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Raw Queries and Responses

1. Shard Calculation

Query:

Response:

Calculated Shard: 62 (from laksa190)

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/The-height-of-Everest\')), getAhrefsUnparsedNoserviceFromURL(\'https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-height-of-Everest\'))) FORMAT JSONEachRow'

Response:

{"found_url":"https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-height-of-Everest","crawl_time":1775767272,"first_indexed_time":1558545545,"http_code":200,"src_unparsed":"com,britannica!www,\/place\/Mount-Everest\/The-height-of-Everest s443","src_root_hash":"5455945239613777662","history_drop_reason":null,"meta_title":"Mount Everest - Himalayas, Summit, Peak | Britannica","meta_descriptions":["Mount Everest - Himalayas, Summit, Peak: Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in snow level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of India between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999. Attempts were subsequently made to remeasure the mountain’s height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but"],"attrs_boilerpipe_text":"Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in\nsnow\nlevel, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of\nIndia\nbetween 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999.\nNews\n•\nAttempts were subsequently made to remeasure the\nmountain’s\nheight. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but questions arose about the methods used. In 1992 another Italian survey, using the Global Positioning System (\nGPS\n) and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 meters) by subtracting from the measured height 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice and snow on the summit, but the\nmethodology\nused was again called into question.\nIn 1999 an American survey, sponsored by the (U.S.)\nNational Geographic Society\nand others, took precise measurements using\nGPS\nequipment. Their finding of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), plus or minus 6.5 feet (2 meters), was accepted by the society and by various specialists in the fields of\ngeodesy\nand\ncartography\n. The Chinese mounted another expedition in 2005 that utilized ice-penetrating\nradar\nin conjunction with GPS equipment. The result of this was what the Chinese called a “rock height” of 29,017.12 feet (8,844.43 meters), which, though widely reported in the media, was recognized only by\nChina\nfor the next several years. Nepal in particular\ndisputed\nthe Chinese figure, preferring what was termed the “snow height” of 29,028 feet. In April 2010 China and Nepal agreed to recognize the validity of both figures. In December 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared that the height of Everest was 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters). This new measurement, derived from data from surveys performed by Nepal in 2019 and China in 2020 that utilized GPS and BeiDou navigation technology and laser\ntheodolites\n, was accepted by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography, including the National Geographic Society.\nHuman factors\nHabitation\nEverest is so tall and its climate so severe that it is incapable of supporting\nsustained\nhuman occupation, but the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples. Notable among these are the\nSherpa\ns, who live in villages at elevations up to about 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) in the Khumbu valley of\nNepal\nand other locations. Traditionally an agricultural people with little cultivable land at their disposal, the Sherpas for years were traders and led a seminomadic lifestyle in their search for pastureland. In\nsummer\n,\nlivestock\nwas grazed as high as 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), while\nwinter\nrefuge was taken at lower elevations on sheltered ledges and along riverbanks.\nLiving in close\nproximity\nto the world’s highest mountains, the Sherpas traditionally treated the\nHimalayas\nas sacred—building Buddhist monasteries at their base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and establishing sanctuaries for the wildlife of the valleys that included\nmusk deer\n, monal pheasant, and Himalayan partridge. Gods and\ndemons\nwere believed to live in the high peaks, and the Yeti (the so-called\nAbominable Snowman\n) was said to roam the lower slopes. For these reasons, the Sherpas traditionally did not climb the mountains.\nHowever, beginning with the British expeditions of the early 20th century, surveying and portering work became available. Eventually, the respect and pay earned in\nmountaineering\nmade it attractive to the Sherpas, who, being so well adapted to the high\naltitudes\n, were capable of carrying large loads of cargo over long distances. Though Sherpas and other hill people (the name Sherpa came to be applied—erroneously—to all porters) tend to outperform their foreign clients, they typically have played a subordinate role in expeditions; rarely, for example, has one of their names been associated with a pioneering route on Everest. The influx of foreign climbers—and, in far greater numbers, trekkers—has dramatically changed Sherpa life, as their livelihood increasingly has come to depend on these climbing expeditions.\nEnvironmental issues\nOn the Nepalese side of the international boundary, the mountain and its surrounding valleys lie within\nSagarmatha National Park, a 480-square-mile (1,243-square-km) zone established in 1976. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO\nWorld Heritage site\n. The\nvalleys\ncontain stands of rhododendron and forests of birch and pine, while above the tree line alpine vegetation extends to the feet of the glaciers. Over the years, carelessness and excessive\nconsumption\nof resources by mountaineers, as well as overgrazing by livestock, have damaged the habitats of snow\nleopards\n, lesser\npandas\n, Tibetan\nbears\n, and scores of\nbird\nspecies. To counteract past abuses, various reforestation programs have been carried out by local\ncommunities\nand the Nepalese government.\nExpeditions have removed supplies and equipment left by climbers on Everest’s slopes, including hundreds of oxygen containers. A large quantity of the litter of past climbers—tons of items such as\ntents\n, cans, crampons, and human waste—has been hauled down from the mountain and recycled or discarded. However, the bodies of most of the more than 280 climbers who have died on Everest (notably on its upper slopes) have not been removed, as they are unreachable or—for those that are accessible—their weight makes carrying them down extremely difficult. Notable in the cleanup endeavour have been the efforts of the Eco Everest Expeditions, the first of which was organized in 2008 to\ncommemorate\nthe death that January of Everest-climbing pioneer\nSir Edmund Hillary\n. Those expeditions also have publicized ecological issues (in particular, concerns about the effects of\nclimate change\nin the region through observations that the Khumbu Icefall has been melting).","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[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\/The-height-of-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. 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)\n\n[To Everest and Back](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/to-everest-and-back)\n\n[![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)\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/mount-everest)\n\n[![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)\n\n[All About Mountains Quiz](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/quiz\/all-about-mountains-quiz)\n\nRelated Questions\n\n- [What are other names for Mount Everest?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-are-other-names-for-Mount-Everest)\n- [Why was the Great Wall of China built?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/Why-was-the-Great-Wall-of-China-built)\n- [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)\n- [What are the physical features of the Himalayas?](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/question\/What-are-the-physical-features-of-the-Himalayas)\n\n![Britannica AI Icon](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/mendel-resources\/3-179\/images\/chatbot\/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)\n\nContents\n\nAsk Anything\n\n[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)\n\nCITE\n\nShare\n\nFeedback\n\nExternal Websites\n\n## The height of Everest\nin  [Mount Everest](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest) in\n\n# [Physical features](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest#ref2195)\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\/The-height-of-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\nTable of Contents\n\nTable of Contents\n\nAsk Anything\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=800&h=450&c=crop)](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/video\/why-are-mountains-so-tall\/-321447)\n\nHow to Measure a MountainSome of the world's tallest mountains are actually growing.