We all know Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, but there’s more to it than just height. This Himalayan giant is tougher, wilder, and more fascinating than most realise. These 7 facts about Mount Everest might just change how you see it.
byTrisha Pillay
Aug 5, 2025
12 min read
Without a doubt, Mount Everest remains the legendary mountain of challenge and wonder. Stretching 8,849 metres (29,032 feet) above sea level, it’s not just the highest peak on Earth, it’s a wide, rugged landscape shaped over millions of years by powerful natural forces and extreme weather conditions. Each year, Everest draws people from across the globe, some chasing a lifelong dream, others simply wanting to see how far they can push themselves.
Facts about Mount Everest
There’s more to Everest than just records and headlines. From glaciers that are always moving to the dangerous “death zone,” it’s a place where nature’s power and human strength come together. Here, we share 7 interesting facts about Mount Everest that reveal the mountain’s real character, facts that might change how you see this legendary giant.
Let’s take a closer look at Mount Everest facts:
1. Mount Everest isn’t technically the tallest Mountain in the world
Mount Everest stands at 8,849 metres (29,032 feet) above sea level, making it the tallest mountain above sea level and the highest point most people can physically reach on Earth. If you measure from base to peak, the title of the world’s tallest mountain belongs to Mauna Kea in Hawaii. Though its summit is only 4,207 metres (13,802 feet) above sea level, much of Mauna Kea’s bulk lies beneath the Pacific Ocean, bringing its total height to over 10,200 metres (33,474 feet).
When it comes to the mountain that’s farthest from the Earth’s centre, Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador, takes the crown. This is due to the Earth’s equatorial bulge, where the planet is slightly wider at the equator, meaning Chimborazo’s summit is the most distant point from the Earth’s core, even higher than Everest by that measure.
Despite these technicalities, Mount Everest holds a special place in the hearts of adventurers around the world. It remains the highest mountain on Earth that can be climbed on foot, and that fact alone continues to draw climbers from every corner of the globe.
Panoramic view of Mount Everest from Kala Patthar with two tourists on the way to Everest base camp.
Here’s an interesting fact about Mount Everest that might catch you off guard: the mountain is still growing, little by little, every year. Everest is not a fixed point on the planet; it’s still growing. This gradual rise is the result of ongoing tectonic activity, specifically the collision between the Indian and Eurasian plates. As these massive plates continue to push against one another, they force the Himalayas, including Everest, slowly upwards.
Interestingly, while tectonic pressure slowly pushes Everest upward, major earthquakes can temporarily reduce its height. For instance, the 2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal, a 7.8 magnitude quake that caused widespread devastation, is believed to have slightly altered Everest’s height, prompting further scientific investigation. Scientists estimated that Everest gains around 4 millimetres in height each year.
Everest sits right on the border between Nepal and China, and climbers can reach the summit from either side. To find out if Everest’s height had changed, teams from Nepal and China set off on separate expeditions, using tools to measure the mountain as accurately as possible. They used tools like GPS and underground scanning equipment, even collecting data right from the summit. In the end, both teams agreed: Everest now officially stands at 8,849 metres, a height shaped by nature and confirmed with modern tech.
Mount Everest may be the world’s most famous mountain, but surprisingly, the name ‘Everest’ is not what locals call it. An interesting fact about Mount Everest is that it has deep cultural significance and very different names depending on where you're standing.
In Nepal, Mount Everest is known as Sagarmatha, which roughly translates to "Goddess of the Sky". For many Nepalis, Sagarmatha is more than just the highest point on Earth; she’s a powerful and sacred presence that watches over the land.
Across the border in Tibet, the mountain is known as Chomolungma, meaning “Goddess Mother of the World.” This ancient Tibetan name predates all Western naming attempts and shows the mountain’s sacred status in Tibetan Buddhism. Pilgrims and locals often pay respects to Chomolungma through rituals and offerings, believing her to be a divine presence watching over the earth.
Prayer flags are a common sight on mountains, particularly in the Himalayas.
The name Mount Everest, by contrast, has no connection to the mountain’s cultural or geographical roots. It was given in 1865 that the Royal Geographical Society, following a suggestion by Andrew Waugh, the then British Surveyor General of India. He named it in honour of his predecessor, Sir George Everest, who had never actually seen the mountain. Before that, during early British mapping efforts of the Himalayas, it was known rather plainly as Peak XV, just another unnamed point in a complex and inspiring range.
Today, the name Mount Everest is recognised globally, but it’s worth remembering that to the people who live in its shadow, the mountain is far more than a name on a map. It is a sacred entity, woven into myth, religion, and daily life. If you call it Everest, Sagarmatha, or Chomolungma, the world’s tallest mountain remains a symbol of natural majesty and spiritual significance.
One of the most remarkable Mount Everest facts is the incredible achievement of Kami Rita Sherpa, a world-renowned high-altitude guide from Nepal who has reached the summit 31 times, a record that stands as of May 2025. For most climbers, reaching the top of Everest is a once-in-a-lifetime accomplishment. For Kami Rita, it has become part of his life’s work.
Kami Rita Sherpa beats his own record for the number of ascents on the world’s highest mountain. Source: Getty Images.
He first reached the summit in 1994, and over the past three decades, he’s become a legendary figure in the mountaineering world. Known for his strength, calm leadership, and experience, Kami Rita now regularly leads teams up Mount Everest. His work isn’t just about setting records’s about safely guiding others through one of the most challenging and dangerous environments on Earth.
Raised in the Everest region, Kami Rita followed in the footsteps of his father, who was also a Sherpa guide. His story is a powerful reminder of the crucial role Sherpas play in making Everest expeditions possible, often without the recognition they deserve. While most headlines focus on foreign climbers, it's local legends like Kami Rita who truly define what it means to conquer the mountain.
