Locally known as Sagarmatha and Chomolungma in both Tibetan and Sherpa languages, which translates to “Goddess Mother of the World, Mt. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world which stands at an elevation of 8,848.86 meters (29,031 feet).
We all know this about Mt. Everest, don’t we? Everest is not just a geographical marvel but also a symbol of human endurance and an utmost willingness to survive in harsh mountain environment, attracting mountaineers, adventurers, and dreamers from around the world.
But how much do we really know about the tallest peak in the world?
Not much. Therefore, through this blog, we aim to make known 35 amazing records, facts, as well as extremes of Mount Everest which will bring you closer to this iconic sky-piercing peak than you ever were.
Location of Mt. Everest
Before starting, let’s get to the exact location of Mt. Everest. Located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas, Mt. Everest sits on the international border between Nepal and the southwest of Lhasa, Tibet autonomous region of China.
The coordinates of Mt. Everest are approximately 27.9881° N latitude and 86.9250° E longitude.
The southern side of Mt. Everest lies in Solukhumbu District in Khumbu region, within Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal, which itself is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
Meanwhile, the northern face of the Everest is located in Tibet. Therefore, for mountaineering enthusiasts, the peak offers two primary climbing routes, i.e. the South Col Route from Nepal and the North Col Route from Tibet.
35 Amazing Records, Facts, and Extremes
1. Tallest Mountain on Earth
Standing at a recorded height of 8,848.86 meters (29,031.7 feet), Mt. Everest is regarded as the highest peak above sea level. Therefore, it is the tallest mountain on Earth.
This is followed by other peaks like K2 which stands at 8,611 meters (28,251 ft), Kanchenjunga standing at 8,586 meters (28,169 ft), and Lhotse which stands at a height of 8,516 meters (27,940 ft).
2. Continual Growth
For the unversed, Mt. Everest is not only the tallest mountain on Earth, but it is also continually growing. Yes, Mt. Everest continues to grow taller by a few millimeters each year.
Mount Everest is still growing, with GPS measurements indicating an uplift of about 2 millimeters per year, partly due to isostatic rebound after river erosion reduced the weight on the Earth’s crust. Scientists estimate that Everest has gained 15 to 50 meters in height due to this process
3. Underwater
When you visit Mt. Everest, you will see that the mountain is made up of many components, out of which a major one is the marine limestone or gray limestone (Ordovician limestones).
These rocks were once part of the seafloor in an ancient ocean called the Tethys Ocean, a vast body of water that existed between the continents of Gondwana and Laurasia, about 450 million years ago.
This is a solid indication towards the fact that Mt. Everest was once underwater. The limestone at the top of Mount Everest even contains marine invertebrate fossils, further evidence that the rocks were once underwater.
4. Peak XV
Yes, before being known as the famous Mt. Everest, the mountain had another name. Surprising isn’t it? Well, Mt. Everest was once known as ‘Peak XV’ by the British surveyors.
This name was kept during the Great Trigonometrical Survey. In 1865, the Royal Geographical Society renamed “Peak XV” to “Mount Everest” in honor of Sir George Everest, the Surveyor-General of India, who was instrumental in the accurate mapping of the Indian subcontinent.
Alternatively, Mt. Everest is also known as Sagarmatha in Nepali which translated to ‘forehead of the sky’, and Chomolungma in Tibetan which means Goddess Mother of the World.
5. Oldest Person to Summit
While many people have attempted to climb Mt. Everest and many of them have succeeded, the title of being the oldest person to summit Mt. Everest is Yuichiro Miura.
Miura was a Japanese mountaineer who reached the summit at the age of 80 years and 223 days on May 23, 2013. This record was previously held by a Nepali mountaineer Min Bahadur Sherchan.
6. Youngest Person to Summit
The title of being the youngest person to summit Mt. Everest belongs to Jordan Romero from USA who summited the peak in 2010. At this time, his age was merely 13 years, 10 months, 10 days old.
At second position in this list and the youngest female person to summit Mt. Everest is Malavath Poorna from India who was 13 years, 11 months, 15 days old at the time of summit, i.e. on 25th of May, 2014.
7. Most Summits by an Individual (Male)
Another record of Everest is the record of most summits by an individual which is held by the Nepali Sherpa guide- Kami Rita Sherpa who has reached the peak 31 times, with his most recent ascent in May 2024.
8. Most Summits by an Individual (Female)
In terms of holding the record for most summits by one person female, Nepali mountaineer Lhakpa Sherpa comes on top who has climbed Mt. Everest 10 times as of 2022. There is also a Netflix documentary based on her which is titled ‘Mountain Queen: The Summits of Lhakpa Sherpa’.
9. Fastest Ascent from Base Camp to Summit
The fastest ascent of Mount Everest, from base camp to summit, is held by Nepali climber Lhakpa Gelu Sherpa who reached the top in 10 hours and 56 minutes in 2003.
This record, however, has been contested and controversial as a mountaineer Pemba Dorje Sherpa claimed the Guinness world record for the same title claiming he completed the ascent in 8 hours and 10 minutes (2004). However, his claims and title has been denied by the Supreme Court of Nepal.
10. First Ascent
While we now know of many people who have scaled Mt. Everest, ever wondered who were the first people to do so? Well, it was Edmund Hillary (New Zealand) – second and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa (Nepal) – first who climbed Mt. Everest on May 29, 1953, for the first time ever. To honor this historic achievement, May 29 is celebrated every year as Everest Day in Nepal.
11. First Solo Ascent
The record of being the first person to climb Mt. Everest solo belongs to Reinhold Messner, an Italian climber who made this record on August 20, 1980. He also did so without supplemental oxygen, pioneering a new route on the North Col/face.
