully preserving life. If Everest calls you, do remember: you don’t have to summit the top of the world to experience its presence and energy. Sometimes, just getting to the Base Camp is the real summit.