GUNUNG · Nepal

Mount Everest

सगरमाथा (Sagarmatha) / ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ (Chomolungma)

Information

Elevation: 8.849 m
Country: Nepal (NP)
Location / Range: Mahalangur Himal, Himalaya
Mountain type: Himalayan orogenic peak (non-volcanic)
Volcanic?: No (non-volcanic)
Coordinates: 27.9883, 86.9253
Difficulty: Extreme (a mountaineering expedition, altitude above 8,000 m)
Best Season: April–May & September–October
Permits & Rules: Expensive expedition permit from the Nepal government + mandatory guide/sherpa
Hazards: Death zone >8000m, avalanches, Khumbu Icefall, hypoxia, extreme weather

Description

Mount Everest (Sagarmatha in Nepali, Chomolungma in Tibetan) is Earth's highest mountain above sea level at roughly 8,849 metres, on the Nepal–Tibet border within the Mahalangur Himal. It is an orogenic fold peak (not volcanic), first summited by Hillary and Norgay in 1953, and is extremely hazardous due to the 'death zone' above 8,000 m, avalanches, and severe weather.

Gallery

Foto bersumber dari Wikimedia Commons — klik untuk memperbesar & lihat sumbernya.

Routes

North Ridge / Northeast Ridge (Tibet, China)

Mountaineering ketinggian ekstrem; 'steps' batu terbuka dekat puncak, sangat menuntut

Ekspedisi ~6–8 minggu pulang-pergi

Jalur utama dari sisi Tibet (China) dimulai dari North Base Camp, meraih North Col (~7.000 m), lalu menyusuri North Ridge ke Northeast Ridge melewati First, Second, dan Third Step menuju puncak. Rute ini menghindari Khumbu Icefall tetapi memaksa pendaki lebih lama di zona kematian dan sepenuhnya terpapar angin kencang. Second Step — dinding batu nyaris vertikal di sekitar 8.600 m — adalah crux teknisnya dan kini dipasangi tangga tetap.

South Col / Southeast Ridge (Nepal) — jalur normal

Mountaineering ketinggian ekstrem; ada bagian teknis (Khumbu Icefall, Hillary Step), bergantung tali tetap & oksigen

Ekspedisi ~6–9 minggu pulang-pergi dari Kathmandu (termasuk aklimatisasi)

Rute standar dan paling banyak didaki, dirintis Hillary dan Tenzing pada 1953. Naik dari sisi Nepal lewat Base Camp (~5.364 m), menembus Khumbu Icefall, Western Cwm, dan Lhotse Face menuju South Col (~7.900 m), lalu menyusuri Southeast Ridge melewati South Summit dan Hillary Step ke puncak. Bahaya objektif terbesar datang dari Khumbu Icefall yang terus bergerak.

Trek Everest Base Camp (Nepal)

Trek berat; tanpa pendakian teknis, ketinggian hingga ~5.550 m (Kala Patthar)

~12–14 hari pulang-pergi dari Lukla

Jalur trekking non-teknis yang mengikuti pendekatan klasik Khumbu dari Lukla melewati Namche Bazaar, Tengboche, dan Dingboche menuju South Base Camp (~5.364 m); kebanyakan trekker juga naik Kala Patthar (~5.550 m) untuk panorama Everest terbaik. Butuh kebugaran baik dan aklimatisasi cermat, tetapi tanpa keterampilan mountaineering atau oksigen tambahan. Ini salah satu trek ketinggian paling populer di dunia.

Safety Statistics

Moderate risk

Aggregated for prevention and awareness — not a casualty list. Read alongside the safety tips below.

2.5% Fatality rate per successful summit

339 Recorded deaths

13.737 Summits

Period 1921–2025 · Himalayan Database (Alan Arnette compilation) through December 2025: 339 deaths across 13,737 summits over 1921–2025 — deaths-per-summit basis (≈2.5%, about 1.06 deaths per 100 summits). This per-summit rate is LOW compared with other 8000ers such as K2 (~12%) or Annapurna, even though Everest's absolute toll is the highest because of the sheer number of climbers. 130 of the 339 fatalities (39%) were hired support workers/Sherpas. Recent research: spring-season mortality on the standard routes fell from ~3.0% (early decades) to about 0.8% (2024). · rate computed from sourced totals

Causes of death

Avalanche 79

💡 Check avalanche forecasts and snowpack conditions; cross the Khumbu Icefall in the cold pre-dawn hours and avoid open slopes after storms.
Source
Fall 78

💡 More than three-quarters of deaths happen on the descent — respect your turnaround time, save energy to get down, and always clip into the fixed ropes on exposed terrain.
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Altitude illness (AMS/HACE/HAPE) 48

💡 Acclimatise gradually, learn the signs of AMS/HACE/HAPE, use supplemental oxygen, and descend immediately if symptoms worsen.
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Exhaustion 32

💡 Don't push for the summit too late in the day; set a firm turnaround time, keep hydrated and fuelled, and turn back when your energy runs out.
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Other 27

💡 Some deaths stem from illnesses unrelated to altitude — get a pre-expedition medical check and be honest about any cardiac or health conditions before climbing.
Source
Exposure / hypothermia 26

💡 Climb only in stable weather windows, wear windproof insulating layers, and protect your extremities from frostbite.
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Icefall / serac 19

💡 The Khumbu Icefall is most stable in the cold before dawn — minimise your time crossing it and follow the route and timing set by the 'ice doctors'.
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Crevasse fall 10

💡 Always rope up on the glacier, cross ladder bridges carefully, and watch for crevasses hidden under snow.
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Rockfall 5

💡 Wear a helmet, avoid couloirs and rocky terrain in the midday heat when binding ice melts, and move quickly through exposed zones.
Source

Notable incidents

1996 1996 Mount Everest disaster

On 10–11 May 1996, a sudden storm trapped several commercial parties in the death zone while descending from the summit, killing eight climbers in a single event. The disaster became a classic lesson in turnaround-time discipline, the danger of bottlenecks on narrow routes, and the importance of deciding to turn back even when the summit is close.
Source
2014 2014 Khumbu Icefall avalanche

On 18 April 2014, a serac avalanche in the Khumbu Icefall killed 16 Nepali support workers preparing the route — one of the deadliest single days on Everest. It underscored that the Icefall is the single greatest objective hazard, especially for Sherpas who cross it repeatedly; cross only in the cold pre-dawn hours and minimise repeat trips.
Source
2015 2015 earthquake-triggered avalanche at Base Camp

The 25 April 2015 Nepal earthquake triggered a massive avalanche that struck Everest Base Camp, killing at least 18 people — the deadliest day in the mountain's history. A reminder that objective hazards (earthquakes, avalanches) can strike even in supposedly 'safe' areas, so evacuation plans and situational awareness matter at every elevation.
Source

Statistics source: Source Source

Climbing Experiences

Climbing Everest means a weeks-long expedition with staged acclimatisation, crossing the ever-shifting Khumbu Icefall, the Western Cwm and the Lhotse Face up to a chain of high camps, before a summit push in the 'death zone' above 8,000 m. The films below show real summit-day perspectives, the hard work of Sherpa teams, the reliance on fixed ropes and supplemental oxygen, and the more accessible side of Everest: the trek to Everest Base Camp through the Khumbu valley.

References

The summary above is compiled from the following sources. Click to explore them yourself.