The most majestic mass of land on the planet, Everest stands tall as the highest mountain of the world. A superlative is the only type of adjective one can use while describing this piece of land. With that being said, it has become one of the most extreme places on the planet to support life and that leads to a bare minimum number of people who have actually felt what it feels like at the top of Mount Everest.
Situated a few meters less than nine kilometers above the sea level, Mount Everest is a very prominent bucket list place for all types of travelers round the globe. It attracts hikers and mountain climbers of all types as it offers one the chance to be at the highest position on the planet. Mount Everest has recently seen a sudden influx in the amount of tourists aiming to climb its peak.
How difficult is Everest Trekking?
Trekking to the top of Mount Everest is quite a difficult feat to achieve. Difficulty of trekking to the top of Everest is quite a well known fact among the mountaineers owing to Mount Everest elevation. Summiting Mount Everest is a feat quite a few people have achieved because Everest Trekking is not just any other trek than one thinks of and sets out on. It requires sheer brilliance in climbing and survival instincts.
The altitude, thin air and harsh climatic conditions add on to the difficulty of the trek. And trekking to the top of Everest is considered complete after one reaches back to the base, a very common mistake that mountaineers make. This has resulted in deaths of a number of climbers on their retreat from the top of Mount Everest. Weeks of escalation and acclimatization is required to reach the summit of the tallest mountain of the world.
It thus becomes impossible for inexperienced climbers to achieve this feat and even puts up a valiant challenge to the ones with experience of climbing. It is a well known fact that Everest tests you throughout the trek to its summit and back. Trekking Everest requires experience, fitness, determination, presence of mind, and a lot of risk. It should not be taken lightly because in such matters even the best succumb.
How Many Days To Climb the top of Mount Everest?
Well, honestly, Everest is not a matter of days. Years of dreaming and gathering experiences, months of trekking through high Himalayan peaks, weeks of climbing and continuous walking for hours, and days of trying to survive in extreme conditions is what it takes to summit Mount Everest. Trekking to the top of Everest tests you and breaks you physically, mentally and emotionally.
Well to summit the top of Everest, one needs to reach the base camp as well. Reaching EBC or Everest Base Camp is a feat in itself and is considered a trek of moderate difficulty. Once reached the EBC, the difficulty increases and the main trek begins which takes weeks of continuous walking and climbing. There are four camps to the summit, one at 6400 meters, the second at 6750 meters, third at 7100 meters and the fourth at 8400 meters from where the summit is just 450 meters away.
It takes a total of two months to travel to the top of Mount Everest. Two months of rigorous climbing, of escalation, de-escalation, acclimatization and continuous striving for death and fight against hunger and extreme weather and climatic conditions. So climbing Mount Everest is not just any other mountain that you are going to trek. It will break you a thousand times until you make it to the top.
How High is Mount Everest? – Mount Everest Height in Feet
Mount Everest is the highest mountain on this planet situated 8,849 meters above sea level. Mount Everest height in km is 8.84km above sea level. Mount Everest elevation is high enough to make it one of the toughest places to be on this planet. The EBC is situated at a height of 17,400 feet above sea level while Mount Everest height in feet is 29,032 feet.
You can understand that the tallest mountain on Earth, the highest piece of land that one can stand on, on the planet is a whopping approximate of 9 kilometers high. Thus, the mountaineers find it a different level of achievement to scale the top of Mount Everest. Summiting Mount Everest is thus one of the biggest attributes a climber could have attested to his name.
What is the View From Top Of Mount Everest?
What does it feel like at the top of Mount Everest? Let’s see visually. Below are some of the best pictures of the view from the top of the tallest mountain on the planet. These images are used for visual depiction of the mountain. I, in no way, claim any rights over any of the images in this blog. The images have been used with credits attested to them of the owner of the images.
These images are worth a lot more than just being used on the web. Behind each capture you see is the work and efforts of months involved. Mount Everest height in feet is around 29,032 feet which is high enough for the air to be very thin up there. Thus every image is a work of brilliance. Although, it is a well known fact that no image can bring justice to the feeling of actually being physically present there to grasp it all in.
