Dead bodies are left behind on Mount Everest, so why are hundreds of climbers heading into the ‘death zone’ this spring?

by | Apr 30, 2024 | Science

Thick murky clouds fill the sky, with freezing winds carrying snow faster than 100 miles per hour. With a frigid –30 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, life-threatening snowstorms and avalanches are frequent.And these are typical conditions on the world’s highest mountain: Mount Everest.The behemoth towers 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) between Nepal and Tibet in the Himalayas, with its peak surpassing most clouds in the sky.An attempt to climb Everest requires months, sometimes years, of training and conditioning – even then, reaching the summit is far from guaranteed. In fact, more than 300 people are known to have died on the mountain.And yet the mountain still draws hundreds of climbers who are determined to reach its peak every spring. Here’s what it takes to make the climb and what has motivated some climbers to summit the world’s highest peak.‘I thought I was in pretty good shape’Dr. Jacob Weasel, a trauma surgeon, successfully summited Everest last May after conditioning for nearly a year.“I would put on a 50-pound backpack and do two hours on a stair stepper with no problem,” Weasel told CNN. “So, I thought that I was in pretty good shape.” However, the surgeon said he was humbled after discovering that his fitness was no match for the lofty athleticism required by the mountain.“I would take five steps and have to …

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[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnThick murky clouds fill the sky, with freezing winds carrying snow faster than 100 miles per hour. With a frigid –30 degrees Fahrenheit temperature, life-threatening snowstorms and avalanches are frequent.And these are typical conditions on the world’s highest mountain: Mount Everest.The behemoth towers 29,032 feet (8,849 meters) between Nepal and Tibet in the Himalayas, with its peak surpassing most clouds in the sky.An attempt to climb Everest requires months, sometimes years, of training and conditioning – even then, reaching the summit is far from guaranteed. In fact, more than 300 people are known to have died on the mountain.And yet the mountain still draws hundreds of climbers who are determined to reach its peak every spring. Here’s what it takes to make the climb and what has motivated some climbers to summit the world’s highest peak.‘I thought I was in pretty good shape’Dr. Jacob Weasel, a trauma surgeon, successfully summited Everest last May after conditioning for nearly a year.“I would put on a 50-pound backpack and do two hours on a stair stepper with no problem,” Weasel told CNN. “So, I thought that I was in pretty good shape.” However, the surgeon said he was humbled after discovering that his fitness was no match for the lofty athleticism required by the mountain.“I would take five steps and have to …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]
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