How many climbers have died on Mount Everest?

Reaching the summit of the world’s tallest mountain is considered the pinnacle of achievement in mountaineering, and since it was first successfully scaled in 1953, Mount Everest has attracted ambitious climbers from all over the world.

But it’s considered ambitious for a reason, as some of those who attempt the climb, never leave the mountain.

Video Transcript

- How many climbers have died on Mount Everest? Reaching the summit of the world's tallest mountain is considered the pinnacle of achievement in mountaineering. And since it was first successfully scaled in 1953, Mount Everest has attracted ambitious climbers from all over the world. But it's considered ambitious for a reason as some of those who attempt the climb never leave the mountain.

Based on records kept by the Himalayan Database, at least 322 people have died on Everest dating back to 1922 in most cases, it's too dangerous to retrieve the bodies and an estimated 200 corpses are thought to still be up there. The most common ways people perish on the 29,000 foot mountain are avalanches, altitude sickness, falls, and exposure to the elements.

Anything above 26,000 feet is considered the death zone, where oxygen levels are only a third of what they are at sea level and the pressure causes weight to feel 10 times heavier. The combination can be deadly for climbers who may also experience extreme distress on their organs. Usually, climbers can't last more than 48 hours in the area. This year alone has been one of the most dangerous climbing seasons with 12 fatalities so far and another 5 people missing. So now you know.