The world's tallest mountain has been climbed over 100 times. Here are some interesting facts about Mount Everest!
• There have been over 100 expeditions to climb Mount Everest.
• In May 1996, two Americans, Scott Fischer and Tom Hornbein became the first people to reach the summit without supplemental oxygen.
• The Mount Everest region receives over 1 million visitors per year.
• The highest point on Earth is not actually at sea level; it is located under the ice at 29,029 feet above sea level.
• The average temperature at the top of Mount Everest is -15° C.
Mount Everest is located at 8,848 meters above sea level. It is the highest mountain peak on Earth's surface. Mt. Everest was first conquered by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. They were accompanied by two other climbers; George Lowe and Geoffrey Bruce. The peak of Mount Everest is considered to be the earth's roof. This is due to its high altitude. At this point, the air pressure is almost half the sea level. There are no people who have ever reached the top of Mount Everest. However, many mountaineers have died while attempting to reach the summit. As of 2016, there have been over 100 deaths on the mountain. Mount Everest has been the subject of several films, including The Seven Year Itch (1955) starring Marilyn Monroe and James Stewart.
Mount Everest is a popular destination among tourists. It receives about 1 million visitors per year. The first recorded expedition to climb Everest was led by Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. They were accompanied by two Sherpas and a cook, who would later become known as the "Everest Three". In 1996, Reinhold Messner became the first person to reach the top without using supplemental oxygen. He did this by climbing from the south side of the mountain.
Since then, many people have attempted to climb Everest but only 16 people have successfully reached the peak. The fastest ascent time is 5 hours, 45 minutes, and 46 seconds. This record was set by Japanese climber Junko Tabei in May 2000.
The youngest person to ever ascend to the top of Everest was 12-year old Tamara de Souza, who summited on July 30th, 2015. She climbed from the north side of the mountain. Her father, Edgard de Souza, has been her official guide since she was 7 years old. There have been many unsuccessful attempts to climb Mount Everest since then. In 1996, two climbers died after being trapped in an avalanche. Another climber died in 1999 due to altitude sickness. In 2003, three Nepalese Sherpas died while fixing ropes near the summit. In 2005, seven climbers died on the way down. On March 12, 2006, a Chinese climber died of severe frostbite and exhaustion. Since then, only about 20 people have died on the mountain.
Since then, Mount Everest has been a success. In 2004, American mountaineer Rob Hall became the first person to climb the peak without supplemental oxygen. He did this while carrying a large load of supplies. Mount Everest has had many names during its existence. The word “Mt. Everest ”was given to the mountain by British bridge inspectors who named the peak George Everest, the Great Inspector of India from 1854 to 1856. The first is called the Main Peak and lies at 7,988 meters above sea level. The second peak is called South Col, and it sits at 8,068 meters. This peak is also called the Shoulder of Everest.