\n\n(more)\n\n[See all videos for this article](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest\/images-videos)\n\nControversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in [snow](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/snow-weather) level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of [India](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/India) between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999.\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\nAttempts were subsequently made to remeasure the [mountain’s](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/mountain-landform) height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but questions arose about the methods used. In 1992 another Italian survey, using the Global Positioning System ([GPS](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/GPS)) and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 meters) by subtracting from the measured height 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice and snow on the summit, but the [methodology](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/methodology) used was again called into question.\n\nIn 1999 an American survey, sponsored by the (U.S.) [National Geographic Society](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/National-Geographic-Society) and others, took precise measurements using [GPS](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/GPS) equipment. Their finding of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), plus or minus 6.5 feet (2 meters), was accepted by the society and by various specialists in the fields of [geodesy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/geodesy-science) and [cartography](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/cartography). The Chinese mounted another expedition in 2005 that utilized ice-penetrating [radar](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/radar) in conjunction with GPS equipment. The result of this was what the Chinese called a “rock height” of 29,017.12 feet (8,844.43 meters), which, though widely reported in the media, was recognized only by [China](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China) for the next several years. Nepal in particular [disputed](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/disputed) the Chinese figure, preferring what was termed the “snow height” of 29,028 feet. In April 2010 China and Nepal agreed to recognize the validity of both figures. In December 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared that the height of Everest was 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters). This new measurement, derived from data from surveys performed by Nepal in 2019 and China in 2020 that utilized GPS and BeiDou navigation technology and laser [theodolites](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/theodolite), was accepted by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography, including the National Geographic Society.\n\n## Human factors\n## Habitation\nEverest is so tall and its climate so severe that it is incapable of supporting [sustained](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/sustained) human occupation, but the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples. Notable among these are the [Sherpa](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sherpa-people)s, who live in villages at elevations up to about 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) in the Khumbu valley of [Nepal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nepal) and other locations. Traditionally an agricultural people with little cultivable land at their disposal, the Sherpas for years were traders and led a seminomadic lifestyle in their search for pastureland. In [summer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/summer-season), [livestock](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/livestock) was grazed as high as 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), while [winter](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/winter) refuge was taken at lower elevations on sheltered ledges and along riverbanks.\n\nLiving in close [proximity](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/proximity) to the world’s highest mountains, the Sherpas traditionally treated the [Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas) as sacred—building Buddhist monasteries at their base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and establishing sanctuaries for the wildlife of the valleys that included [musk deer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/musk-deer), monal pheasant, and Himalayan partridge. Gods and [demons](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/demon-Greek-religion) were believed to live in the high peaks, and the Yeti (the so-called [Abominable Snowman](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Abominable-Snowman)) was said to roam the lower slopes. For these reasons, the Sherpas traditionally did not climb the mountains.\n\nHowever, beginning with the British expeditions of the early 20th century, surveying and portering work became available. Eventually, the respect and pay earned in [mountaineering](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/mountaineering) made it attractive to the Sherpas, who, being so well adapted to the high [altitudes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/altitudes), were capable of carrying large loads of cargo over long distances. Though Sherpas and other hill people (the name Sherpa came to be applied—erroneously—to all porters) tend to outperform their foreign clients, they typically have played a subordinate role in expeditions; rarely, for example, has one of their names been associated with a pioneering route on Everest. The influx of foreign climbers—and, in far greater numbers, trekkers—has dramatically changed Sherpa life, as their livelihood increasingly has come to depend on these climbing expeditions.\n\n[Norgay Tenzing](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/contributor\/Norgay-Tenzing\/6101) [Stephen Venables](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/contributor\/Stephen-Venables\/6025)\n\n## Environmental issues\nOn the Nepalese side of the international boundary, the mountain and its surrounding valleys lie within Sagarmatha National Park, a 480-square-mile (1,243-square-km) zone established in 1976. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO [World Heritage site](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/World-Heritage-site). The [valleys](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/valley) contain stands of rhododendron and forests of birch and pine, while above the tree line alpine vegetation extends to the feet of the glaciers. Over the years, carelessness and excessive [consumption](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/consumption) of resources by mountaineers, as well as overgrazing by livestock, have damaged the habitats of snow [leopards](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/leopard), lesser [pandas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/giant-panda), Tibetan [bears](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/bear), and scores of [bird](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/bird-animal) species. To counteract past abuses, various reforestation programs have been carried out by local [communities](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/communities) and the Nepalese government.\n\nExpeditions have removed supplies and equipment left by climbers on Everest’s slopes, including hundreds of oxygen containers. A large quantity of the litter of past climbers—tons of items such as [tents](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/tent), cans, crampons, and human waste—has been hauled down from the mountain and recycled or discarded. However, the bodies of most of the more than 280 climbers who have died on Everest (notably on its upper slopes) have not been removed, as they are unreachable or—for those that are accessible—their weight makes carrying them down extremely difficult. Notable in the cleanup endeavour have been the efforts of the Eco Everest Expeditions, the first of which was organized in 2008 to [commemorate](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/commemorate) the death that January of Everest-climbing pioneer [Sir Edmund Hillary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edmund-Hillary). Those expeditions also have publicized ecological issues (in particular, concerns about the effects of [climate change](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/climate-change) in the region through observations that the Khumbu Icefall has been melting).\n\n[Norgay Tenzing](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/contributor\/Norgay-Tenzing\/6101) [Stephen Venables](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/contributor\/Stephen-Venables\/6025) [The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/editor\/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica\/4419)\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\n*chevron\\_right*\n\nMount Everest - Himalayas, Summit, Peak\n\n*close*\n\n[AI-generated answers](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.