🕷️ Crawler Inspector

URL Lookup

Direct Parameter Lookup

Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 62 (from laksa020)

2. Crawled Status Check

Query:

curl -X POST \
  'http://laksa062.int.ahrefs:8124/' \
  -H 'Content-Type: text/plain' \
  -H 'X-ClickHouse-Database: crawler3' \
  -H 'Authorization: Basic YXBpOg==' \
  -d 'SELECT getAhrefsURLFromUnparsed(src_unparsed) AS found_url, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(download_stamp), 0) AS crawl_time, ifNull(toUnixTimestamp(props_url_first_seen), 0) AS first_indexed_time, download_http_code AS http_code, src_unparsed AS src_unparsed, src_root_hash AS src_root_hash, history_drop_reason AS history_drop_reason, meta_title AS meta_title, meta_descriptions AS meta_descriptions, attrs_boilerpipe_text AS attrs_boilerpipe_text, attrs_markdown AS attrs_markdown, attrs_readable_markdown AS attrs_readable_markdown, meta_canonical AS meta_canonical FROM crawler3.page_info_local FINAL PREWHERE (src_root_hash, src_unparsed) IN ((getAhrefsRootHashFromUnparsed(getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest","crawl_time":1776276436,"first_indexed_time":1468066388,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,britannica!www,\/place\/Mount-Everest s443","src_root_hash":"5455945239613777662","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Mount Everest | Height, Map, Deaths, Facts, & Climbers | Britannica","meta_descriptions":["Mount Everest, mountain on the crest of the Great Himalayas of southern Asia that lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It has long been revered by local peoples."],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Quick Facts\nHeight:\n29,032 feet (8,849 meters)\nSignificance:\nHighest\nmountain\nin the world\nLocal names:\nNepali:\nSagarmatha\n(सगरमाथा, “Peak of Heaven”)\nTibetan:\nChomolungma\n(ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley”)\nChinese:\nZhumulangma Feng\n(珠穆朗玛峰, Chinese rendering of Tibetan name)\nTop Questions\nWhat is the height of Mount Everest?\nWho made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest?\nWhere is Mount Everest located?\nWho was the first woman who climbed Mount Everest?\nWhat are other names for Mount Everest?\nNews\n•\nMount Everest\n,  mountain on the crest of the Great\nHimalayas\nof southern\nAsia\nthat lies on the border between\nNepal\nand the\nTibet\nAutonomous\nRegion of\nChina\n, at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.\nMount Everest\nNew Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. As of 2017, more than 7,600 people have reached the top of the mountain, and nearly 300 have perished in the attempt.\nLike other high peaks in the region, Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Its identity as the highest point on the\nEarth’s\nsurface was not recognized, however, until 1852, when the governmental\nSurvey of India\nestablished that fact. In 1865 the mountain—previously referred to as Peak XV—was renamed for\nSir George Everest\n, British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s\nsurname\nbeing “EVE-rest.”\nPhysical features\nGeology and relief\nThe Himalayan ranges were thrust upward by tectonic action as the Indian-Australian Plate moved northward from the south and was subducted (forced downward) under the Eurasian Plate following the collision of the two plates between about 40 and 50 million years ago. The Himalayas themselves started rising about 25 to 30 million years ago, and the\nGreat Himalayas\nbegan to take their present form during the\nPleistocene Epoch\n(about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Everest and its surrounding peaks are part of a large mountain massif that forms a focal point, or knot, of this tectonic action in the Great Himalayas. Information from global positioning instruments in place on Everest since the late 1990s indicates that the mountain continues to move a few inches to the northeast and rise a fraction of an inch each year.\nAccording to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.”\nEverest is composed of multiple layers of rock folded back on themselves (nappes). Rock on the lower elevations of the mountain consists of metamorphic schists and gneisses, topped by igneous granites. Higher up are found sedimentary rocks of marine origin (remnants of the ancient floor of the\nTethys Sea\nthat closed after the\ncollision\nof the two plates). Notable is the Yellow Band, a\nlimestone\nformation that is prominently visible just below the summit pyramid.\nThe barren Southeast, Northeast, and West ridges culminate in the Everest summit; a short distance away is the South Summit, a minor bump on the Southeast Ridge with an elevation of 28,700 feet (8,748 meters). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above the\nPlateau of Tibet\n. The peak of\nChangtse (24,803 feet [7,560 meters]) rises to the north.\nKhumbutse (21,867 feet [6,665 meters]),\nNuptse (25,791 feet [7,861 meters]), and\nLhotse\n(27,940 feet [8,516 meters]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south.\nBritannica Quiz\nWonders of the World Quiz\nEverest is shaped like a three-sided\npyramid\n. The three generally flat planes\nconstituting\nthe sides are called faces, and the line by which two faces join is known as a ridge. The North Face rises above\nTibet\nand is bounded by the North Ridge (which meets the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge; key features of this side of the mountain include the Great and Hornbein couloirs (steep gullies) and the North Col at the start of the North Ridge. The Southwest Face rises above Nepal and is bounded by the West Ridge and the Southeast Ridge; notable features on this side include the South Col (at the start of the Southeast Ridge) and the Khumbu Icefall, the latter a jumble of large blocks of ice that has long been a\ndaunting\nchallenge for climbers. The East Face—or Kangshung (Kangxung) Face—also rises above Tibet and is bounded by the Southeast Ridge and the Northeast Ridge.\nThe summit of Everest itself is covered by rock-hard snow surmounted by a layer of softer snow that fluctuates annually by some 5–20 feet (1.5–6 meters); the snow level is highest in September, after the monsoon, and lowest in May after having been depleted by the strong northwesterly winter winds. The summit and upper slopes sit so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at\nsea level\n. Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures\npreclude\nthe development of any plant or animal life there.\nSmart, reliable knowledge for professionals, students, and curious minds everywhere.\nSUBSCRIBE\nDrainage and climate\nKhumbu Glacier\nFrozen pond on the Khumbu Glacier, near Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal.\nGlaciers\ncover the\nslopes\nof Everest to its base. Individual glaciers flanking the mountain are the\nKangshung Glacier to the east; the\nEast,\nCentral, and\nWest Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the\nPumori Glacier to the northwest; and the\nKhumbu Glacier\nto the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of\nice\nbetween Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion of Everest and the other high Himalayan peaks.\nThe mountain’s drainage pattern radiates to the southwest, north, and east. The Khumbu Glacier melts into the\nLobujya (Lobuche) River of Nepal, which flows southward as the\nImja River to its\nconfluence\nwith the Dudh\nKosi River\n. In Tibet the\nRong River originates from the Pumori and Rongbuk glaciers and the\nKama River from the Kangshung Glacier: both flow into the Arun River, which cuts through the Himalayas into Nepal. The Rong, Dudh Kosi, and Kama river valleys form, respectively, the northern, southern, and eastern access routes to the summit.\nSanskrit and Nepali:\nSagarmatha\nTibetan:\nChomolungma\nChinese (Pinyin):\nZhumulangma Feng or\n(Wade-Giles romanization):\nChu-mu-lang-ma Feng\nAlso spelled:\nQomolangma Feng\nThe\nclimate\nof Everest is always hostile to living things. The warmest average daytime\ntemperature\n(in July) is only about −2 °F (−19 °C) on the summit; in\nJanuary\n, the coldest month,\nsummit\ntemperatures average −33 °F (−36 °C) and can drop as low as −76 °F (−60 °C). Storms can come up suddenly, and temperatures can plummet unexpectedly. The peak of Everest is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the\njet stream\n, and it can be buffeted by sustained\nwinds\nof more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour. Precipitation falls as snow during the summer\nmonsoon\n(late May to mid-September). The risk of\nfrostbite\nto climbers on Everest is extremely high.","attrs_markdown":"[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[![Encyclopedia Britannica](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel\/eb-logo\/MendelNewThistleLogo.png)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=global-nav-mobile&utm_campaign=blue-evergreen)\n\nLogin\n\nhttps:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm\\_source=premium\\&utm\\_medium=nav-login-box\\&utm\\_campaign=evergreen\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=hamburger-menu&utm_campaign=blue)\n\n- [Home](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/)\n- [History & 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[Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question)\n- [Lists and Stories](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/lists-and-stories)\n\n- [Britannica Kids](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/)\n\n[Ask the Chatbot](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/chatbot)\n\n[Games & Quizzes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/browse)  [History & Society](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/History-Society)  [Science & Tech](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Science-Tech)  [Biographies](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Biographies)  [Animals & Nature](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Animals-Nature)  [Geography & Travel](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Geography-Travel)  [Arts & Culture](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/Arts-Culture)  [ProCon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/procon)  [Money](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/money)  [Videos](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/videos)\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest)\n\n- [Introduction & Top Questions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest)\n- [Physical features](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest#ref2195)\n  - [Geology and relief](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest#ref230894)\n  \n  - [Drainage and climate](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest#ref230895)\n  \n  - [The height of Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-height-of-Everest)\n  \n  - [Human factors](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-height-of-Everest#ref234719)\n    - [Habitation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-height-of-Everest#ref234720)\n    - [Environmental issues](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-height-of-Everest#ref230897)\n- [History of exploration](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/History-of-exploration)\n  - [Mountaineering on Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/History-of-exploration#ref230898)\n    - [The human challenge](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/History-of-exploration#ref230907)\n    - [Routes and techniques](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/History-of-exploration#ref230908)\n  \n  - [Early expeditions](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions)\n    - [Reconnaissance of 1921](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230910)\n    - [Attempt of 1922](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230911)\n    - [Attempt of 1924](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230912)\n    - [Attempt of 1933](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230913)\n    - [Reconnaissance of 1935](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230914)\n    - [Attempts of 1936 and 1938](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230915)\n  \n  - [Golden age of Everest climbs](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230899)\n    - [Reconnaissance of 1951](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230916)\n    - [Spring attempt of 1952](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230917)\n    - [Autumn attempt of 1952](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Early-expeditions#ref230918)\n    - [The historic ascent of 1953](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-historic-ascent-of-1953)\n    - [Everest-Lhotse, 1956](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230920)\n    - [Attempts of 1960](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230921)\n    - [The U.S. ascent of 1963](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230922)\n    - [The Indian ascent of 1965](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230923)\n  \n  - [Developments since 1965](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965)\n    - [The 1970s](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230924)\n      - [The Southwest Face](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230925)\n      - [The first ascent by a woman](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230926)\n      - [The West Ridge direct ascent](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230927)\n      - [Climbing without supplemental oxygen](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230928)\n      - [The north approach](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230929)\n    - [The 1980s](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Developments-since-1965#ref230930)\n      - [First solo climb](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb)\n      - [Further exploration from Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref230932)\n      - [Developments in Nepal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref230933)\n      - [The end of an era](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref230934)\n    - [Since 1990](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref230935)\n      - [Commercialism and tragedy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref230936)\n        - [Surge in traffic and overcrowding](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref343165)\n        - [Avalanches in 2014 and 2015](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/First-solo-climb#ref343166)\n      - [Extraordinary feats](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Extraordinary-feats)\n      - [Finding Mallory and commemorating historic ascents](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/Extraordinary-feats#ref230937)\n\n[References & Edit History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/additional-info)  [Related Topics](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/Mount-Everest)\n\n[Images, Videos & Interactives](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/images-videos)\n\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/83817-004-C5DB59F8\/Mount-Everest.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/83817-050-67C814CD\/Mount-Everest.jpg)   [![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/19827-004-D7EC103A\/Mount-Everest.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/19827-050-590647EE\/Mount-Everest.jpg)   [![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/10\/193610-004-0FF67241\/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/10\/193610-050-F32EF256\/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)   [![Mount Everest massif](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/54\/155954-004-37C0137B\/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/54\/155954-050-6568A963\/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg)   [![Mount Everest: Khumbu Icefall](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/51\/181251-004-7E3044DF\/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/51\/181251-050-B5A8C51B\/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg)   [![Khumbu Glacier](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/16\/179216-004-D8ECF610\/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/16\/179216-050-03F27A15\/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)\n\n[![The video thumbnail image shows a snowcapped mountain against a blue sky.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/98\/263098-138-87DCA742\/why-are-mountains-so-tall.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/why-are-mountains-so-tall\/-321447)\n\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/39\/76239-004-856F7801\/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/39\/76239-050-DE5FCF36\/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg)   [![Deaths on Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/47\/258147-049-816A70E3\/mount-everest-deaths-nepal-china.jpg)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest)   [![Apa Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/63\/140463-004-3D9015D4\/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/63\/140463-050-A1FCC422\/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg)\n\nAt a Glance\n\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/83817-050-67C814CD\/Mount-Everest.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Mount-Everest)\n\n[Mount Everest summary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/summary\/Mount-Everest)\n\nQuizzes\n\n[![Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/86\/170586-131-7E23E561\/Taj-Mahal-Agra-India.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/wonders-of-the-world-quiz)\n\n[Wonders of the World Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/wonders-of-the-world-quiz)\n\n[![Map showing World distribution of the major religions.](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/13\/95413-131-EC7969C2\/World-religions-distribution.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/its-all-in-the-name)\n\n[It’s All in the Name](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/its-all-in-the-name)\n\n[![Mount Everest. Himalayas, Nepal, Tibet, mountains, snow, Mt. 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Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nCopy Citation\n\nShare\n\nShare\n\nShare to social media\n\n[Facebook](https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/BRITANNICA\/) [X](https:\/\/x.com\/britannica)\n\nURL\n\n<https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest>\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\nFeedback\n\nThank you for your feedback\n\nOur editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.\n\nExternal Websites\n\n- [PBS - NOVA Online - George Leigh Mallory](https:\/\/www.pbs.org\/wgbh\/nova\/everest\/lost\/mystery\/mallory.html)\n- [LiveScience - Mount Everest: World's Highest Mountain](https:\/\/www.livescience.com\/23359-mount-everest.html)\n- [University of Montana - Mount Everest Discovery and the First Ascent 64 Years Ago](https:\/\/www.umt.edu\/this-is-montana\/columns\/stories\/everest.php)\n- [National Public Radio - How tall is Mount Everest? Hint: It's changing](https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2020\/11\/24\/938736955\/how-tall-is-mount-everest-hint-its-changing)\n- [Cell Press - One Earth - An Overview of Physical Risks in the Mt. Everest Region](https:\/\/www.cell.com\/one-earth\/fulltext\/S2590-3322\\(20\\)30538-8)\n- [BBC News - How tall will Mount Everest get before it stops growing?](https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/future\/article\/20220407-how-tall-will-mount-everest-get-before-it-stops-growing)\n\nBritannica Websites\n\nArticles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.\n\n- [Mount Everest - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/kids\/article\/Mount-Everest\/346112)\n- [Mount Everest - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https:\/\/kids.britannica.com\/students\/article\/Mount-Everest\/274233)\n\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/83817-050-67C814CD\/Mount-Everest.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/83817-050-67C814CD\/Mount-Everest.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/17\/83817-050-67C814CD\/Mount-Everest.jpg) Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.\n\n(more)\n\n# Mount Everest\nmountain, Asia\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Summary\n\nHomework Help\n\nAlso known as: Chomolungma, Chu-mu-lang-ma Feng, Peak XV, Qomolangma Feng, Sagarmatha, Zhumulangma Feng[(Show More)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest)\n\nWritten by\n\n[Stephen Venables Mountain climber and the first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen.*photograph: © Stephen Venables*](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/contributor\/Stephen-Venables\/6025)\n\nStephen Venables[All](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/additional-info#contributors)\n\nFact-checked by\n\n[Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\n\nBritannica Editors\n\nLast updated\n\nApr. 8, 2026\n\n•[History](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/additional-info#history)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Summary\n\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nQuick Summary\n\nAsk Anything\n\nQuick Facts\n\n- **Height:** 29,032 feet (8,849 meters)\n- **Location:** [Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas), on the [Nepal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nepal)\\-[China](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China) ([Tibet Autonomous Region](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tibet)) border\n- **Significance:** Highest [mountain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/mountain-landform) in the world\n- **First confirmed ascent:** 1953 ([Tenzing Norgay](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Tenzing-Norgay) and [Edmund Hillary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edmund-Hillary))\n- **Named after:** [George Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/George-Everest)\n- **Local names:**\n  \n  - **Nepali:** *Sagarmatha* (सगरमाथा, “Peak of Heaven”)\n  - **Tibetan:** *Chomolungma* (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley”)\n  - **Chinese:** *Zhumulangma Feng* (珠穆朗玛峰, Chinese rendering of Tibetan name)\n\nTop Questions\n\n### What is the height of Mount Everest?