- The mountain, which attracts hundreds of mountaineers everyday, is estimated to be 50 to 60 million years old
- Several mountaineers have braved altitude sickness, weather and snow avalanches from the Khumbu Icefall to reach the summit
Image: Courtesy
Do you know it takes two weeks to climb the world’s highest mountain?
But hold your horses, because time is not the only thing you need to climb Mt Everest.
You need to adjust to the altitude, the right gear, wait for the right weather and of course money.
Mt Everest, known in Nepali as Sagrmatha and in Tibetan as Chomolungma rests at the border between Nepal and Tibet. It has an altitude of 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) and a latitude of approximately 28 degrees.
The mountain, which attracts hundreds of mountaineers every day, is estimated to be 50 to 60 million years old.
THOSE WHO BRAVED IT
Several mountaineers, Kenyans among them, have braved altitude sickness, weather and snow avalanches from the Khumbu Icefall to reach the summit.
Some have come back alive and well, some have died and their remains never recovered.
James Kagambi, a 62-year-old retired teacher, made history by becoming the first Kenyan native to summit Mount Everest.
Kagambi reached the 29,032 feet peak on Thursday, May 12, after a gruelling 40-day journey.
Last year, Faith Mwende also reached the summit. She spent 40 days climbing the mountain.
ONE IN A HUNDRED CHANCE OF DYING
According to news media agencies, 310 people died in November 2022 while attempting to climb the mountain. It further says more than 200 bodies are still on the mountain and have not been removed due to the dangerous conditions.
Experts say if you try to climb Everest, you have about a one in a hundred chance of dying along the way.
But what exactly causes the risk of death?
The majority of deaths are caused by snowfall avalanches.
But as climbers move higher up the mountain and their oxygen intake is reduced, their bodies are increasingly at risk for a number of ailments, including pulmonary oedema, cerebral oedema, and blood embolisms, Natgeo explains.
It says the chances of frostbite are also dramatically increased at such altitude as the heart works harder to pump blood around the body delivering oxygen.
“Furthermore, breathing “gas” only increases the relative oxygen to about the same level as the air at basecamp, and if it runs out on summit day, the body might not be able to adapt to the sudden lack of oxygen. Lastly, oxygen units are notoriously unreliable,” it says.
This has however not stopped mountaineers from pursuing the thrill of reaching the summit.
According to CNN, a total of 381 permits were issued were issued in 2019 to climbers in Nepal. This was just nine more than the number Nepal issued in 2017.
NOT ALL DOOM AND GLOOM
Technology and infrastructure have, however, brought the number of deaths down.
Well, the adventure is not all gloom. There are two base camps on Mount Everest, on opposite sides of the mountains: South Base Camp is in Nepal at an altitude of 5,364 metres (17,598 ft) (28°0′26″N 86°51′34″E), while North Base Camp is in China at 5,150 metres (16,900 ft) ( 28°8′29″N 86°51′5″E).
The camps are used by mountaineers to climb during their ascent and descent.
Supplies are also shipped by porters and with the help of animals.
Mountaineers acclimatise in these camps to reduce the risk of altitude sickness.
THE MONEY
Climbing Mt Everest can cost you an arm and a leg. Climbers pay anything from $35,000 (Sh4.9 million) to more than $100,000 (Sh13million).
The cost includes $11,000 (Sh1.4 million) for the climbing permit from the government of Nepal or Tibet, bottled oxygen and high-altitude gear that includes tents, sleeping bags and boots.
It also covers medical care, food and support from Sherpa guides and bottled oxygen for them, which is mandatory for every foreign climber.
CLIMBING ROUTES
Mt Everest has two climbing routes, one from the Southeast of Nepal and the other from the North of Tibet. Although there 17 other routes, many people use the two routes.
The best weather for reaching the top of Everest typically arrives in the second half of May. Plans however begin months before May.
Today, many ethnic groups guide tourists to the mountain. They carry loads of supplies up the mountain.
The Sherpas tribe from Tibet used to be the only tribe but today multiple ethnic groups earn a living by leading climbers.
When you finally reach the summit, you will find a small dome of snow about the size of a dining room table.
The summit has enough space for half a dozen or so climbers to stand and enjoy the view.