\n\n# History of exploration\n## [Mountaineering](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/mountaineering) on Everest\n## The human challenge\n[![Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/39\/76239-050-DE5FCF36\/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/39\/76239-050-DE5FCF36\/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/39\/76239-050-DE5FCF36\/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg)Climbers ascending Mount Everest via the Nepal side. The number of climbers ascending the mountain has significantly increased since the 1990s.\n\n(more)\n\nMount Everest is difficult to get to and more difficult to climb, even with the great advances made in equipment, [transportation](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/transportation-technology), communications, and [weather forecasting](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/weather-forecasting) since the first major expeditions in the 1920s. The [mountain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/mountain-landform) itself lies in a highly isolated location. There are no roads in the region on the Nepalese side, and before the 1960s all goods and supplies had to be carried long distances by humans and pack animals. Since then, airstrips built in the Khumbu valley have greatly [facilitated](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/facilitated) transport to the Everest vicinity, although the higher areas have remained accessible only via footpaths. In [Tibet](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Tibet) there is now a road to the north-side Base Camp.\n\nThe interactive presents a series of charts showing the deaths on Mount Everest between 1953 and 2023.\n\nThere are only two brief time periods when the weather on Everest is the most hospitable for an ascent. The best one is in April and May, right before the [monsoon](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/monsoon). Once the monsoon comes, the snow is too soft and the likelihood of [avalanche](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/avalanche) too great. For a few weeks in September, after the monsoon, weather conditions may also permit an attempt; by October, however, the winter storms begin and persist until March, making climbing then nearly impossible.\n\nIn addition to the challenges posed by Everest’s location and [climate](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/climate-meteorology), the effects of high [altitudes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/altitude-angular) on the [human body](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/human-body) are extreme: the region in the [Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas) above about 25,000 feet (7,600 meters) is known as the “death zone.” Climbers at such high altitude have much more rapid breathing and pulse rates (as their bodies try to obtain more [oxygen](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/oxygen)). In addition, they are not able to digest food well (and often find eating unappealing), they sleep poorly, and they often find their thinking to be confused. These symptoms are [manifestations](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/manifestations) of oxygen deprivation ([hypoxia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/hypoxia)) in the body tissues, which makes any effort difficult and can lead to poor decisions being made in an already dangerous [environment](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/environment). Supplemental (bottled) oxygen breathed through a mask can partially [alleviate](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/alleviate) the effects of [hypoxia](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/hypoxia), but it can present an additional problem if a climber becomes used to the oxygen and then runs out while still at high altitude. (*See also* [altitude sickness](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/altitude-sickness).)\n\nTwo other medical conditions can affect climbers at high elevations. High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) occurs when the body responds to the lack of oxygen by increasing blood flow to the [brain](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/brain); the brain begins to swell, and coma and death may occur. [High-altitude pulmonary edema](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/high-altitude-pulmonary-edema) (HAPE) is a similar condition in which the body circulates additional blood to the [lungs](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/lung); this blood begins to leak into the [air sacs](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/air-sac), and death is caused essentially by [drowning](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/drowning). The most effective [treatment](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/treatment) for both conditions is to move the affected person to a lower elevation. It has been found that the drug [dexamethasone](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/dexamethasone) is a useful emergency first-aid treatment when injected into stricken climbers, allowing them to regain movement (when they might otherwise be incapacitated) and thus descend.\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## Routes and techniques\n[![Apa Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/63\/140463-050-A1FCC422\/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/63\/140463-050-A1FCC422\/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg)\n\n[Apa Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/63\/140463-050-A1FCC422\/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg)Mountaineer Apa Sherpa climbing through the Khumbu Icefall en route to his 20th ascent of the summit of Mount Everest, 2010.\n\n(more)\n\nThe southern route via the Khumbu Icefall and the South Col is the one most commonly taken by climbers attempting to summit Everest. It is the route used by the 1953 British expedition when New Zealander [Edmund Hillary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edmund-Hillary) and Sherpa [Tenzing Norgay](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Tenzing-Norgay) became the first men known to have reached Everest’s summit. The northern route, attempted unsuccessfully by seven British expeditions in the 1920s and ’30s, is also climbed. It is now generally accepted that the first successful [ascent](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/ascent) via that approach was made by a Chinese expedition in 1960, with Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua, Liu Lianman, and a Tibetan, Konbu, reaching the summit. The East Face, Everest’s biggest, is rarely climbed. An American team made the first ascent of it in 1983, and Carlos Buhler, Kim Momb, and Lou Reichardt reached the summit.\n\n[![Robert Anderson on the East Face of Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/23\/79623-050-533F69A7\/Robert-Anderson-expedition-rope-Everest-East-Face-1988.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/23\/79623-050-533F69A7\/Robert-Anderson-expedition-rope-Everest-East-Face-1988.jpg)\n\n[Robert Anderson on the East Face of Mount Everest](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/23\/79623-050-533F69A7\/Robert-Anderson-expedition-rope-Everest-East-Face-1988.jpg)American Robert Anderson, leader of the 1988 Everest expedition, follows a fixed rope up a steep section of the East (Kangshung) Face, Tibet.\n\n(more)\n\nPerhaps because most of the early climbers on Everest had military backgrounds, the traditional method of ascending it has been called “siege” climbing. With this technique, a large team of climbers establishes a series of tented camps farther and farther up the mountain’s side. For instance, on the most frequently climbed southern route, the Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier is at an elevation of about 17,600 feet (5,400 meters). The theory is that the climbers ascend higher and higher to establish camps farther up the route, then come down to [sleep](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/sleep) at night at the camp below the one being established. (Mountain climbers express this in the phrase, “Climb high, sleep low.”) This practice allows climbers to acclimatize to the high altitude. Camps are established along the route about every 1,500 feet (450 meters) of vertical elevation and are given [designations](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/designations) of Camp I, Camp II, and so on. Finally, a last camp is set up close enough to the summit (usually about 3,000 feet \\[900 meters\\] below) to allow a small group (called the “assault” team) to reach the peak. This was the way the British organized their expeditions; most of the large commercial expeditions continue to use it—except that all paying clients are now given a chance at the summit. Essential to the siege climbing style is the logistical support given to the climbers by the Sherpas.\n\n[![Mount Everest Base Camp](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/15\/179215-050-874E3420\/Tents-background-landscape-Mount-Everest-Base-Camp.jpg?w=300)](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/15\/179215-050-874E3420\/Tents-background-landscape-Mount-Everest-Base-Camp.jpg)\n\n[Mount Everest Base Camp](https:\/\/cdn.britannica.com\/15\/179215-050-874E3420\/Tents-background-landscape-Mount-Everest-Base-Camp.jpg)Tents of the Mount Everest Base Camp dotting the background landscape behind a pony, Himalayas, Nepal.