\nThere is disagreement over the exact elevation of Mount Everest because of variations in snow level, gravity deviation, and light refraction, among other factors. However, in 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared Mount Everest’s elevation to be 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 metres), which was subsequently widely accepted.\n\n### Who made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest?\nReinhold Messner completed the first solo ascent of Mount Everest in 1980.\n\n### Where is Mount Everest located?\nMount Everest is on the crest of the Great Himalayas of southern Asia. It lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.\n\n### Who was the first woman who climbed Mount Everest?\nThe first woman to summit Everest was the Japanese climber Tabei Junko, who reached the top from the South Col in 1975. She was climbing with the first all-women expedition to Everest (although male Sherpas supported the climb).\n\n### What are other names for Mount Everest?\nMount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Mount Everest was also previously referred to as Peak XV; it was renamed for Sir George Everest in 1865.\n\n## News •\n[Legendary mountaineer Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, dies at 97](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/news\/197160\/4184fbb5021a4b60b457bc9c1c365ce4)  • Apr. 8, 2026, 10:00 PM ET (AP)\n\nShow less\n\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/19827-050-590647EE\/Mount-Everest.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/19827-050-590647EE\/Mount-Everest.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/27\/19827-050-590647EE\/Mount-Everest.jpg)\n\n(more)\n\n**Mount Everest**, mountain on the crest of the Great [Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas) of southern [Asia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Asia) that lies on the border between [Nepal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nepal) and the [Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tibet) [Autonomous](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Autonomous) Region of [China](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China), at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.\n\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/10\/193610-050-F32EF256\/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/10\/193610-050-F32EF256\/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/10\/193610-050-F32EF256\/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. As of 2017, more than 7,600 people have reached the top of the mountain, and nearly 300 have perished in the attempt.\n\n(more)\n\nLike other high peaks in the region, Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Its identity as the highest point on the [Earth’s](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Earth) surface was not recognized, however, until 1852, when the governmental [Survey of India](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas\/Study-and-exploration#ref47880) established that fact. In 1865 the mountain—previously referred to as Peak XV—was renamed for [Sir George Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/George-Everest), British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s [surname](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/surname) being “EVE-rest.”\n\n## Physical features\n## Geology and relief\n[![Mount Everest massif](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/54\/155954-050-6568A963\/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/54\/155954-050-6568A963\/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest massif](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/54\/155954-050-6568A963\/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg)The Mount Everest massif, Himalayas, Nepal.\n\n(more)\n\nThe Himalayan ranges were thrust upward by tectonic action as the Indian-Australian Plate moved northward from the south and was subducted (forced downward) under the Eurasian Plate following the collision of the two plates between about 40 and 50 million years ago. The Himalayas themselves started rising about 25 to 30 million years ago, and the [Great Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Great-Himalayas) began to take their present form during the [Pleistocene Epoch](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Pleistocene-Epoch) (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Everest and its surrounding peaks are part of a large mountain massif that forms a focal point, or knot, of this tectonic action in the Great Himalayas. Information from global positioning instruments in place on Everest since the late 1990s indicates that the mountain continues to move a few inches to the northeast and rise a fraction of an inch each year.\n\nAccording to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.”\n\nEverest is composed of multiple layers of rock folded back on themselves (nappes). Rock on the lower elevations of the mountain consists of metamorphic schists and gneisses, topped by igneous granites. Higher up are found sedimentary rocks of marine origin (remnants of the ancient floor of the [Tethys Sea](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tethys-Sea) that closed after the [collision](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/collision) of the two plates). Notable is the Yellow Band, a [limestone](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/limestone) formation that is prominently visible just below the summit pyramid.\n\nThe barren Southeast, Northeast, and West ridges culminate in the Everest summit; a short distance away is the South Summit, a minor bump on the Southeast Ridge with an elevation of 28,700 feet (8,748 meters). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above the [Plateau of Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Plateau-of-Tibet). The peak of Changtse (24,803 feet \\[7,560 meters\\]) rises to the north. Khumbutse (21,867 feet \\[6,665 meters\\]), Nuptse (25,791 feet \\[7,861 meters\\]), and [Lhotse](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lhotse) (27,940 feet \\[8,516 meters\\]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south.\n\n[![Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/86\/170586-131-7E23E561\/Taj-Mahal-Agra-India.jpg) Britannica Quiz Wonders of the World Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/wonders-of-the-world-quiz)\n\n[![Mount Everest: Khumbu Icefall](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/51\/181251-050-B5A8C51B\/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/51\/181251-050-B5A8C51B\/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest: Khumbu Icefall](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/51\/181251-050-B5A8C51B\/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg)Mount Everest (left background) towering above the Khumbu Icefall at the mountain's base, Himalayas, Nepal.\n\n(more)\n\nEverest is shaped like a three-sided [pyramid](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/pyramid-architecture). The three generally flat planes [constituting](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/constituting) the sides are called faces, and the line by which two faces join is known as a ridge. The North Face rises above [Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tibet) and is bounded by the North Ridge (which meets the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge; key features of this side of the mountain include the Great and Hornbein couloirs (steep gullies) and the North Col at the start of the North Ridge. The Southwest Face rises above Nepal and is bounded by the West Ridge and the Southeast Ridge; notable features on this side include the South Col (at the start of the Southeast Ridge) and the Khumbu Icefall, the latter a jumble of large blocks of ice that has long been a [daunting](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/daunting) challenge for climbers. The East Face—or Kangshung (Kangxung) Face—also rises above Tibet and is bounded by the Southeast Ridge and the Northeast Ridge.\n\nThe summit of Everest itself is covered by rock-hard snow surmounted by a layer of softer snow that fluctuates annually by some 5–20 feet (1.5–6 meters); the snow level is highest in September, after the monsoon, and lowest in May after having been depleted by the strong northwesterly winter winds. The summit and upper slopes sit so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at [sea level](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/sea-level). Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures [preclude](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/preclude) the development of any plant or animal life there.\n\nExplore Britannica Premium\\!\n\nSmart, reliable knowledge for professionals, students, and curious minds everywhere.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=smart-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n## Drainage and climate\n[![Khumbu Glacier](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/16\/179216-050-03F27A15\/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/16\/179216-050-03F27A15\/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)\n\n[Khumbu Glacier](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/16\/179216-050-03F27A15\/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)Frozen pond on the Khumbu Glacier, near Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal.\n\n(more)\n\n[Glaciers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/glacier) cover the [slopes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/slope-mathematics) of Everest to its base. Individual glaciers flanking the mountain are the Kangshung Glacier to the east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the [Khumbu Glacier](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Khumbu-Glacier) to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of [ice](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/ice) between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion of Everest and the other high Himalayan peaks.\n\nThe mountain’s drainage pattern radiates to the southwest, north, and east. The Khumbu Glacier melts into the Lobujya (Lobuche) River of Nepal, which flows southward as the Imja River to its [confluence](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/confluence) with the Dudh [Kosi River](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Kosi-River). In Tibet the Rong River originates from the Pumori and Rongbuk glaciers and the Kama River from the Kangshung Glacier: both flow into the Arun River, which cuts through the Himalayas into Nepal. The Rong, Dudh Kosi, and Kama river valleys form, respectively, the northern, southern, and eastern access routes to the summit.