Can you get frostbite on Mount Everest?

Frostbite is a serious risk for climbers attempting to summit Mount Everest, the world's highest peak. At an elevation of 29,029 feet (8,848 meters), the air is thin and temperatures can drop to as low as -76 degrees Fahrenheit (-60 degrees Celsius).



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According to the Mayo Clinic, during exposure to frigid temperatures like those on Everest—which can dip to minus 20 Fahrenheit during peak climbing season—at first you're liable to feel a prickling, tingling sensation in your outer extremities.

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Temperature. We all know that the cold in the Himalayas is a serious matter. You don't have to climb Mount Everest to get frostbite - you can get it along the Everest Base Camp trek too if the temperature plummets and you're not properly equipped.

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Yes, they are. There are plenty of places where you can shower on the trek. The only issue with this is that sometimes the water isn't hot.

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Aetiology. Altitude-related cough has traditionally been attributed to the inspiration of the cold, dry air which characterises the high altitude mountain environment [2].

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Average wind chill temperatures on Everest are -49 degrees Fahrenheit. Any exposed skin freezes instantly, Burke said.

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The death zone refers to the section of the mountain above 8,000 meters. In this zone, oxygen pressure is extremely low, and humans are unable to stay for long without having a supply of oxygen. Experts don't recommend anyone stay in the death zone for more than 16 to 20 hours.

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One mountaineer said climbing Everest feels like 'running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw' At sea level, the air contains about 21% oxygen. But at altitudes above 12,000 feet, oxygen levels are 40% lower.

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Five miles above sea level the air has so little oxygen in it that even with supplementary air tanks, it can feel like running on a treadmill and breathing through a straw, according to US mountaineer and filmmaker David Breashears.

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Yes, climbers on Everest (and on other very cold mountains) do carry water. When I was on Everest in Spring 2009 we made water by melting snow/ice and then boiling it for safety. Granted the boiling temperature at high elevations is low, but we did have warm water.

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While gear lists and physical training are similar for climbing both peaks, K2 is widely considered a more technically challenging and dangerous mountain to climb than Everest.

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