Conquering the summit of Mount Everest is definitely one of the dreams of many professional climbers. Although now this mountain no longer gets the title as the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest has not lost its charm.
Well, Mount Everest is indeed one of the coolest mountains in the world to climb. But not many are aware that this mountain is also one of the most dangerous.
Here are 9 facts about Mount Everest that are horrific and turned out to take many victims!
1. His real name is not Everest
Before it was popular everywhere, the existence of Mount Everest was not known to many people, except for those who lived on the slopes of the mountain. These people don’t even call it Everest. From the start, this mountain was known by two different names among local residents.
As reported by Discover Walks, the Tibetan people who live around call this mountain by the name Chomolungma which means Mother Goddess of the Mountains. While the Nepalese people call this mountain Sagarmatha which means Goddess of Heaven.
The name Everest itself was inspired by Sir George Everest, a British surveyor and geographer. It was he who introduced this mountain to the western world in 1841 until it was finally popular throughout the world.
2. Mount Everest was once an ocean
Volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and several other natural disasters have unknowingly changed the face of our Earth. Of course, this change will not happen in a short time, but the changes that occur can be very massive. The same is true for Mount Everest.
As reported by Tripsavvy, who would have thought if the place we now know as Mount Everest turned out to be the bottom of the sea? This is revealed from the discovery of fossils of sea creatures and shells 400 million years old on the summit of Everest in 1942 by explorer Noel Odell.
After investigation, the area around Mount Everest turned out to be a water called the Tethys Sea which was between the subcontinents of India and Asia.
3. Mount Everest is tens of millions of years old
Just like most mountains on Earth, Mount Everest is also very old. As reported by the Global Adventure Challenge, Mount Everest itself is believed to have been created around 60 million years ago when the Indian and Asian plates collided with each other.
The collision not only caused a large earthquake and destroyed the Tethys Sea, but also pushed the Indian plate under the Asian plate and triggered the formation of a super large landmass that became the forerunner of mountains in the Himalayas, including Mount Everest.
4. Mount Everest loses its title as “The World’s Tallest Mountain”
At 29,029 feet or 8,848 meters above sea level, Mount Everest is often referred to as the highest mountain in the world. This assumption is actually not very wrong, but also not very true.
As reported by The Travel, in the past, Mount Everest was once awarded the title of the highest mountain in the world. But this title was won by Mount Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Compared to Everest, Mauna Kea only has a height of 4,205 meters on land.
But what you see on land, is only part of its height. In fact, the base of this mountain up to half its body which has a height of 6,005 is hidden in the ocean.
In total, Mount Mauna Kea has a height of 10,210 meters.
5. Miraculously, Mount Everest can get taller and shrink
So far we think that only living things like humans, animals, and plants can grow taller. But miraculously, Mount Everest can also do the same thing.
As reported by Discover Walks, not many people know that every year, Mount Everest grows by 0.4 centimeters. This phenomenon occurs due to the shifting of tectonic plates that continue to occur below the Earth’s surface.
Not only can it increase in height, Mount Everest can also shrink. The shrinking of Mount Everest itself was caused by a large earthquake, one of which was the earthquake that hit Nepal in 2015. As a result of this earthquake, the height of Mount Everest shrank by 2.5 centimeters.
6. Edmund Percival Hillary became the first person to successfully conquer the summit of Mount Everest
Having a height of 8,848 meters above sea level, conquering the peak of Mount Everest is definitely not an easy thing to do. As reported by Facts, since his name was popular in 1941, there have been many people who dream to stand at the top.
However, this dream did not really come true in 1953. Edmund Percival Hillary became the first climber and human being to conquer Mount Everest.
He and his partner, Tenzing Norgay, reached the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953. Unfortunately, due to the limited oxygen supply, the two only stayed at the summit for 15 minutes.
7. It takes hundreds of millions of rupees to reach Mount Everest
Even though to climb the mountain you don’t need to pay an entrance ticket, but you still need some funds to be able to climb and return safely. Moreover, if the mountain you are climbing is Mount Everest.
As reported by Global Adventure Challenge, to be able to climb this mountain, you need a very large fee, namely 30-45 thousand US dollars or around Rp. 667 million.
This fee includes the cost of an experienced porter who will take you to the top of the mountain, professional climbing equipment, oxygen, costs for staying at base camp, training fees, and a license fee to the Nepalese government of 11 thousand dollars.
8. Mount Everest is famous for its terrifying death zone
Today, there are five thousand people who have managed to stand on the summit of Mount Everest. But just because so many people have succeeded, doesn’t mean the climb to the top will be any easier.
As reported by China Highlights, it’s no secret that Everest has a death zone located at an altitude of 4,000 meters above sea level. At this high altitude, oxygen is very thin and temperatures are so cold that many climbers fall.
Either because of hypothermia, fatigue, an avalanche, or because of serious health problems such as heart attacks and brain swelling due to lack of oxygen.
9. The bodies of the dead are a common sight on the hiking trail
So far, 300 people have died in the ascent. Sadly, when one of the climbers dies, we have to leave him alone. Not because we are evil, but because we are safe.
As reported by China Highlights, carrying yourself up and down Everest is already very difficult because of the cold temperatures and limited oxygen. Imagine if you also had to take the bodies of the dead with you? Either way, you’ll be the one in trouble.
With this condition, don’t be surprised if you find several bodies of climbers along the Mount Everest hiking trail.
Climbing one of the highest mountains in the world is definitely not an easy adventure. In addition to physical, mental, equipment, and expensive costs; the risk that must be borne is also very large. According To WatchMojo.com Top 10 Creepiest Mount Everest Mysteries