\n\nSanskrit and Nepali:\n\nSagarmatha\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nTibetan:\n\nChomolungma\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nChinese (Pinyin):\n\nZhumulangma Feng or\n\n(Wade-Giles romanization):\n\nChu-mu-lang-ma Feng\n\n*(Show more)*\n\nAlso spelled:\n\nQomolangma Feng\n\n*(Show more)*\n\n[See all related content](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/facts\/Mount-Everest)\n\nThe [climate](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/climate-meteorology) of Everest is always hostile to living things. The warmest average daytime [temperature](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/temperature) (in July) is only about −2 °F (−19 °C) on the summit; in [January](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/January), the coldest month, [summit](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/summit) temperatures average −33 °F (−36 °C) and can drop as low as −76 °F (−60 °C). Storms can come up suddenly, and temperatures can plummet unexpectedly. The peak of Everest is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the [jet stream](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/jet-stream), and it can be buffeted by sustained [winds](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/wind) of more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour. Precipitation falls as snow during the summer [monsoon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/monsoon) (late May to mid-September). The risk of [frostbite](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/frostbite) to climbers on Everest is extremely high.","attrs_readable_markdown":"Quick Facts\n\n- **Height:** 29,032 feet (8,849 meters)\n- **Significance:** Highest [mountain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/mountain-landform) in the world\n- **Local names:**\n  \n  - **Nepali:** *Sagarmatha* (सगरमाथा, “Peak of Heaven”)\n  - **Tibetan:** *Chomolungma* (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley”)\n  - **Chinese:** *Zhumulangma Feng* (珠穆朗玛峰, Chinese rendering of Tibetan name)\n\nTop Questions\n\n### What is the height of Mount Everest?\n### Who made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest?\n### Where is Mount Everest located?\n### Who was the first woman who climbed Mount Everest?\n### What are other names for Mount Everest?\n## News •\n**Mount Everest**, mountain on the crest of the Great [Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas) of southern [Asia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Asia) that lies on the border between [Nepal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nepal) and the [Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tibet) [Autonomous](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/Autonomous) Region of [China](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China), at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world.\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/10\/193610-050-F32EF256\/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. As of 2017, more than 7,600 people have reached the top of the mountain, and nearly 300 have perished in the attempt.\n\nLike other high peaks in the region, Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Its identity as the highest point on the [Earth’s](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Earth) surface was not recognized, however, until 1852, when the governmental [Survey of India](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas\/Study-and-exploration#ref47880) established that fact. In 1865 the mountain—previously referred to as Peak XV—was renamed for [Sir George Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/George-Everest), British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s [surname](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/surname) being “EVE-rest.”\n\n## Physical features\n## Geology and relief\nThe Himalayan ranges were thrust upward by tectonic action as the Indian-Australian Plate moved northward from the south and was subducted (forced downward) under the Eurasian Plate following the collision of the two plates between about 40 and 50 million years ago. The Himalayas themselves started rising about 25 to 30 million years ago, and the [Great Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Great-Himalayas) began to take their present form during the [Pleistocene Epoch](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/Pleistocene-Epoch) (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Everest and its surrounding peaks are part of a large mountain massif that forms a focal point, or knot, of this tectonic action in the Great Himalayas. Information from global positioning instruments in place on Everest since the late 1990s indicates that the mountain continues to move a few inches to the northeast and rise a fraction of an inch each year.\n\nAccording to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.”\n\nEverest is composed of multiple layers of rock folded back on themselves (nappes). Rock on the lower elevations of the mountain consists of metamorphic schists and gneisses, topped by igneous granites. Higher up are found sedimentary rocks of marine origin (remnants of the ancient floor of the [Tethys Sea](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tethys-Sea) that closed after the [collision](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/collision) of the two plates). Notable is the Yellow Band, a [limestone](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/limestone) formation that is prominently visible just below the summit pyramid.\n\nThe barren Southeast, Northeast, and West ridges culminate in the Everest summit; a short distance away is the South Summit, a minor bump on the Southeast Ridge with an elevation of 28,700 feet (8,748 meters). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above the [Plateau of Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Plateau-of-Tibet). The peak of Changtse (24,803 feet \\[7,560 meters\\]) rises to the north. Khumbutse (21,867 feet \\[6,665 meters\\]), Nuptse (25,791 feet \\[7,861 meters\\]), and [Lhotse](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Lhotse) (27,940 feet \\[8,516 meters\\]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south.\n\n[![Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/86\/170586-131-7E23E561\/Taj-Mahal-Agra-India.jpg) Britannica Quiz Wonders of the World Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/wonders-of-the-world-quiz)\n\nEverest is shaped like a three-sided [pyramid](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/pyramid-architecture). The three generally flat planes [constituting](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/constituting) the sides are called faces, and the line by which two faces join is known as a ridge. The North Face rises above [Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tibet) and is bounded by the North Ridge (which meets the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge; key features of this side of the mountain include the Great and Hornbein couloirs (steep gullies) and the North Col at the start of the North Ridge. The Southwest Face rises above Nepal and is bounded by the West Ridge and the Southeast Ridge; notable features on this side include the South Col (at the start of the Southeast Ridge) and the Khumbu Icefall, the latter a jumble of large blocks of ice that has long been a [daunting](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/daunting) challenge for climbers. The East Face—or Kangshung (Kangxung) Face—also rises above Tibet and is bounded by the Southeast Ridge and the Northeast Ridge.\n\nThe summit of Everest itself is covered by rock-hard snow surmounted by a layer of softer snow that fluctuates annually by some 5–20 feet (1.5–6 meters); the snow level is highest in September, after the monsoon, and lowest in May after having been depleted by the strong northwesterly winter winds. The summit and upper slopes sit so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at [sea level](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/sea-level). Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures [preclude](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/preclude) the development of any plant or animal life there.\n\nSmart, reliable knowledge for professionals, students, and curious minds everywhere.\n\n[SUBSCRIBE](https:\/\/premium.britannica.com\/premium-membership\/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=smart-2026)\n\n![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-left.webp)\n\n![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-right.webp)\n\n![Mobile](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/marketing\/inline-mobile.webp?w=400)\n\n## Drainage and climate\n[Khumbu Glacier](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/16\/179216-050-03F27A15\/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)Frozen pond on the Khumbu Glacier, near Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal.\n\n[Glaciers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/glacier) cover the [slopes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/slope-mathematics) of Everest to its base. Individual glaciers flanking the mountain are the Kangshung Glacier to the east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the [Khumbu Glacier](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Khumbu-Glacier) to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of [ice](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/ice) between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion of Everest and the other high Himalayan peaks.\n\nThe mountain’s drainage pattern radiates to the southwest, north, and east. The Khumbu Glacier melts into the Lobujya (Lobuche) River of Nepal, which flows southward as the Imja River to its [confluence](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/confluence) with the Dudh [Kosi River](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Kosi-River). In Tibet the Rong River originates from the Pumori and Rongbuk glaciers and the Kama River from the Kangshung Glacier: both flow into the Arun River, which cuts through the Himalayas into Nepal. The Rong, Dudh Kosi, and Kama river valleys form, respectively, the northern, southern, and eastern access routes to the summit.\n\nSanskrit and Nepali:\n\nSagarmatha\n\nTibetan:\n\nChomolungma\n\nChinese (Pinyin):\n\nZhumulangma Feng or\n\n(Wade-Giles romanization):\n\nChu-mu-lang-ma Feng\n\nAlso spelled:\n\nQomolangma Feng\n\nThe [climate](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/climate-meteorology) of Everest is always hostile to living things. The warmest average daytime [temperature](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/temperature) (in July) is only about −2 °F (−19 °C) on the summit; in [January](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/January), the coldest month, [summit](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/summit) temperatures average −33 °F (−36 °C) and can drop as low as −76 °F (−60 °C). Storms can come up suddenly, and temperatures can plummet unexpectedly. The peak of Everest is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the [jet stream](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/jet-stream), and it can be buffeted by sustained [winds](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/wind) of more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour. Precipitation falls as snow during the summer [monsoon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/monsoon) (late May to mid-September). The risk of [frostbite](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/frostbite) to climbers on Everest is extremely high.","meta_canonical":null}

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Meta Description	Mount Everest, mountain on the crest of the Great Himalayas of southern Asia that lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. It has long been revered by local peoples.
