Mount Everest is considered the highest mountain in the world, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. It was named after George Everest, who worked as a Surveyor General of India in 1830, but Tibetan locals call it Chomolungma, which means "Mother Goddess of the World."
The first ever recorded person to climb Mount Everest was mountaineer Edmund Hillary and his Tibetan guide Tenzing Norgay. Since then, climbing Mount Everest has become a famous expedition for mountaineers.
According to the Himalayan Database, 5,294 mountaineers have successfully climbed Mount Everest as of January 2019. Every year, around 700 - 800 mountaineers attempt to reach the highest peak in the world.
Trying to reach Mount Everest's summit comes with many challenges. Even though getting to the top is notable, mountain climbers risk encountering dangers, such as Mount Everest's death zone.
What Happens in the Mount Everest Death Zone?
The Mount Everest death zone is an area along the summit that lies 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) above sea level. In this region, the oxygen level in the atmosphere drops by 40%. In addition, mountaineers are also exposed to stronger UV radiation, freezing temperatures, and extreme weather conditions.
Humans naturally thrive at sea level, where the atmospheric level of oxygen gas is about 21%. It is the ideal condition that allows the hemoglobin to be saturated in a person's body. As the altitude of a summit gets higher, the atmospheric pressure decreases, resulting in lower oxygen levels in the air. Once it happens, the hemoglobin does not become saturated, and the body will not receive enough oxygen.
To inhale the necessary amount of oxygen, a climber must increase their breathing rate even if they are at rest. Declining oxygen levels will also lead to a rising heart rate and an increased risk of a heart attack. If mountaineers cannot adjust to high altitudes, they could experience acute mountain sickness and other conditions such as high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) and high altitude cerebral edema (HACE).
Aside from the health risks of decreasing oxygen levels, reaching Mount Everest's death zone also exposes the climbers to higher radiation levels from the sun. The UV radiation can reflect off the ice and cause damage to the eyes.
How Can Climbers Survive the Death Zone?
To ensure the best chance of success in reaching the summit of Mount Everest, climbers need to acclimate themselves to the high altitudes. This can be done by spending days or weeks in the elevated areas. The best way to do it is by steadily climbing to 3,000 meters and spending a few days at this altitude.
From the 3,000-meter mark, following a slow but steady climb is recommended. It is also advised to climb high but sleep low by setting up the following camp within 500 vertical meters above the previous site where the climber slept.
Sustained acclimatization allows the increased depth of respiration and expansion of lung capacity by delivering blood into the regions of the lungs that are not usually used at sea level. The body is also given more time to produce more red blood cells and make more enzyme that aids in the release o oxygen from hemoglobin.
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