5. Everest’s youngest and oldest climbers broke records
When it comes to testing human limits, Mount Everest doesn’t discriminate by age, and two record-breaking climbers prove just how far determination and courage can take you.
The youngest person to ever stand on Everest’s summit is Jordan Romero, a 13-year-old from the United States. In 2010, Jordan reached the top via the Tibetan (north) side of the mountain, guided by his father, stepmother, and a team of experienced Sherpas. Inspired by a school project about the Seven Summits, Jordan set out to climb the highest peak on every continent, and Everest was the crown jewel of his journey. Battling altitude, snowstorms, and exhaustion, Jordan showed maturity and grit well beyond his years.
Jordan Romero is known for taking on the Seven Summits of the world. Source: Instagram.
At the other end of the spectrum is Yuichiro Miura, a Japanese skier and mountaineer who became the oldest person to summit Mount Everest in 2013, at the incredible age of 80. His climb was nothing short of heroic, especially considering he had undergone two heart surgeries in the lead-up to the expedition.
Yuichiro Miura summiting Mount Everest at 80 years old. Source: Getty Images.
Miura had already made history decades earlier by skiing down part of Everest in 1970, but returning in his later years to summit the peak showed an extraordinary level of endurance, discipline, and lifelong adventure spirit.
These climbs show that people of all ages are drawn to Mount Everest. It doesn't matter if you’re a young teenager or an 80-year-old; the mountain calls to those who want to challenge themselves. In the end, it’s not about how old you are, it’s about how determined you are.
6. The first ascent remains shrouded in mystery
Most people know that Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal, were the first confirmed climbers to reach the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953. Their achievement was a milestone not just in mountaineering, but in human endurance and exploration. The news sparked celebrations around the world, and it cemented Everest’s place in the public imagination as the ultimate challenge.
Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
But nearly 30 years earlier, in 1924, British climbers George Mallory and Andrew “Sandy” Irvine made their attempt to conquer the mountain. Climbing without modern gear, oxygen systems, or weather forecasts, they set out from the north side of Everest in Tibet, heading for the summit. They were last seen just a few hundred metres below the top, before disappearing into the clouds. They never returned.
Andrew Irvine (left) and George Mallory in 1924.
For decades, the question haunts the climbing world: Did Mallory and Irvine reach the summit before they died? If they had, it would mean they were the true first to summit Everest long before Hillary and Tenzing.
In 1999, a discovery renewed the debate. An American-led expedition found Mallory’s body at an altitude of 8,155 metres (26,760 feet), astonishingly well preserved by the ice. His injuries suggested a fall during descent, meaning it’s possible they made it to the summit before tragedy struck. All of this is still speculation as one important item was missing: the camera they were believed to be carrying, which could have contained photographic proof.
To this day, Irvine’s body and the camera remain missing. Until they’re found, the truth of that 1924 expedition remains one of Everest’s most compelling mysteries.
One of the most sobering Mount Everest facts is that the mountain is often described as a cemetery in the clouds. At extreme altitudes, especially above 8,000 metres (26,247 feet), an area chillingly known as the “death zone”, the human body begins to shut down. The air is so thin here that even with bottled oxygen, it’s nearly impossible to survive for long. Every minute spent in this zone is a race against time.
In the death zone, oxygen levels drop to just a third of what’s available at sea level. This makes it incredibly difficult for the body to function. Blood oxygen saturation plummets, leading to hypoxia, a dangerous lack of oxygen in the brain and body. Climbers can suffer hallucinations, confusion, extreme fatigue, and organ failure. At these heights, the body quite literally begins to die. Add to that the environment: temperatures can fall to -60°C (-76°F), winds often exceed 200 mph (322 km/h), and sudden storms can trap climbers in seconds. It’s no wonder Mount Everest is one of the deadliest places on Earth.
Extreme weather conditions can be found on Mount Everest.
Due to the extreme altitude and danger, recovering bodies from the death zone is often impossible. Many climbers who die on the upper slopes of Everest remain where they fell. Their bodies lie frozen along the routes, preserved by the cold and sometimes partially visible to those who pass by. Some have become grim waypoints, like the well-known figure called “Green Boots,” named after the distinctive neon footwear worn by the deceased climber.
For years, his body lay curled in a rocky alcove, a haunting marker near the summit route. It is believed that it was the corpse of an Indian Climber, Tsewang Paljor, who attempted to reach the Everest Summit in 1996 but was caught in a deadly storm. With his bright green boots, he was likely to find shelter in the cave, where he sadly died from the extreme weather and the freezing temperature.
“Green Boots”, a climber whose body rests in a cave right above the dead zone (above 8,000 m) on Everest.
In recent years, efforts have been made to remove or respectfully reposition some of these bodies, particularly when they are highly visible. But such missions are dangerous, expensive, and rare; even expert Sherpas risk their lives when attempting body recoveries at these altitudes.
Amid this harsh environment, the summit of Everest holds signs of hope and reverence: Tibetan prayer flags flutter in the wind, small offerings are left for the mountain spirits, and a tripod used for early survey work still stands, quietly marking the roof of the world.
Mount Everest may symbolise adventure and triumph but above all, it demands respect. The death zone is a place where nature reigns supreme and where even the most prepared climbers face the limits of human survival.
From its changing height to its spiritual meaning and extreme conditions, there’s no shortage of interesting facts about Mount Everest. If you’re drawn to its geology, its place in history, or the willpower it demands from climbers, Everest remains one of the most iconic and inspiring places on Earth.
If you're thinking about trekking to Everest Base Camp or just dreaming of being near the world’s highest peak, we’d love to show you the way. Our Nepal-based team knows this mountain inside and out: the trails, the culture, and the stories that make it so unforgettable.