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Boilerpipe Text	Quick Facts Height: 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) Significance: Highest mountain in the world Local names: Nepali: Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा, “Peak of Heaven”) Tibetan: Chomolungma (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley”) Chinese: Zhumulangma Feng (珠穆朗玛峰, Chinese rendering of Tibetan name) Top Questions What is the height of Mount Everest? Who made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest? Where is Mount Everest located? Who was the first woman who climbed Mount Everest? What are other names for Mount Everest? News • Mount Everest , mountain on the crest of the Great Himalayas of southern Asia that lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China , at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. Mount Everest New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. As of 2017, more than 7,600 people have reached the top of the mountain, and nearly 300 have perished in the attempt. Like other high peaks in the region, Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Its identity as the highest point on the Earth’s surface was not recognized, however, until 1852, when the governmental Survey of India established that fact. In 1865 the mountain—previously referred to as Peak XV—was renamed for Sir George Everest , British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.” Physical features Geology and relief The Himalayan ranges were thrust upward by tectonic action as the Indian-Australian Plate moved northward from the south and was subducted (forced downward) under the Eurasian Plate following the collision of the two plates between about 40 and 50 million years ago. The Himalayas themselves started rising about 25 to 30 million years ago, and the Great Himalayas began to take their present form during the Pleistocene Epoch (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Everest and its surrounding peaks are part of a large mountain massif that forms a focal point, or knot, of this tectonic action in the Great Himalayas. Information from global positioning instruments in place on Everest since the late 1990s indicates that the mountain continues to move a few inches to the northeast and rise a fraction of an inch each year. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.” Everest is composed of multiple layers of rock folded back on themselves (nappes). Rock on the lower elevations of the mountain consists of metamorphic schists and gneisses, topped by igneous granites. Higher up are found sedimentary rocks of marine origin (remnants of the ancient floor of the Tethys Sea that closed after the collision of the two plates). Notable is the Yellow Band, a limestone formation that is prominently visible just below the summit pyramid. The barren Southeast, Northeast, and West ridges culminate in the Everest summit; a short distance away is the South Summit, a minor bump on the Southeast Ridge with an elevation of 28,700 feet (8,748 meters). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above the Plateau of Tibet . The peak of Changtse (24,803 feet [7,560 meters]) rises to the north. Khumbutse (21,867 feet [6,665 meters]), Nuptse (25,791 feet [7,861 meters]), and Lhotse (27,940 feet [8,516 meters]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south. Britannica Quiz Wonders of the World Quiz Everest is shaped like a three-sided pyramid . The three generally flat planes constituting the sides are called faces, and the line by which two faces join is known as a ridge. The North Face rises above Tibet and is bounded by the North Ridge (which meets the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge; key features of this side of the mountain include the Great and Hornbein couloirs (steep gullies) and the North Col at the start of the North Ridge. The Southwest Face rises above Nepal and is bounded by the West Ridge and the Southeast Ridge; notable features on this side include the South Col (at the start of the Southeast Ridge) and the Khumbu Icefall, the latter a jumble of large blocks of ice that has long been a daunting challenge for climbers. The East Face—or Kangshung (Kangxung) Face—also rises above Tibet and is bounded by the Southeast Ridge and the Northeast Ridge. The summit of Everest itself is covered by rock-hard snow surmounted by a layer of softer snow that fluctuates annually by some 5–20 feet (1.5–6 meters); the snow level is highest in September, after the monsoon, and lowest in May after having been depleted by the strong northwesterly winter winds. The summit and upper slopes sit so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at sea level . Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures preclude the development of any plant or animal life there. Smart, reliable knowledge for professionals, students, and curious minds everywhere. SUBSCRIBE Drainage and climate Khumbu Glacier Frozen pond on the Khumbu Glacier, near Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal. Glaciers cover the slopes of Everest to its base. Individual glaciers flanking the mountain are the Kangshung Glacier to the east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the Khumbu Glacier to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of ice between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion of Everest and the other high Himalayan peaks. The mountain’s drainage pattern radiates to the southwest, north, and east. The Khumbu Glacier melts into the Lobujya (Lobuche) River of Nepal, which flows southward as the Imja River to its confluence with the Dudh Kosi River . In Tibet the Rong River originates from the Pumori and Rongbuk glaciers and the Kama River from the Kangshung Glacier: both flow into the Arun River, which cuts through the Himalayas into Nepal. The Rong, Dudh Kosi, and Kama river valleys form, respectively, the northern, southern, and eastern access routes to the summit. Sanskrit and Nepali: Sagarmatha Tibetan: Chomolungma Chinese (Pinyin): Zhumulangma Feng or (Wade-Giles romanization): Chu-mu-lang-ma Feng Also spelled: Qomolangma Feng The climate of Everest is always hostile to living things. The warmest average daytime temperature (in July) is only about −2 °F (−19 °C) on the summit; in January , the coldest month, summit temperatures average −33 °F (−36 °C) and can drop as low as −76 °F (−60 °C). Storms can come up suddenly, and temperatures can plummet unexpectedly. The peak of Everest is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the jet stream , and it can be buffeted by sustained winds of more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour. Precipitation falls as snow during the summer monsoon (late May to mid-September). The risk of frostbite to climbers on Everest is extremely high.