The thin air, shortness of breath, high altitude, super cold environment, freezing conditions, direct sun rays and completely tired muscles, everything adds up to the beauty and the uniqueness of the feeling of being on top of the world. From the top of Mount Everest, it feels like the person is at the top of the world, because they actually are on top of the world.
What is Mount Everest Trek Cost?
Well, one not only requires a strong heart and will to climb Everest, but they also require a strong financial backing to do so. The average cost to trek Mount Everest ranges from INR 30 lakh to INR 1 Crore and even more depending upon the type of package you book and the ability you have to cut the cost. Mount Everest trek cost is the first thing one needs to worry about because it is a known fact that without proper equipment, logistics, oxygen supplies and clothes, it would be quite difficult to achieve such a feat of reaching the top of Mount Everest.
What are the Risks Involved in Climbing Everest?- Mount Everest Deaths
Climbing Mount Everest comes with a number of risks that range in all forms. While some of the risks pose normal threats to health, some may be directly linked to life and death. It thus becomes quite important for one to be aware of the risks involved in climbing Mount Everest. With the increasing number of Everest deaths every year, the importance of proper planning and analysis of the risks involved becomes very important. Mount Everest height in feet is enough to let you know the dangers it poses for trekkers and travelers.
Unpredictable Weather
In the higher regions of the Himalayan Mountain Ranges the weather is quite unpredictable and it is only a matter of time that the pleasant clear skies become overcast. It furthermore adds to the difficulties that mountaineers have to face to reach the top of Everest. This unpredictability of the weather up there is the reason that climbers need to be prepared for the worst and equipped too. The climbers need to believe and analyze the weather reports from time to time instead of going all the way in without proper analysis.
April and May act as the best seasons for climbers to scale Mount Everest. Although some try to climb in off seasons as well, that is quite a risky thing to try and one must avoid doing so. The unpredictable weather has also been an important factor leading to the increase in Mount Everest deaths.
Many climbers, although, wait for the perfect weather and start their journey to the top, but are suddenly greeted by storms that appear out of nowhere. So it is quite important for each one to be prepared for all sorts of weather conditions during the trek to the top.
Altitude Sickness
The most challenging problem that the majority of people traveling to higher altitudes face is Acute Mountain Sickness. So it is a given fact that the ones traveling to Everest are under the constant threat of altitude sickness. Acclimatization thus becomes quite important because getting accustomed to the height and the oxygen deficient environment would help further in preventing any kind of uneasiness for the body.
If not treated in time or neglected or taken casually, the altitude sickness becomes a life threatening condition at such a high region. There are also two forms of altitude sickness: HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) and HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema).
In these conditions, there is a neurological dysfunction due to the discharge of a certain kind of fluid in the brain which can lead to coma. This makes acclimatization at regular intervals very important with a proper, adequate amount of rest. Diamox is a trusted drug that helps to bring relief to symptoms of altitude sickness.
If you follow my blogs, I have written about Altitude Sickness and how it affects mountaineers’ health. Do give it a read if you need to know more about the condition.
Extreme cold Temperature
As one scales and moves close to summiting Mount Everest, the temperature gradually keeps decreasing with the increase in ascent. It is believed that with every 150 meters of ascent, the temperature falls by a degree. Due to which, by the time one reaches the summit, the temperature is somewhat around 57 degrees C less than that of the temperature at the mean sea level.
The sudden storms that greet the climbers mid journey add up to the challenges that the climbers have to face. The temperature above remains quite freezing throughout the year.
The climbers thus need to be completely well protected with warm clothes on their journey to the top of Everest because the temperature may fall very low and make it very difficult for them. Frost bites become quite common at such a height and such extreme temperature conditions. Thus it is important that climbers do not keep themselves exposed and also keep checking themselves from time to time and not neglect any signs or symptoms of uneasiness.