\n\n(more)\n\nThere had been a feeling among some early 20th-century climbers that ascending with [oxygen](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/oxygen), support from Sherpas, and a large party was “unsporting” or that it missed the point of mountain climbing. British explorer Eric Shipton expressed the view that these large expeditions caused climbers to lose their sense of the [aesthetic](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/aesthetic) of mountain climbing and to focus instead on only achieving the summit. Top mountaineers, disenchanted with the ponderous and predictable nature of these siege climbs, began in the 1970s to bring a more traditional “[Alpine](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/Alpine-climbing)” style of climbing to the world’s highest peaks; by the 1980s this included even Everest. In this approach, a small party of perhaps three or four climbers goes up and down the mountain as quickly as possible, carrying all needed gear and provisions. This lightweight approach precludes fixing miles of safety ropes and carrying heavy supplemental oxygen. Speed is of the essence. However, at least four weeks still must be spent at and around Base Camp acclimatizing to [altitude](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/altitude) before the party can consider a summit attempt.\n\n[Stephen Venables](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/contributor\/Stephen-Venables\/6025)\n\nLoad Next Page\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\n*print* Print\n\nPlease select which sections you would like to print:\n\n*verified*Cite\n\nWhile 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.\n\nSelect Citation Style\n\nVenables, Stephen, Hunt, (Henry Cecil) John, Tenzing, Norgay, Bishop, Barry C., Noyce, Wilfrid. \"Mount Everest\". *Encyclopedia Britannica*, 8 Apr. 2026, https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Mount-Everest. Accessed 9 April 2026.\n\nCopy Citation\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\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)","attrs_readable_markdown":"Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in [snow](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/snow-weather) level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of [India](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/India) between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999.\n\n## News •\nAttempts were subsequently made to remeasure the [mountain’s](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/mountain-landform) height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but questions arose about the methods used. In 1992 another Italian survey, using the Global Positioning System ([GPS](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/GPS)) and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 meters) by subtracting from the measured height 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice and snow on the summit, but the [methodology](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/methodology) used was again called into question.\n\nIn 1999 an American survey, sponsored by the (U.S.) [National Geographic Society](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/National-Geographic-Society) and others, took precise measurements using [GPS](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/GPS) equipment. Their finding of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), plus or minus 6.5 feet (2 meters), was accepted by the society and by various specialists in the fields of [geodesy](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/geodesy-science) and [cartography](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/cartography). The Chinese mounted another expedition in 2005 that utilized ice-penetrating [radar](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/radar) in conjunction with GPS equipment. The result of this was what the Chinese called a “rock height” of 29,017.12 feet (8,844.43 meters), which, though widely reported in the media, was recognized only by [China](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/China) for the next several years. Nepal in particular [disputed](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/disputed) the Chinese figure, preferring what was termed the “snow height” of 29,028 feet. In April 2010 China and Nepal agreed to recognize the validity of both figures. In December 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared that the height of Everest was 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters). This new measurement, derived from data from surveys performed by Nepal in 2019 and China in 2020 that utilized GPS and BeiDou navigation technology and laser [theodolites](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/theodolite), was accepted by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography, including the National Geographic Society.\n\n## Human factors\n## Habitation\nEverest is so tall and its climate so severe that it is incapable of supporting [sustained](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/sustained) human occupation, but the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples. Notable among these are the [Sherpa](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Sherpa-people)s, who live in villages at elevations up to about 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) in the Khumbu valley of [Nepal](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Nepal) and other locations. Traditionally an agricultural people with little cultivable land at their disposal, the Sherpas for years were traders and led a seminomadic lifestyle in their search for pastureland. In [summer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/summer-season), [livestock](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/livestock) was grazed as high as 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), while [winter](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/winter) refuge was taken at lower elevations on sheltered ledges and along riverbanks.\n\nLiving in close [proximity](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/proximity) to the world’s highest mountains, the Sherpas traditionally treated the [Himalayas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/place\/Himalayas) as sacred—building Buddhist monasteries at their base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and establishing sanctuaries for the wildlife of the valleys that included [musk deer](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/musk-deer), monal pheasant, and Himalayan partridge. Gods and [demons](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/demon-Greek-religion) were believed to live in the high peaks, and the Yeti (the so-called [Abominable Snowman](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/Abominable-Snowman)) was said to roam the lower slopes. For these reasons, the Sherpas traditionally did not climb the mountains.\n\nHowever, beginning with the British expeditions of the early 20th century, surveying and portering work became available. Eventually, the respect and pay earned in [mountaineering](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/sports\/mountaineering) made it attractive to the Sherpas, who, being so well adapted to the high [altitudes](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/dictionary\/altitudes), were capable of carrying large loads of cargo over long distances. Though Sherpas and other hill people (the name Sherpa came to be applied—erroneously—to all porters) tend to outperform their foreign clients, they typically have played a subordinate role in expeditions; rarely, for example, has one of their names been associated with a pioneering route on Everest. The influx of foreign climbers—and, in far greater numbers, trekkers—has dramatically changed Sherpa life, as their livelihood increasingly has come to depend on these climbing expeditions.\n\n## Environmental issues\nOn the Nepalese side of the international boundary, the mountain and its surrounding valleys lie within Sagarmatha National Park, a 480-square-mile (1,243-square-km) zone established in 1976. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO [World Heritage site](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/topic\/World-Heritage-site). The [valleys](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/valley) contain stands of rhododendron and forests of birch and pine, while above the tree line alpine vegetation extends to the feet of the glaciers. Over the years, carelessness and excessive [consumption](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/consumption) of resources by mountaineers, as well as overgrazing by livestock, have damaged the habitats of snow [leopards](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/leopard), lesser [pandas](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/giant-panda), Tibetan [bears](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/bear), and scores of [bird](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/animal\/bird-animal) species. To counteract past abuses, various reforestation programs have been carried out by local [communities](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/communities) and the Nepalese government.