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[Introduction & Top Questions](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest) - [Physical features](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest#ref2195) - [Geology and relief](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest#ref230894) - [Drainage and climate](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest#ref230895) - [The height of Everest](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-height-of-Everest) - [Human factors](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-height-of-Everest#ref234719) - [Habitation](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-height-of-Everest#ref234720) - [Environmental issues](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-height-of-Everest#ref230897) - [History of exploration](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/History-of-exploration) - [Mountaineering on Everest](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/History-of-exploration#ref230898) - [The human challenge](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/History-of-exploration#ref230907) - [Routes and techniques](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/History-of-exploration#ref230908) - [Early expeditions](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions) - [Reconnaissance of 1921](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230910) - [Attempt of 1922](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230911) - [Attempt of 1924](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230912) - [Attempt of 1933](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230913) - [Reconnaissance of 1935](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230914) - [Attempts of 1936 and 1938](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230915) - [Golden age of Everest climbs](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230899) - [Reconnaissance of 1951](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230916) - [Spring attempt of 1952](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230917) - [Autumn attempt of 1952](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Early-expeditions#ref230918) - [The historic ascent of 1953](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-historic-ascent-of-1953) - [Everest-Lhotse, 1956](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230920) - [Attempts of 1960](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230921) - [The U.S. ascent of 1963](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230922) - [The Indian ascent of 1965](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-historic-ascent-of-1953#ref230923) - [Developments since 1965](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965) - [The 1970s](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230924) - [The Southwest Face](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230925) - [The first ascent by a woman](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230926) - [The West Ridge direct ascent](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230927) - [Climbing without supplemental oxygen](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230928) - [The north approach](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230929) - [The 1980s](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Developments-since-1965#ref230930) - [First solo climb](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb) - [Further exploration from Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref230932) - [Developments in Nepal](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref230933) - [The end of an era](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref230934) - [Since 1990](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref230935) - [Commercialism and tragedy](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref230936) - [Surge in traffic and overcrowding](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref343165) - [Avalanches in 2014 and 2015](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/First-solo-climb#ref343166) - [Extraordinary feats](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Extraordinary-feats) - [Finding Mallory and commemorating historic ascents](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/Extraordinary-feats#ref230937) [References & Edit History](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/additional-info) [Related Topics](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Mount-Everest) [Images, Videos & Interactives](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/images-videos) [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/17/83817-004-C5DB59F8/Mount-Everest.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/17/83817-050-67C814CD/Mount-Everest.jpg) [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/19827-004-D7EC103A/Mount-Everest.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/19827-050-590647EE/Mount-Everest.jpg) [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/10/193610-004-0FF67241/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/10/193610-050-F32EF256/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg) [![Mount Everest massif](https://cdn.britannica.com/54/155954-004-37C0137B/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/54/155954-050-6568A963/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg) [![Mount Everest: Khumbu Icefall](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/181251-004-7E3044DF/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/181251-050-B5A8C51B/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg) [![Khumbu Glacier](https://cdn.britannica.com/16/179216-004-D8ECF610/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/16/179216-050-03F27A15/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg) [![The video thumbnail image shows a snowcapped mountain against a blue sky.](https://cdn.britannica.com/98/263098-138-87DCA742/why-are-mountains-so-tall.jpg?w=400&h=225&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/why-are-mountains-so-tall/-321447) [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/39/76239-004-856F7801/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/39/76239-050-DE5FCF36/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg) [![Deaths on Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/47/258147-049-816A70E3/mount-everest-deaths-nepal-china.jpg)](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest) [![Apa Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/63/140463-004-3D9015D4/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/63/140463-050-A1FCC422/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg) At a Glance [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/17/83817-050-67C814CD/Mount-Everest.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Mount-Everest) [Mount Everest summary](https://www.britannica.com/summary/Mount-Everest) Quizzes [![Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)](https://cdn.britannica.com/86/170586-131-7E23E561/Taj-Mahal-Agra-India.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/wonders-of-the-world-quiz) [Wonders of the World Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/wonders-of-the-world-quiz) [![Map showing World distribution of the major religions.](https://cdn.britannica.com/13/95413-131-EC7969C2/World-religions-distribution.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/its-all-in-the-name) [It’s All in the Name](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/its-all-in-the-name) [![Mount Everest. Himalayas, Nepal, Tibet, mountains, snow, Mt. Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/07/162707-131-59A74CDC/Mount-Everest.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/to-everest-and-back) [To Everest and Back](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/to-everest-and-back) [![Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal. (Himalayan Mountains; mountain range; mountain landscape; Mt. Everest)](https://cdn.britannica.com/54/155954-131-6B17DC7A/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/mount-everest) [Mount Everest](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/mount-everest) [![Blue Ridge Mountains. Blue Ridge Parkway. Autumn in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina, United States. Appalachian Highlands, Ridge and Valley, The Appalachian Mountain system](https://cdn.britannica.com/40/166940-131-5303C2D1/Blue-Ridge-Mountains-Appalachian-Mountains-North-Carolina.jpg?w=200&h=200&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/all-about-mountains-quiz) [All About Mountains Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/all-about-mountains-quiz) Related Questions - [What are other names for Mount Everest?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-are-other-names-for-Mount-Everest) - [Why was the Great Wall of China built?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Why-was-the-Great-Wall-of-China-built) - [Can you see the Great Wall of China from space?](https://www.britannica.com/question/Can-you-see-the-Great-Wall-of-China-from-space) - [What are the physical features of the Himalayas?](https://www.britannica.com/question/What-are-the-physical-features-of-the-Himalayas) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) [Geography & Travel](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Geography-Travel) [Physical Geography of Land](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Physical-Geography-Land) [Mountains & Volcanoes](https://www.britannica.com/browse/Mountains-Volcanoes) print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: CITE verifiedCite While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Select Citation Style Copy Citation Share Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest> Feedback External Websites Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. External Websites - [PBS - NOVA Online - George Leigh Mallory](https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/everest/lost/mystery/mallory.html) - [LiveScience - Mount Everest: World's Highest Mountain](https://www.livescience.com/23359-mount-everest.html) - [University of Montana - Mount Everest Discovery and the First Ascent 64 Years Ago](https://www.umt.edu/this-is-montana/columns/stories/everest.php) - [National Public Radio - How tall is Mount Everest? Hint: It's changing](https://www.npr.org/2020/11/24/938736955/how-tall-is-mount-everest-hint-its-changing) - [Cell Press - One Earth - An Overview of Physical Risks in the Mt. Everest Region](https://www.cell.com/one-earth/fulltext/S2590-3322\(20\)30538-8) - [BBC News - How tall will Mount Everest get before it stops growing?](https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20220407-how-tall-will-mount-everest-get-before-it-stops-growing) Britannica Websites Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. - [Mount Everest - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)](https://kids.britannica.com/kids/article/Mount-Everest/346112) - [Mount Everest - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)](https://kids.britannica.com/students/article/Mount-Everest/274233) [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/17/83817-050-67C814CD/Mount-Everest.jpg?w=400&h=300&c=crop)](https://cdn.britannica.com/17/83817-050-67C814CD/Mount-Everest.jpg) [Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/17/83817-050-67C814CD/Mount-Everest.jpg) Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. (more) # Mount Everest mountain, Asia Ask Anything Quick Summary Homework Help Also known as: Chomolungma, Chu-mu-lang-ma Feng, Peak XV, Qomolangma Feng, Sagarmatha, Zhumulangma Feng[(Show More)](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest) Written by [Stephen Venables Mountain climber and the first Briton to climb Everest without supplementary oxygen.photograph: © Stephen Venables](https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Stephen-Venables/6025) Stephen Venables[All](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/additional-info#contributors) Fact-checked by [Britannica Editors Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) Britannica Editors Last updated Apr. 8, 2026 •[History](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/additional-info#history) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9) Britannica AI Ask Anything Quick Summary Table of Contents Table of Contents Quick Summary Ask Anything Quick Facts - Height: 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) - Location: [Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas), on the [Nepal](https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal)\-[China](https://www.britannica.com/place/China) ([Tibet Autonomous Region](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet)) border - Significance: Highest [mountain](https://www.britannica.com/science/mountain-landform) in the world - First confirmed ascent: 1953 ([Tenzing Norgay](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tenzing-Norgay) and [Edmund Hillary](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-Hillary)) - Named after: [George Everest](https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Everest) - Local names: - Nepali: Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा, “Peak of Heaven”) - Tibetan: Chomolungma (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley”) - Chinese: Zhumulangma Feng (珠穆朗玛峰, Chinese rendering of Tibetan name) Top Questions ### What is the height of Mount Everest? There is disagreement over the exact elevation of Mount Everest because of variations in snow level, gravity deviation, and light refraction, among other factors. However, in 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared Mount Everest’s elevation to be 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 metres), which was subsequently widely accepted. ### Who made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest? Reinhold Messner completed the first solo ascent of Mount Everest in 1980. ### Where is Mount Everest located? Mount Everest is on the crest of the Great Himalayas of southern Asia. It lies on the border between Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. ### Who was the first woman who climbed Mount Everest? The first woman to summit Everest was the Japanese climber Tabei Junko, who reached the top from the South Col in 1975. She was climbing with the first all-women expedition to Everest (although male Sherpas supported the climb). ### What are other names for Mount Everest? Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Mount Everest was also previously referred to as Peak XV; it was renamed for Sir George Everest in 1865. ## News • [Legendary mountaineer Jim Whittaker, the first American to summit Mount Everest, dies at 97](https://www.britannica.com/news/197160/4184fbb5021a4b60b457bc9c1c365ce4) • Apr. 8, 2026, 10:00 PM ET (AP) Show less [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/19827-050-590647EE/Mount-Everest.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/19827-050-590647EE/Mount-Everest.jpg) [Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/27/19827-050-590647EE/Mount-Everest.jpg) (more) Mount Everest, mountain on the crest of the Great [Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas) of southern [Asia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Asia) that lies on the border between [Nepal](https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal) and the [Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet) [Autonomous](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Autonomous) Region of [China](https://www.britannica.com/place/China), at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/10/193610-050-F32EF256/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)](https://cdn.britannica.com/10/193610-050-F32EF256/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg) [Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/10/193610-050-F32EF256/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. As of 2017, more than 7,600 people have reached the top of the mountain, and nearly 300 have perished in the attempt. (more) Like other high peaks in the region, Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Its identity as the highest point on the [Earth’s](https://www.britannica.com/place/Earth) surface was not recognized, however, until 1852, when the governmental [Survey of India](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas/Study-and-exploration#ref47880) established that fact. In 1865 the mountain—previously referred to as Peak XV—was renamed for [Sir George Everest](https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Everest), British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s [surname](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/surname) being “EVE-rest.” ## Physical features ## Geology and relief [![Mount Everest massif](https://cdn.britannica.com/54/155954-050-6568A963/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/54/155954-050-6568A963/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg) [Mount Everest massif](https://cdn.britannica.com/54/155954-050-6568A963/massif-Mount-Everest-Himalayas-Nepal.jpg)The Mount Everest massif, Himalayas, Nepal. (more) The Himalayan ranges were thrust upward by tectonic action as the Indian-Australian Plate moved northward from the south and was subducted (forced downward) under the Eurasian Plate following the collision of the two plates between about 40 and 50 million years ago. The Himalayas themselves started rising about 25 to 30 million years ago, and the [Great Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Himalayas) began to take their present form during the [Pleistocene Epoch](https://www.britannica.com/science/Pleistocene-Epoch) (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Everest and its surrounding peaks are part of a large mountain massif that forms a focal point, or knot, of this tectonic action in the Great Himalayas. Information from global positioning instruments in place on Everest since the late 1990s indicates that the mountain continues to move a few inches to the northeast and rise a fraction of an inch each year. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.” Everest is composed of multiple layers of rock folded back on themselves (nappes). Rock on the lower elevations of the mountain consists of metamorphic schists and gneisses, topped by igneous granites. Higher up are found sedimentary rocks of marine origin (remnants of the ancient floor of the [Tethys Sea](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tethys-Sea) that closed after the [collision](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/collision) of the two plates). Notable is the Yellow Band, a [limestone](https://www.britannica.com/science/limestone) formation that is prominently visible just below the summit pyramid. The barren Southeast, Northeast, and West ridges culminate in the Everest summit; a short distance away is the South Summit, a minor bump on the Southeast Ridge with an elevation of 28,700 feet (8,748 meters). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above the [Plateau of Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Plateau-of-Tibet). The peak of Changtse (24,803 feet \[7,560 meters\]) rises to the north. Khumbutse (21,867 feet \[6,665 meters\]), Nuptse (25,791 feet \[7,861 meters\]), and [Lhotse](https://www.britannica.com/place/Lhotse) (27,940 feet \[8,516 meters\]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south. [![Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)](https://cdn.britannica.com/86/170586-131-7E23E561/Taj-Mahal-Agra-India.jpg) Britannica Quiz Wonders of the World Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/wonders-of-the-world-quiz) [![Mount Everest: Khumbu Icefall](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/181251-050-B5A8C51B/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/181251-050-B5A8C51B/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg) [Mount Everest: Khumbu Icefall](https://cdn.britannica.com/51/181251-050-B5A8C51B/Mount-Everest-mountain-Khumbu-Icefall-Himalayas-base.jpg)Mount Everest (left background) towering above the Khumbu Icefall at the mountain's base, Himalayas, Nepal. (more) Everest is shaped like a three-sided [pyramid](https://www.britannica.com/technology/pyramid-architecture). The three generally flat planes [constituting](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituting) the sides are called faces, and the line by which two faces join is known as a ridge. The North Face rises above [Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet) and is bounded by the North Ridge (which meets the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge; key features of this side of the mountain include the Great and Hornbein couloirs (steep gullies) and the North Col at the start of the North Ridge. The Southwest Face rises above Nepal and is bounded by the West Ridge and the Southeast Ridge; notable features on this side include the South Col (at the start of the Southeast Ridge) and the Khumbu Icefall, the latter a jumble of large blocks of ice that has long been a [daunting](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daunting) challenge for climbers. The East Face—or Kangshung (Kangxung) Face—also rises above Tibet and is bounded by the Southeast Ridge and the Northeast Ridge. The summit of Everest itself is covered by rock-hard snow surmounted by a layer of softer snow that fluctuates annually by some 5–20 feet (1.5–6 meters); the snow level is highest in September, after the monsoon, and lowest in May after having been depleted by the strong northwesterly winter winds. The summit and upper slopes sit so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at [sea level](https://www.britannica.com/science/sea-level). Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures [preclude](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/preclude) the development of any plant or animal life there. Explore Britannica Premium\! Smart, reliable knowledge for professionals, students, and curious minds everywhere. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=smart-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) ## Drainage and climate [![Khumbu Glacier](https://cdn.britannica.com/16/179216-050-03F27A15/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/16/179216-050-03F27A15/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg) [Khumbu Glacier](https://cdn.britannica.com/16/179216-050-03F27A15/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)Frozen pond on the Khumbu Glacier, near Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal. (more) [Glaciers](https://www.britannica.com/science/glacier) cover the [slopes](https://www.britannica.com/science/slope-mathematics) of Everest to its base. Individual glaciers flanking the mountain are the Kangshung Glacier to the east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the [Khumbu Glacier](https://www.britannica.com/place/Khumbu-Glacier) to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of [ice](https://www.britannica.com/science/ice) between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion of Everest and the other high Himalayan peaks. The mountain’s drainage pattern radiates to the southwest, north, and east. The Khumbu Glacier melts into the Lobujya (Lobuche) River of Nepal, which flows southward as the Imja River to its [confluence](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confluence) with the Dudh [Kosi River](https://www.britannica.com/place/Kosi-River). In Tibet the Rong River originates from the Pumori and Rongbuk glaciers and the Kama River from the Kangshung Glacier: both flow into the Arun River, which cuts through the Himalayas into Nepal. The Rong, Dudh Kosi, and Kama river valleys form, respectively, the northern, southern, and eastern access routes to the summit. Sanskrit and Nepali: Sagarmatha (Show more) Tibetan: Chomolungma (Show more) Chinese (Pinyin): Zhumulangma Feng or (Wade-Giles romanization): Chu-mu-lang-ma Feng (Show more) Also spelled: Qomolangma Feng (Show more) [See all related content](https://www.britannica.com/facts/Mount-Everest) The [climate](https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-meteorology) of Everest is always hostile to living things. The warmest average daytime [temperature](https://www.britannica.com/science/temperature) (in July) is only about −2 °F (−19 °C) on the summit; in [January](https://www.britannica.com/topic/January), the coldest month, [summit](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/summit) temperatures average −33 °F (−36 °C) and can drop as low as −76 °F (−60 °C). Storms can come up suddenly, and temperatures can plummet unexpectedly. The peak of Everest is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the [jet stream](https://www.britannica.com/science/jet-stream), and it can be buffeted by sustained [winds](https://www.britannica.com/science/wind) of more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour. Precipitation falls as snow during the summer [monsoon](https://www.britannica.com/science/monsoon) (late May to mid-September). The risk of [frostbite](https://www.britannica.com/science/frostbite) to climbers on Everest is extremely high.
