What is the temperature of the death zone on Mount Everest?

Gelje Sherpa, 30, was guiding a Chinese client to the 8,849 metre (29,032 feet) Everest summit on May 18 when he saw the Malaysian climber clinging to a rope and shivering from extreme cold in the area called the death zone, where temperatures can dip to minus 30 degrees Celsius (-22F) or lower.



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In May the day may dawn at EBC at -10c (16f), but when the sun hits you, the air warms up rapidly to +10c (50f). Many spring days the air temperature is around 20c (66f) for much of the day, but as soon as the sun slides behind a cloud, or drops beyond a ridge, the temperature begins to plummet back down to iciness.

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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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Of all deaths from 1950 to 2019 in non-Sherpa climbers during a summit bid on Mount Everest, about 35% were caused by falls, with other leading causes being exhaustion (22%), altitude illness (18%) and exposure (13%). In Sherpa deaths over the same time period, 44% were attributable to avalanches.

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In 2019, 11 perished—some while waiting in traffic jams to reach the top. There are just eight previous seasons in which the death toll has hit double digits: 1982 (11), 1988 (10), 1996 (15), 2012 (10), 2014 (16), 2015 (13), and 2019 (11). The climbing season on Everest may come to an end later this week.

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Francys Arsentiev is known as The Sleeping Beauty of Everest. She died on Mount Everest on May 24, 1998, when she descended from the top of the tallest mountain after setting the record of the first American female to climb Everest without oxygen. Francys was an American native, born and raised in Hawaii, Honolulu.

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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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Climbers who ascend higher than 26,000 feet on Mount Everest enter the death zone. In this area, oxygen is so limited that the body's cells start to die, and judgment becomes impaired. Climbers may also experience heart attack, stroke, or severe altitude sickness.

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Regardless of the timely rescue of some climbers, the 1996 Mount Everest disaster claimed eight lives. This tragedy hence marks the highest number of fatalities within 24 hours on the mountain. Hall, Hansen, and Harris died at Hillary Steps during the Everest disaster.

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On a standard 14-day return trek to EBC, you will be walking for 9 days with an average of 15 km a day. The other days will either be spent acclimatizing or in Kathmandu. Although 15 km a day is not a long distance, the steep and rocky terrain can slow you down.

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What are some mind-blowing facts about Mount Everest?
  • Everest is a massive 8848 meters tall – just below the cruising height of a jumbo jet! ...
  • Everest is over 60 million years old. ...
  • Mount Everest grows approximately 44 millimetres every year. ...
  • Mount Everest isn't actually the tallest mountain on the planet.


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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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