\n\nExpeditions have removed supplies and equipment left by climbers on Everest’s slopes, including hundreds of oxygen containers. A large quantity of the litter of past climbers—tons of items such as [tents](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/technology\/tent), cans, crampons, and human waste—has been hauled down from the mountain and recycled or discarded. However, the bodies of most of the more than 280 climbers who have died on Everest (notably on its upper slopes) have not been removed, as they are unreachable or—for those that are accessible—their weight makes carrying them down extremely difficult. Notable in the cleanup endeavour have been the efforts of the Eco Everest Expeditions, the first of which was organized in 2008 to [commemorate](https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/commemorate) the death that January of Everest-climbing pioneer [Sir Edmund Hillary](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/biography\/Edmund-Hillary). Those expeditions also have publicized ecological issues (in particular, concerns about the effects of [climate change](https:\/\/www.britannica.com\/science\/climate-change) in the region through observations that the Khumbu Icefall has been melting).","meta_canonical":null}

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URL	https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/The-height-of-Everest
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Meta Title	Mount Everest - Himalayas, Summit, Peak \| Britannica
Meta Description	Mount Everest - Himalayas, Summit, Peak: Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in snow level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of India between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999. Attempts were subsequently made to remeasure the mountain’s height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but
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Boilerpipe Text	Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in snow level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of India between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999. News • Attempts were subsequently made to remeasure the mountain’s height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but questions arose about the methods used. In 1992 another Italian survey, using the Global Positioning System ( GPS ) and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 meters) by subtracting from the measured height 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice and snow on the summit, but the methodology used was again called into question. In 1999 an American survey, sponsored by the (U.S.) National Geographic Society and others, took precise measurements using GPS equipment. Their finding of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), plus or minus 6.5 feet (2 meters), was accepted by the society and by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography . The Chinese mounted another expedition in 2005 that utilized ice-penetrating radar in conjunction with GPS equipment. The result of this was what the Chinese called a “rock height” of 29,017.12 feet (8,844.43 meters), which, though widely reported in the media, was recognized only by China for the next several years. Nepal in particular disputed the Chinese figure, preferring what was termed the “snow height” of 29,028 feet. In April 2010 China and Nepal agreed to recognize the validity of both figures. In December 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared that the height of Everest was 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters). This new measurement, derived from data from surveys performed by Nepal in 2019 and China in 2020 that utilized GPS and BeiDou navigation technology and laser theodolites , was accepted by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography, including the National Geographic Society. Human factors Habitation Everest is so tall and its climate so severe that it is incapable of supporting sustained human occupation, but the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples. Notable among these are the Sherpa s, who live in villages at elevations up to about 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) in the Khumbu valley of Nepal and other locations. Traditionally an agricultural people with little cultivable land at their disposal, the Sherpas for years were traders and led a seminomadic lifestyle in their search for pastureland. In summer , livestock was grazed as high as 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), while winter refuge was taken at lower elevations on sheltered ledges and along riverbanks. Living in close proximity to the world’s highest mountains, the Sherpas traditionally treated the Himalayas as sacred—building Buddhist monasteries at their base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and establishing sanctuaries for the wildlife of the valleys that included musk deer , monal pheasant, and Himalayan partridge. Gods and demons were believed to live in the high peaks, and the Yeti (the so-called Abominable Snowman ) was said to roam the lower slopes. For these reasons, the Sherpas traditionally did not climb the mountains. However, beginning with the British expeditions of the early 20th century, surveying and portering work became available. Eventually, the respect and pay earned in mountaineering made it attractive to the Sherpas, who, being so well adapted to the high altitudes , were capable of carrying large loads of cargo over long distances. Though Sherpas and other hill people (the name Sherpa came to be applied—erroneously—to all porters) tend to outperform their foreign clients, they typically have played a subordinate role in expeditions; rarely, for example, has one of their names been associated with a pioneering route on Everest. The influx of foreign climbers—and, in far greater numbers, trekkers—has dramatically changed Sherpa life, as their livelihood increasingly has come to depend on these climbing expeditions. Environmental issues On the Nepalese side of the international boundary, the mountain and its surrounding valleys lie within Sagarmatha National Park, a 480-square-mile (1,243-square-km) zone established in 1976. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site . The valleys contain stands of rhododendron and forests of birch and pine, while above the tree line alpine vegetation extends to the feet of the glaciers. Over the years, carelessness and excessive consumption of resources by mountaineers, as well as overgrazing by livestock, have damaged the habitats of snow leopards , lesser pandas , Tibetan bears , and scores of bird species. To counteract past abuses, various reforestation programs have been carried out by local communities and the Nepalese government. Expeditions have removed supplies and equipment left by climbers on Everest’s slopes, including hundreds of oxygen containers. A large quantity of the litter of past climbers—tons of items such as tents , cans, crampons, and human waste—has been hauled down from the mountain and recycled or discarded. However, the bodies of most of the more than 280 climbers who have died on Everest (notably on its upper slopes) have not been removed, as they are unreachable or—for those that are accessible—their weight makes carrying them down extremely difficult. Notable in the cleanup endeavour have been the efforts of the Eco Everest Expeditions, the first of which was organized in 2008 to commemorate the death that January of Everest-climbing pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary . Those expeditions also have publicized ecological issues (in particular, concerns about the effects of climate change in the region through observations that the Khumbu Icefall has been melting).