Readable Markdown	Quick Facts - Height: 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) - Significance: Highest [mountain](https://www.britannica.com/science/mountain-landform) in the world - Local names: - Nepali: Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा, “Peak of Heaven”) - Tibetan: Chomolungma (ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley”) - Chinese: Zhumulangma Feng (珠穆朗玛峰, Chinese rendering of Tibetan name) Top Questions ### What is the height of Mount Everest? ### Who made the first solo ascent of Mount Everest? ### Where is Mount Everest located? ### Who was the first woman who climbed Mount Everest? ### What are other names for Mount Everest? ## News • Mount Everest, mountain on the crest of the Great [Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas) of southern [Asia](https://www.britannica.com/place/Asia) that lies on the border between [Nepal](https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal) and the [Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet) [Autonomous](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Autonomous) Region of [China](https://www.britannica.com/place/China), at 27°59′ N 86°56′ E. Reaching an elevation of 29,032 feet (8,849 meters), Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world. [Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/10/193610-050-F32EF256/Mount-everest-facts-figures-summits-deaths-climbing.jpg)New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to summit Mount Everest in 1953. As of 2017, more than 7,600 people have reached the top of the mountain, and nearly 300 have perished in the attempt. Like other high peaks in the region, Mount Everest has long been revered by local peoples. Its most common Tibetan name, Chomolungma, means “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley.” The Sanskrit name Sagarmatha means literally “Peak of Heaven.” Its identity as the highest point on the [Earth’s](https://www.britannica.com/place/Earth) surface was not recognized, however, until 1852, when the governmental [Survey of India](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas/Study-and-exploration#ref47880) established that fact. In 1865 the mountain—previously referred to as Peak XV—was renamed for [Sir George Everest](https://www.britannica.com/biography/George-Everest), British surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s [surname](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/surname) being “EVE-rest.” ## Physical features ## Geology and relief The Himalayan ranges were thrust upward by tectonic action as the Indian-Australian Plate moved northward from the south and was subducted (forced downward) under the Eurasian Plate following the collision of the two plates between about 40 and 50 million years ago. The Himalayas themselves started rising about 25 to 30 million years ago, and the [Great Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Great-Himalayas) began to take their present form during the [Pleistocene Epoch](https://www.britannica.com/science/Pleistocene-Epoch) (about 2,600,000 to 11,700 years ago). Everest and its surrounding peaks are part of a large mountain massif that forms a focal point, or knot, of this tectonic action in the Great Himalayas. Information from global positioning instruments in place on Everest since the late 1990s indicates that the mountain continues to move a few inches to the northeast and rise a fraction of an inch each year. According to etymological sources, the mountain’s Western name is often mispronounced “Ever-est” or “Ev-rest,” despite the pronunciation of Sir George Everest’s surname being “EVE-rest.” Everest is composed of multiple layers of rock folded back on themselves (nappes). Rock on the lower elevations of the mountain consists of metamorphic schists and gneisses, topped by igneous granites. Higher up are found sedimentary rocks of marine origin (remnants of the ancient floor of the [Tethys Sea](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tethys-Sea) that closed after the [collision](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/collision) of the two plates). Notable is the Yellow Band, a [limestone](https://www.britannica.com/science/limestone) formation that is prominently visible just below the summit pyramid. The barren Southeast, Northeast, and West ridges culminate in the Everest summit; a short distance away is the South Summit, a minor bump on the Southeast Ridge with an elevation of 28,700 feet (8,748 meters). The mountain can be seen directly from its northeastern side, where it rises about 12,000 feet (3,600 meters) above the [Plateau of Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Plateau-of-Tibet). The peak of Changtse (24,803 feet \[7,560 meters\]) rises to the north. Khumbutse (21,867 feet \[6,665 meters\]), Nuptse (25,791 feet \[7,861 meters\]), and [Lhotse](https://www.britannica.com/place/Lhotse) (27,940 feet \[8,516 meters\]) surround Everest’s base to the west and south. [![Taj Mahal, Agra, India. UNESCO World Heritage Site (minarets; Muslim, architecture; Islamic architecture; marble; mausoleum)](https://cdn.britannica.com/86/170586-131-7E23E561/Taj-Mahal-Agra-India.jpg) Britannica Quiz Wonders of the World Quiz](https://www.britannica.com/quiz/wonders-of-the-world-quiz) Everest is shaped like a three-sided [pyramid](https://www.britannica.com/technology/pyramid-architecture). The three generally flat planes [constituting](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/constituting) the sides are called faces, and the line by which two faces join is known as a ridge. The North Face rises above [Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet) and is bounded by the North Ridge (which meets the Northeast Ridge) and the West Ridge; key features of this side of the mountain include the Great and Hornbein couloirs (steep gullies) and the North Col at the start of the North Ridge. The Southwest Face rises above Nepal and is bounded by the West Ridge and the Southeast Ridge; notable features on this side include the South Col (at the start of the Southeast Ridge) and the Khumbu Icefall, the latter a jumble of large blocks of ice that has long been a [daunting](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/daunting) challenge for climbers. The East Face—or Kangshung (Kangxung) Face—also rises above Tibet and is bounded by the Southeast Ridge and the Northeast Ridge. The summit of Everest itself is covered by rock-hard snow surmounted by a layer of softer snow that fluctuates annually by some 5–20 feet (1.5–6 meters); the snow level is highest in September, after the monsoon, and lowest in May after having been depleted by the strong northwesterly winter winds. The summit and upper slopes sit so high in the Earth’s atmosphere that the amount of breathable oxygen there is one-third what it is at [sea level](https://www.britannica.com/science/sea-level). Lack of oxygen, powerful winds, and extremely cold temperatures [preclude](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/preclude) the development of any plant or animal life there. Smart, reliable knowledge for professionals, students, and curious minds everywhere. [SUBSCRIBE](https://premium.britannica.com/premium-membership/?utm_source=premium&utm_medium=inline-cta&utm_campaign=smart-2026) ![Penguin, ship, mountain, atlas](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-left.webp) ![shohei ohtani, plants, andy wharhol art](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-right.webp) ![Mobile](https://cdn.britannica.com/marketing/inline-mobile.webp?w=400) ## Drainage and climate [Khumbu Glacier](https://cdn.britannica.com/16/179216-050-03F27A15/pond-Khumbu-Glacier-Mount-Everest-Nepal-Himalayas.jpg)Frozen pond on the Khumbu Glacier, near Mount Everest, Himalayas, Nepal. [Glaciers](https://www.britannica.com/science/glacier) cover the [slopes](https://www.britannica.com/science/slope-mathematics) of Everest to its base. Individual glaciers flanking the mountain are the Kangshung Glacier to the east; the East, Central, and West Rongbuk (Rongpu) glaciers to the north and northwest; the Pumori Glacier to the northwest; and the [Khumbu Glacier](https://www.britannica.com/place/Khumbu-Glacier) to the west and south, which is fed by the glacier bed of the Western Cwm, an enclosed valley of [ice](https://www.britannica.com/science/ice) between Everest and the Lhotse-Nuptse Ridge to the south. Glacial action has been the primary force behind the heavy and continuous erosion of Everest and the other high Himalayan peaks. The mountain’s drainage pattern radiates to the southwest, north, and east. The Khumbu Glacier melts into the Lobujya (Lobuche) River of Nepal, which flows southward as the Imja River to its [confluence](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/confluence) with the Dudh [Kosi River](https://www.britannica.com/place/Kosi-River). In Tibet the Rong River originates from the Pumori and Rongbuk glaciers and the Kama River from the Kangshung Glacier: both flow into the Arun River, which cuts through the Himalayas into Nepal. The Rong, Dudh Kosi, and Kama river valleys form, respectively, the northern, southern, and eastern access routes to the summit. Sanskrit and Nepali: Sagarmatha Tibetan: Chomolungma Chinese (Pinyin): Zhumulangma Feng or (Wade-Giles romanization): Chu-mu-lang-ma Feng Also spelled: Qomolangma Feng The [climate](https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-meteorology) of Everest is always hostile to living things. The warmest average daytime [temperature](https://www.britannica.com/science/temperature) (in July) is only about −2 °F (−19 °C) on the summit; in [January](https://www.britannica.com/topic/January), the coldest month, [summit](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/summit) temperatures average −33 °F (−36 °C) and can drop as low as −76 °F (−60 °C). Storms can come up suddenly, and temperatures can plummet unexpectedly. The peak of Everest is so high that it reaches the lower limit of the [jet stream](https://www.britannica.com/science/jet-stream), and it can be buffeted by sustained [winds](https://www.britannica.com/science/wind) of more than 100 miles (160 km) per hour. Precipitation falls as snow during the summer [monsoon](https://www.britannica.com/science/monsoon) (late May to mid-September). The risk of [frostbite](https://www.britannica.com/science/frostbite) to climbers on Everest is extremely high.
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