Challenges of climbing Mt Everest

Challenges of climbing Mt Everest

Subject :Economy

Section: Capital market

Context

The recent death of Australian man Jason Kennison after reaching the summit of Mount Everest highlights how dangerous mountain climbing can be.2023 year will be one of busiest and deadly seasons so far with 11 confirmed deaths.

What makes Mount Everest so deadly

According to the Himalayan database more than 310 people have lost their lives on Mount Everest since 1922.The dangers faced by climbers pushing for the summit of Mount Everest are vast. These include the risk of avalanche ,falling rocks/ice ,dangers crossing the Khumbu icefall ,hypothermia from exposure to extreme cold, falls, severe fatigue and exhaustion and illness associated with low oxygen like

• Acute mountain sickness
• High-altitude pulmonary oedema
• High-altitude cerebral oedema.

At base camp of Everest the oxygen is 50% to that of mean sea level and at summit it falls to 30%.Of all the deaths 35% died due to fall ,22% due  exhaustion,18 percent due to altitude sickness and 13% due to exposure. Almost 84% of deaths among non-sherpas occurred during descent after successfully climbing the summit of Mt Everest