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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/The-height-of-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) Contents Ask Anything [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) CITE Share Feedback External Websites ## The height of Everest in [Mount Everest](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest) in # [Physical features](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest#ref2195) 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/The-height-of-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 Table of Contents Table of Contents Ask Anything [![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=800&h=450&c=crop)](https://www.britannica.com/video/why-are-mountains-so-tall/-321447) How to Measure a MountainSome of the world's tallest mountains are actually growing. (more) [See all videos for this article](https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest/images-videos) Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in [snow](https://www.britannica.com/science/snow-weather) level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of [India](https://www.britannica.com/place/India) between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999. ## 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 Attempts were subsequently made to remeasure the [mountain’s](https://www.britannica.com/science/mountain-landform) height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but questions arose about the methods used. In 1992 another Italian survey, using the Global Positioning System ([GPS](https://www.britannica.com/technology/GPS)) and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 meters) by subtracting from the measured height 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice and snow on the summit, but the [methodology](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methodology) used was again called into question. In 1999 an American survey, sponsored by the (U.S.) [National Geographic Society](https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Geographic-Society) and others, took precise measurements using [GPS](https://www.britannica.com/technology/GPS) equipment. Their finding of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), plus or minus 6.5 feet (2 meters), was accepted by the society and by various specialists in the fields of [geodesy](https://www.britannica.com/science/geodesy-science) and [cartography](https://www.britannica.com/science/cartography). The Chinese mounted another expedition in 2005 that utilized ice-penetrating [radar](https://www.britannica.com/technology/radar) in conjunction with GPS equipment. The result of this was what the Chinese called a “rock height” of 29,017.12 feet (8,844.43 meters), which, though widely reported in the media, was recognized only by [China](https://www.britannica.com/place/China) for the next several years. Nepal in particular [disputed](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/disputed) the Chinese figure, preferring what was termed the “snow height” of 29,028 feet. In April 2010 China and Nepal agreed to recognize the validity of both figures. In December 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared that the height of Everest was 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters). This new measurement, derived from data from surveys performed by Nepal in 2019 and China in 2020 that utilized GPS and BeiDou navigation technology and laser [theodolites](https://www.britannica.com/technology/theodolite), was accepted by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography, including the National Geographic Society. ## Human factors ## Habitation Everest is so tall and its climate so severe that it is incapable of supporting [sustained](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/sustained) human occupation, but the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples. Notable among these are the [Sherpa](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sherpa-people)s, who live in villages at elevations up to about 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) in the Khumbu valley of [Nepal](https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal) and other locations. Traditionally an agricultural people with little cultivable land at their disposal, the Sherpas for years were traders and led a seminomadic lifestyle in their search for pastureland. In [summer](https://www.britannica.com/science/summer-season), [livestock](https://www.britannica.com/animal/livestock) was grazed as high as 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), while [winter](https://www.britannica.com/science/winter) refuge was taken at lower elevations on sheltered ledges and along riverbanks. Living in close [proximity](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/proximity) to the world’s highest mountains, the Sherpas traditionally treated the [Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas) as sacred—building Buddhist monasteries at their base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and establishing sanctuaries for the wildlife of the valleys that included [musk deer](https://www.britannica.com/animal/musk-deer), monal pheasant, and Himalayan partridge. Gods and [demons](https://www.britannica.com/topic/demon-Greek-religion) were believed to live in the high peaks, and the Yeti (the so-called [Abominable Snowman](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Abominable-Snowman)) was said to roam the lower slopes. For these reasons, the Sherpas traditionally did not climb the mountains. However, beginning with the British expeditions of the early 20th century, surveying and portering work became available. Eventually, the respect and pay earned in [mountaineering](https://www.britannica.com/sports/mountaineering) made it attractive to the Sherpas, who, being so well adapted to the high [altitudes](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/altitudes), were capable of carrying large loads of cargo over long distances. Though Sherpas and other hill people (the name Sherpa came to be applied—erroneously—to all porters) tend to outperform their foreign clients, they typically have played a subordinate role in expeditions; rarely, for example, has one of their names been associated with a pioneering route on Everest. The influx of foreign climbers—and, in far greater numbers, trekkers—has dramatically changed Sherpa life, as their livelihood increasingly has come to depend on these climbing expeditions. [Norgay Tenzing](https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Norgay-Tenzing/6101) [Stephen Venables](https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Stephen-Venables/6025) ## Environmental issues On the Nepalese side of the international boundary, the mountain and its surrounding valleys lie within Sagarmatha National Park, a 480-square-mile (1,243-square-km) zone established in 1976. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO [World Heritage site](https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Heritage-site). The [valleys](https://www.britannica.com/science/valley) contain stands of rhododendron and forests of birch and pine, while above the tree line alpine vegetation extends to the feet of the glaciers. Over the years, carelessness and excessive [consumption](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumption) of resources by mountaineers, as well as overgrazing by livestock, have damaged the habitats of snow [leopards](https://www.britannica.com/animal/leopard), lesser [pandas](https://www.britannica.com/animal/giant-panda), Tibetan [bears](https://www.britannica.com/animal/bear), and scores of [bird](https://www.britannica.com/animal/bird-animal) species. To counteract past abuses, various reforestation programs have been carried out by local [communities](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communities) and the Nepalese government. Expeditions have removed supplies and equipment left by climbers on Everest’s slopes, including hundreds of oxygen containers. A large quantity of the litter of past climbers—tons of items such as [tents](https://www.britannica.com/technology/tent), cans, crampons, and human waste—has been hauled down from the mountain and recycled or discarded. However, the bodies of most of the more than 280 climbers who have died on Everest (notably on its upper slopes) have not been removed, as they are unreachable or—for those that are accessible—their weight makes carrying them down extremely difficult. Notable in the cleanup endeavour have been the efforts of the Eco Everest Expeditions, the first of which was organized in 2008 to [commemorate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate) the death that January of Everest-climbing pioneer [Sir Edmund Hillary](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-Hillary). Those expeditions also have publicized ecological issues (in particular, concerns about the effects of [climate change](https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-change) in the region through observations that the Khumbu Icefall has been melting). [Norgay Tenzing](https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Norgay-Tenzing/6101) [Stephen Venables](https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Stephen-Venables/6025) [The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica](https://www.britannica.com/editor/The-Editors-of-Encyclopaedia-Britannica/4419) ![Britannica AI Icon](https://cdn.britannica.com/mendel-resources/3-179/images/chatbot/star-ai.svg?v=3.179.9)Britannica AI chevron\_right Mount Everest - Himalayas, Summit, Peak close [AI-generated answers](https://www.britannica.com/about-britannica-ai) from Britannica articles. AI makes mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. # History of exploration ## [Mountaineering](https://www.britannica.com/sports/mountaineering) on Everest ## The human challenge [![Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/39/76239-050-DE5FCF36/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/39/76239-050-DE5FCF36/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg) [Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/39/76239-050-DE5FCF36/Climbers-side-Nepali-Mount-Everest.jpg)Climbers ascending Mount Everest via the Nepal side. The number of climbers ascending the mountain has significantly increased since the 1990s. (more) Mount Everest is difficult to get to and more difficult to climb, even