12. First Ascent Without Supplemental Oxygen
Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler were the first people to ascent Mt. Everest without supplemental oxygen.
13. First Female to Summit
The first female to climb Mt. Everest was Junko Tabei from Japan who achieved this record on 16th of May 1975.
14. Shortest Summit Time from South Col
The record for the fastest documented ascent from the South Col to the summit of Mount Everest is held by Lakpa Gelu Sherpa who completed the roundtrip within 10 hours and 56 minutes in 2003.
15. Highest Fatality Year
In the record of Mt. Everest climbing, 2024 is considered to be the year with highest fatality as this year 17 deaths were recorded on Everest due to an avalanche.
16. Summit Success Rate
The success rate of Mt. Everest is pretty decent given its stature as the highest peak in the world. Around 60% of the people who attempt to climb the peak succeed.
17. Oldest Woman to Summit
The record for the oldest woman to climb Mount Everest is held by Tamae Watanabe, a Japanese woman who reached the summit at the age of 63 in 2002 and again at 73 in 2012.
18. Most Summits in a Single Season
This record is held by Kami Rita Sherpa who completed 3 ascents in a single season in 2019.
19. Most Consecutive Summits by a Female
Lhakpa Sherpa holds the record for most consecutive summits by a female as she completed 10 total ascents.
20. Highest Dinner Party
A quirky fact about Mt. Everest, the mountain is also known for being the highest venue for a dinner party hosted ever. This highest ever dinner party of the world was in the North Col of Mt. Everest.
This was a black-tie event at 7,050 meters (23,149 feet) in 2018, led by Neil Laughton, and included a three-course menu designed by Michelin-starred chef Sat Bains.
21. Highest Weather Station
If so many people across the world are climbing Mt. Everest every year, you would think that who gives them the updates on the ever-changing weather of the peak, and rightly so.
Well, don’t be surprised. The mountain is also home to the highest weather station on Earth, the “Balcony Station,” located at approximately 8,430 meters (27,657 feet) above sea level, just below the summit of Mount Everest.
22. Tallest Object Brought to Summit
With the technological advancements, the attempts to introduce a delivery drone in the Everest have been ongoing. And as of 2024, DJI drones have successfully completed the round-trip transportation of equipment and trash between Everest Base Camp and Camp 1.
This can facilitate carrying 15kg payloads even in the extreme altitude and environmental conditions of Mount Everest. During the tests, three oxygen bottles and 1.5kg of other supplies were flown.
23. Fastest Back-to-Back Summits
The record for fastest back-to-back summits is held by the famous Nirmal Purja (Nims Dai) who summited both Everest and Lhotse in 10 hours and 15 minutes in 2019. This also led to him being featured in a Netflix documentary.
24. Lowest Temperature Recorded
While the mountains of Nepal are infamous for their unpredictable temperatures and Mt. Everest has been known to have extreme temperatures, the lowest temperature ever recorded on the mountain was -60°C (-76°F) near the summit.
25. Mount Everest’s Movement
Along with the growth in the height of Mt. Everest, the mountain is also experiencing an annual movement. Mt. Everest moves 4 mm northeast every year due to tectonic activity.
26. Longest Time Spent on the Summit
While many people start descending after their summit, there has been a record for the longest time spent on the summit of Mt. Everest which is held by Babu Chiri Sherpa who stayed on the summit for 21 hours without supplemental oxygen (1999).
27. Highest Rescue on Everest
The highest documented helicopter rescue on Mount Everest occurred in 2013, when a Euro copter AS350 B3, flown by Maurizio Folini, rescued Sudarshan Gautam at 7,800 meters (25,590 feet) after he collapsed near Camp 3.
28. First Blind Person to Summit
In the category of the many blind people to summit Mt. Everest, the record for being the first one is held by American author and adventurer Erik Weihenmayer who climbed the summit in 2001. This accomplishment also led to him being featured on the Time magazine.
29. First Person with Artificial Limb to Summit
In 2006, Mark Inglis from New Zealand became the first man without both his legs to reach the top of the Mount Everest. He was the first double amputee to do so among many other amputees.
On May 21, 2013, Arunima Sinha, an Indian mountaineer, became the first female amputee to climb Mount Everest, successfully reaching the summit after losing her leg in a train accident.
Furthermore, very recently Nawang Sherpa became the first person to climb Mount Everest with a prosthetic leg by reaching the summit on May 16, 2004. He is also the first amputee to reach the summit of Mount Everest on his first attempt. Now, isn’t that impressive?
30. Total Summits Recorded
While you might have heard of many people summiting Mt. Everest and many more attempting to do so, what is the exact number of people who have ever summited it or attempted?
Well, as of December 2024, there have been 12,884 successful summits of Mount Everest, with 7,269 individuals having reached the top. This number includes the record of multiple climbs by the same person.
31. Deadliest Mountain in the World
Although Mt. Everest has more fatalities, you would be surprised to know that it is not the deadliest mountain in the world. In fact, Everest has a lower death rate than Annapurna I.
32. Highest Wi-Fi Connection
Imagine being connected to the world while you explore Mt. Everest. Well, that has been made possible by Everest Link, offering internet access at Everest Base Camp, located at an altitude of 5,380 meters (17,600 feet). This makes it the highest Wi-Fi connection in the world.
33. First Ascent in Winter
The first winter ascent of Mount Everest was achieved on February 17, 1980, by Polish climbers Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki, who reached the summit with the use of supplemental oxygen.
34. Mount Everest in Pop Culture
Mt. Everest has also been represented time and again in pop culture. For example: it has been featured in movies like “Everest” (2015), “The Climb”, and documentaries such as “Beyond the Edge”.
35. Longest Glacier on Everest
Approximately 17km long, the title of being the longest glacier on Mt. Everest belongs to Khumbu glacier.
