Located at the Mahalangur Ranges, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on the earth, stretching from Nepal to its south and China to the north. Standing at 29,035 ft (8,848 m), it is known that you can actually notice the earth curving once you reach the peak of this mountain. But these are not only the amazing parts about this mountain, if you are planning to go on the ultimate adventure to Mount Everest then you should know some of its interesting facts.
- World’s Tallest Peak
No one ever knew that Mount Everest was the tallest mountain in the world until in 1802 the British planned to launch a trigonometrical survey to map entire India, and in the process, it was proved that Mount Everest was the tallest mountain in the world. In 1856, the British declared Mount Everest could be 29,002 feet above sea level (approx.). But later in 1999, another survey which was conducted using modern technology GPS proved that the survey from 1856 was off by 33 feet.
- It Grows?
It’s more than interesting to hear it right? But it’s not a hypothetical case, geologists have proven that the Mount Everest elevates about 4mm i.e 1 ft each year due to the geological aspects, as well as the movement in the Indian and the South Asian Tectonic Plates.
- OXYGEN Level
When you reach the top of Everest, each of the breath you take in only contains one-third of the oxygen found there. When you are trekking through Everest, your body needs to adapt to the decreasing levels of the oxygen at every single step. But, the most amazing part is, in 1980 20 August Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner and Peter Habler became the first two-person to reach the top of Everest without the use of any extra oxygen tanks.
- This Mountain Has Cellphone Signals!
Surprisingly, as you reach at the top of Everest you will receive a weak yet usable 4G signal. A hiker named Kenton Cool was the first person who first tweeted from the top of the Everest. Companies like Huawei, LTE have established base station which allows the 4g signal coverage till 5,200 meters above sea level and has made the life of hikers easy to use 4G data.
- Death Rate
Since the year 1969, the records show that at least 1 person dies each year trying to reach the top of Everest, except in the year 1997. Everest has claimed the death of over 10% of people who have attempted to reach the top till the date. The main reason for death is told to be of suffocation, fatigue, and even starvation. The path which leads some people to the glory of Everest is where more than 200 lives are lying in the cold and severe weather which is completely inaccessible to remove those bodies. Between the year 1924 and 2020, nearly 306 people have lost their lives chasing their dreams of Everest.
So, now that you know most of the amazing facts about the tallest peak in the world itself, why not take this knowledge to work as soon as the pandemic ends. Ready your gears and visit Nepal for more interesting facts that you can embrace by yourself.