with the great advances made in equipment, [transportation](https://www.britannica.com/technology/transportation-technology), communications, and [weather forecasting](https://www.britannica.com/science/weather-forecasting) since the first major expeditions in the 1920s. The [mountain](https://www.britannica.com/science/mountain-landform) itself lies in a highly isolated location. There are no roads in the region on the Nepalese side, and before the 1960s all goods and supplies had to be carried long distances by humans and pack animals. Since then, airstrips built in the Khumbu valley have greatly [facilitated](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/facilitated) transport to the Everest vicinity, although the higher areas have remained accessible only via footpaths. In [Tibet](https://www.britannica.com/place/Tibet) there is now a road to the north-side Base Camp. The interactive presents a series of charts showing the deaths on Mount Everest between 1953 and 2023. There are only two brief time periods when the weather on Everest is the most hospitable for an ascent. The best one is in April and May, right before the [monsoon](https://www.britannica.com/science/monsoon). Once the monsoon comes, the snow is too soft and the likelihood of [avalanche](https://www.britannica.com/science/avalanche) too great. For a few weeks in September, after the monsoon, weather conditions may also permit an attempt; by October, however, the winter storms begin and persist until March, making climbing then nearly impossible. In addition to the challenges posed by Everest’s location and [climate](https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-meteorology), the effects of high [altitudes](https://www.britannica.com/science/altitude-angular) on the [human body](https://www.britannica.com/science/human-body) are extreme: the region in the [Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas) above about 25,000 feet (7,600 meters) is known as the “death zone.” Climbers at such high altitude have much more rapid breathing and pulse rates (as their bodies try to obtain more [oxygen](https://www.britannica.com/science/oxygen)). In addition, they are not able to digest food well (and often find eating unappealing), they sleep poorly, and they often find their thinking to be confused. These symptoms are [manifestations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/manifestations) of oxygen deprivation ([hypoxia](https://www.britannica.com/science/hypoxia)) in the body tissues, which makes any effort difficult and can lead to poor decisions being made in an already dangerous [environment](https://www.britannica.com/science/environment). Supplemental (bottled) oxygen breathed through a mask can partially [alleviate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/alleviate) the effects of [hypoxia](https://www.britannica.com/science/hypoxia), but it can present an additional problem if a climber becomes used to the oxygen and then runs out while still at high altitude. (See also [altitude sickness](https://www.britannica.com/science/altitude-sickness).) Two other medical conditions can affect climbers at high elevations. High-altitude cerebral edema (HACE) occurs when the body responds to the lack of oxygen by increasing blood flow to the [brain](https://www.britannica.com/science/brain); the brain begins to swell, and coma and death may occur. [High-altitude pulmonary edema](https://www.britannica.com/science/high-altitude-pulmonary-edema) (HAPE) is a similar condition in which the body circulates additional blood to the [lungs](https://www.britannica.com/science/lung); this blood begins to leak into the [air sacs](https://www.britannica.com/science/air-sac), and death is caused essentially by [drowning](https://www.britannica.com/science/drowning). The most effective [treatment](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/treatment) for both conditions is to move the affected person to a lower elevation. It has been found that the drug [dexamethasone](https://www.britannica.com/science/dexamethasone) is a useful emergency first-aid treatment when injected into stricken climbers, allowing them to regain movement (when they might otherwise be incapacitated) and thus descend. [![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) ## Routes and techniques [![Apa Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/63/140463-050-A1FCC422/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/63/140463-050-A1FCC422/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg) [Apa Sherpa in the Khumbu Icefall of Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/63/140463-050-A1FCC422/Apa-Sherpa-route-ascent-Khumbu-Icefall-Mount-2010.jpg)Mountaineer Apa Sherpa climbing through the Khumbu Icefall en route to his 20th ascent of the summit of Mount Everest, 2010. (more) The southern route via the Khumbu Icefall and the South Col is the one most commonly taken by climbers attempting to summit Everest. It is the route used by the 1953 British expedition when New Zealander [Edmund Hillary](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-Hillary) and Sherpa [Tenzing Norgay](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tenzing-Norgay) became the first men known to have reached Everest’s summit. The northern route, attempted unsuccessfully by seven British expeditions in the 1920s and ’30s, is also climbed. It is now generally accepted that the first successful [ascent](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/ascent) via that approach was made by a Chinese expedition in 1960, with Wang Fuzhou, Qu Yinhua, Liu Lianman, and a Tibetan, Konbu, reaching the summit. The East Face, Everest’s biggest, is rarely climbed. An American team made the first ascent of it in 1983, and Carlos Buhler, Kim Momb, and Lou Reichardt reached the summit. [![Robert Anderson on the East Face of Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/23/79623-050-533F69A7/Robert-Anderson-expedition-rope-Everest-East-Face-1988.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/23/79623-050-533F69A7/Robert-Anderson-expedition-rope-Everest-East-Face-1988.jpg) [Robert Anderson on the East Face of Mount Everest](https://cdn.britannica.com/23/79623-050-533F69A7/Robert-Anderson-expedition-rope-Everest-East-Face-1988.jpg)American Robert Anderson, leader of the 1988 Everest expedition, follows a fixed rope up a steep section of the East (Kangshung) Face, Tibet. (more) Perhaps because most of the early climbers on Everest had military backgrounds, the traditional method of ascending it has been called “siege” climbing. With this technique, a large team of climbers establishes a series of tented camps farther and farther up the mountain’s side. For instance, on the most frequently climbed southern route, the Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier is at an elevation of about 17,600 feet (5,400 meters). The theory is that the climbers ascend higher and higher to establish camps farther up the route, then come down to [sleep](https://www.britannica.com/science/sleep) at night at the camp below the one being established. (Mountain climbers express this in the phrase, “Climb high, sleep low.”) This practice allows climbers to acclimatize to the high altitude. Camps are established along the route about every 1,500 feet (450 meters) of vertical elevation and are given [designations](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/designations) of Camp I, Camp II, and so on. Finally, a last camp is set up close enough to the summit (usually about 3,000 feet \[900 meters\] below) to allow a small group (called the “assault” team) to reach the peak. This was the way the British organized their expeditions; most of the large commercial expeditions continue to use it—except that all paying clients are now given a chance at the summit. Essential to the siege climbing style is the logistical support given to the climbers by the Sherpas. [![Mount Everest Base Camp](https://cdn.britannica.com/15/179215-050-874E3420/Tents-background-landscape-Mount-Everest-Base-Camp.jpg?w=300)](https://cdn.britannica.com/15/179215-050-874E3420/Tents-background-landscape-Mount-Everest-Base-Camp.jpg) [Mount Everest Base Camp](https://cdn.britannica.com/15/179215-050-874E3420/Tents-background-landscape-Mount-Everest-Base-Camp.jpg)Tents of the Mount Everest Base Camp dotting the background landscape behind a pony, Himalayas, Nepal. (more) There had been a feeling among some early 20th-century climbers that ascending with [oxygen](https://www.britannica.com/science/oxygen), support from Sherpas, and a large party was “unsporting” or that it missed the point of mountain climbing. British explorer Eric Shipton expressed the view that these large expeditions caused climbers to lose their sense of the [aesthetic](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/aesthetic) of mountain climbing and to focus instead on only achieving the summit. Top mountaineers, disenchanted with the ponderous and predictable nature of these siege climbs, began in the 1970s to bring a more traditional “[Alpine](https://www.britannica.com/sports/Alpine-climbing)” style of climbing to the world’s highest peaks; by the 1980s this included even Everest. In this approach, a small party of perhaps three or four climbers goes up and down the mountain as quickly as possible, carrying all needed gear and provisions. This lightweight approach precludes fixing miles of safety ropes and carrying heavy supplemental oxygen. Speed is of the essence. However, at least four weeks still must be spent at and around Base Camp acclimatizing to [altitude](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/altitude) before the party can consider a summit attempt. [Stephen Venables](https://www.britannica.com/contributor/Stephen-Venables/6025) Load Next Page Feedback Thank you for your feedback Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article. print Print Please select which sections you would like to print: 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 Venables, Stephen, Hunt, (Henry Cecil) John, Tenzing, Norgay, Bishop, Barry C., Noyce, Wilfrid. "Mount Everest". Encyclopedia Britannica, 8 Apr. 2026, https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest. Accessed 9 April 2026. Copy Citation Share Share to social media [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/BRITANNICA/) [X](https://x.com/britannica) URL <https://www.britannica.com/place/Mount-Everest> 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)
