What is the cough on Mount Everest?

The Khumbu cough, also referred to as the high altitude hack, is a cough caused by the low humidity and temperatures associated with high altitudes. The Khumbu cough is named after the valley that leads up to Mount Everest in Nepal, but the cough itself is not specific to the Everest region.



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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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To retrieve a body takes a team of rescuers or Sherpa capable of digging out frozen bodies and bearing the extra weight of a frozen corpse down the mountain. The cost of such an expedition can climb above $70,000. Because of the cost and extreme risk to the retrieval team, few bodies ever leave Everest.

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Well, when you're climbing above 8,000 meters, a lot can go wrong. Acute mountain sickness and exhaustion are believed to be the leading causes of death on the mountain.

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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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Some degree of altitude sickness is common on a high-altitude trek like the Everest Base Camp trek. So yes, your body doesn't function as normal when you go into a high area where it must manage with less oxygen. Very importantly, you need to give it adequate time to adapt to the reduced oxygen intake.

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It is estimated that climbers on Mount Everest burn around 6000 calories a day as opposed to the typical 2000 calories a day. It is important that climbers are prepared for this increase in calories burned. People interested in climbing Mount Everest also need to prepare mentally.

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