Oxygen Deprivation
Above the height of 8000 meters, begins the Everest Death Zone. The maximum number of mount Everest deaths have been recorded in this region. The Everest death zone is named so because of the threat it possesses for the climbers. The Oxygen levels fall to 33% at the summit making supplementary oxygen essential in the expedition.
The deprivation in Oxygen may affect the functioning of the brain and may take away your ability to think. At such height and extreme conditions, climbers need to make quick and accurate decisions. Lack in Oxygen at this stage can lead to the climbers making fatal errors.
Long duration
The duration of Everest summit takes about two months, making it one of the longest climbing journeys. The duration of the entire journey is in itself a very long one which requires the climbers to ascend, descend, climb, camp, and acclimatize from time to time. What is more concerning is that this process needs to be kept running from time to time for two complete months until the journey is finally marked complete.
Also, the trek to the base camp is in itself quite tiring because of the rugged terrains and it adds up to the duration of the trek to the summit of Everest. It is thus important for the climbers to be prepared mentally and physically for the long duration of the trek to the top of Mount Everest.
Avalanche
Mount Everest is well known for the avalanches on its slopes. In specific regions, the risk of avalanches is relatively higher, such as the North Col and the South Col. Also, the Khumbu Ice Falls is also a very big avalanche prone zone and is thus called famously as the “Suicide Passage”. It is thus important for you to take the best Mountaineering services for your trip up to the summit.
Khumbu icefall
A common challenge for the travelers is the Khumbu Icefall formed by the glacier. It is another challenge that climbers face while on their way to the summit. The large crevasses open without prior warning and engulf the climbers within. The sudden collapse of large seracs causes difficulty in the route. Everest trekking is not a joke because the number of mount Everest deaths keep increasing from time to time because of the influx of people climbing to the top of Mount Everest.
Every day, a good amount of ice trickles down the glacier. The cold winds blowing at night cause the glacier to be completely frozen, but with the start of the day, the direct sun rays bring warmth to the ice caps and eventually lead to icefall in the Khumbu glacier region. The professional climbers are well acclimatized to these things, however the newbies need to be very much prepared and active while climbing this region.
Lack of experience
Climbing Everest and reaching the top of Mount Everest has become a child’s play for many people. It is not so! This requires years of experience and proper training. People not well trained may end up in very difficult situations and may be a threat to others as well. Thus inexperienced climbers should avoid climbing the summit of Everest. The lack of experience proves fatal for many climbers before they could even reach the top.
Overcrowding
Recently, there has been a sudden influx in the number of climbers climbing to the top of Mount Everest which has become a very serious threat to the lives of all other climbers. There’s a region near the summit known as Hillary’s step. At the bottom of the region lies a vertical rock face where just one climber is able to pass at a time.
This leads to the climbers waiting in long queues for their turn in extreme cold conditions and low oxygen levels. It is not just about a single climber making a mistake at that height. A mistake of one climber may lead to the death of many others at once. Thus this issue needs to be addressed and taken care of and climbers need to be very careful.
What is the Best Time to Scale Everest?
The best months for mountaineers to scale the top of Mount Everest is from April to May and the next batch for the year is allowed from September to November. These are also the best times to reach EBC. During these months there has been a good amount of influx in the number of people trekking to the top of Mount Everest. However, other than the geographical factors and the months, what determines the best time to scale Everest for a person is the mental state of an individual. One needs to be in total control of their senses and should be mentally and physically well equipped with health to climb to the top of Mount Everest.
Also read: What does it feel like at Umling La?
Note from the Author
Hey there, welcome home travelers. I am Lekhak Pravin, a writer, traveler, lyricist, filmmaker and content creator. I hope my blog was able to fulfill your needs and you enjoyed reading it through. If you enjoyed yourself here, I hope you read some of my other blogs too, and keep traveling. This website is my attempt to take you to corners of the world and beyond as I explore them. My experiences are available on this site of mine, because, “Experiences are Eternal!”
Happy Travels!