Readable Markdown	Controversy over the exact elevation of the summit developed because of variations in [snow](https://www.britannica.com/science/snow-weather) level, gravity deviation, and light refraction. The figure 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), plus or minus a fraction, was established by the Survey of [India](https://www.britannica.com/place/India) between 1952 and 1954 and became widely accepted. This value was used by most researchers, mapping agencies, and publishers until 1999. ## News • Attempts were subsequently made to remeasure the [mountain’s](https://www.britannica.com/science/mountain-landform) height. A Chinese survey in 1975 obtained the figure of 29,029.24 feet (8,848.11 meters), and an Italian survey, using satellite surveying techniques, obtained a value of 29,108 feet (8,872 meters) in 1987, but questions arose about the methods used. In 1992 another Italian survey, using the Global Positioning System ([GPS](https://www.britannica.com/technology/GPS)) and laser measurement technology, yielded the figure 29,023 feet (8,846 meters) by subtracting from the measured height 6.5 feet (2 meters) of ice and snow on the summit, but the [methodology](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/methodology) used was again called into question. In 1999 an American survey, sponsored by the (U.S.) [National Geographic Society](https://www.britannica.com/topic/National-Geographic-Society) and others, took precise measurements using [GPS](https://www.britannica.com/technology/GPS) equipment. Their finding of 29,035 feet (8,850 meters), plus or minus 6.5 feet (2 meters), was accepted by the society and by various specialists in the fields of [geodesy](https://www.britannica.com/science/geodesy-science) and [cartography](https://www.britannica.com/science/cartography). The Chinese mounted another expedition in 2005 that utilized ice-penetrating [radar](https://www.britannica.com/technology/radar) in conjunction with GPS equipment. The result of this was what the Chinese called a “rock height” of 29,017.12 feet (8,844.43 meters), which, though widely reported in the media, was recognized only by [China](https://www.britannica.com/place/China) for the next several years. Nepal in particular [disputed](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/disputed) the Chinese figure, preferring what was termed the “snow height” of 29,028 feet. In April 2010 China and Nepal agreed to recognize the validity of both figures. In December 2020 China and Nepal jointly declared that the height of Everest was 29,031.69 feet (8,848.86 meters). This new measurement, derived from data from surveys performed by Nepal in 2019 and China in 2020 that utilized GPS and BeiDou navigation technology and laser [theodolites](https://www.britannica.com/technology/theodolite), was accepted by various specialists in the fields of geodesy and cartography, including the National Geographic Society. ## Human factors ## Habitation Everest is so tall and its climate so severe that it is incapable of supporting [sustained](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/sustained) human occupation, but the valleys below the mountain are inhabited by Tibetan-speaking peoples. Notable among these are the [Sherpa](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sherpa-people)s, who live in villages at elevations up to about 14,000 feet (4,270 meters) in the Khumbu valley of [Nepal](https://www.britannica.com/place/Nepal) and other locations. Traditionally an agricultural people with little cultivable land at their disposal, the Sherpas for years were traders and led a seminomadic lifestyle in their search for pastureland. In [summer](https://www.britannica.com/science/summer-season), [livestock](https://www.britannica.com/animal/livestock) was grazed as high as 16,000 feet (4,880 meters), while [winter](https://www.britannica.com/science/winter) refuge was taken at lower elevations on sheltered ledges and along riverbanks. Living in close [proximity](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/proximity) to the world’s highest mountains, the Sherpas traditionally treated the [Himalayas](https://www.britannica.com/place/Himalayas) as sacred—building Buddhist monasteries at their base, placing prayer flags on the slopes, and establishing sanctuaries for the wildlife of the valleys that included [musk deer](https://www.britannica.com/animal/musk-deer), monal pheasant, and Himalayan partridge. Gods and [demons](https://www.britannica.com/topic/demon-Greek-religion) were believed to live in the high peaks, and the Yeti (the so-called [Abominable Snowman](https://www.britannica.com/topic/Abominable-Snowman)) was said to roam the lower slopes. For these reasons, the Sherpas traditionally did not climb the mountains. However, beginning with the British expeditions of the early 20th century, surveying and portering work became available. Eventually, the respect and pay earned in [mountaineering](https://www.britannica.com/sports/mountaineering) made it attractive to the Sherpas, who, being so well adapted to the high [altitudes](https://www.britannica.com/dictionary/altitudes), were capable of carrying large loads of cargo over long distances. Though Sherpas and other hill people (the name Sherpa came to be applied—erroneously—to all porters) tend to outperform their foreign clients, they typically have played a subordinate role in expeditions; rarely, for example, has one of their names been associated with a pioneering route on Everest. The influx of foreign climbers—and, in far greater numbers, trekkers—has dramatically changed Sherpa life, as their livelihood increasingly has come to depend on these climbing expeditions. ## Environmental issues On the Nepalese side of the international boundary, the mountain and its surrounding valleys lie within Sagarmatha National Park, a 480-square-mile (1,243-square-km) zone established in 1976. In 1979 the park was designated a UNESCO [World Heritage site](https://www.britannica.com/topic/World-Heritage-site). The [valleys](https://www.britannica.com/science/valley) contain stands of rhododendron and forests of birch and pine, while above the tree line alpine vegetation extends to the feet of the glaciers. Over the years, carelessness and excessive [consumption](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/consumption) of resources by mountaineers, as well as overgrazing by livestock, have damaged the habitats of snow [leopards](https://www.britannica.com/animal/leopard), lesser [pandas](https://www.britannica.com/animal/giant-panda), Tibetan [bears](https://www.britannica.com/animal/bear), and scores of [bird](https://www.britannica.com/animal/bird-animal) species. To counteract past abuses, various reforestation programs have been carried out by local [communities](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/communities) and the Nepalese government. Expeditions have removed supplies and equipment left by climbers on Everest’s slopes, including hundreds of oxygen containers. A large quantity of the litter of past climbers—tons of items such as [tents](https://www.britannica.com/technology/tent), cans, crampons, and human waste—has been hauled down from the mountain and recycled or discarded. However, the bodies of most of the more than 280 climbers who have died on Everest (notably on its upper slopes) have not been removed, as they are unreachable or—for those that are accessible—their weight makes carrying them down extremely difficult. Notable in the cleanup endeavour have been the efforts of the Eco Everest Expeditions, the first of which was organized in 2008 to [commemorate](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/commemorate) the death that January of Everest-climbing pioneer [Sir Edmund Hillary](https://www.britannica.com/biography/Edmund-Hillary). Those expeditions also have publicized ecological issues (in particular, concerns about the effects of [climate change](https://www.britannica.com/science/climate-change) in the region through observations that the Khumbu Icefall has been melting).
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