Mount Everest is a graveyard. It’s a harsh thing to say, but if you’re standing at 29,032 feet, you aren’t just looking at the top of the world; you’re standing in a place where the human body is literally dying every second it stays there. Over 330 people who have died on Mount Everest remain scattered across its ridges and faces. Most of them are still there. Why? Because at that altitude, a frozen body weighs 300 pounds and moving it is often a suicide mission for anyone else.
The air is thin. Really thin. By the time you hit the "Death Zone" above 8,000 meters, there’s only about a third of the oxygen available at sea level. Your brain swells. Your lungs fill with fluid. You stop being "you" and start being a collection of survival instincts that might not even work.
The Reality of People Who Have Died on Mount Everest
When we talk about the history of Everest, we often focus on the triumphs of Hillary and Tenzing. But the darker side of the mountain is its permanence. Since 1922, the number of people who have died on Mount Everest has climbed almost every single year. Some years are worse than others. Take 1996, the year Jon Krakauer made famous in Into Thin Air. Eight people died in a single storm. Then look at 2014, when a massive icefall collapse killed 16 Sherpas in an instant. Or 2015, when an earthquake triggered an avalanche that took 19 lives at Base Camp.
It’s not just "accidents." It’s biology.
Why the Body Quits
Most people think it’s the falls. Sure, tumbling into a crevasse or sliding down the Lhotse Face happens. But the silent killer is HAPE (High Altitude Pulmonary Edema) and HACE (High Altitude Cerebral Edema).
HACE is terrifying. Your brain swells with fluid. You lose coordination. You start hallucinating. There are stories of climbers who, in their final moments, began stripping off their clothes because they felt "hot"—a phenomenon called paradoxical undressing. They aren’t thinking straight. They’re dying. Honestly, when you see a climber sitting alone in the snow, staring at nothing, you’re looking at someone whose internal systems have simply shuttered.
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Famous Landmarks That Are Actually People
This is the part that gets people. Because the environment is so cold and dry, bodies don't decompose. They mummify. For years, climbers on the Northeast Ridge had to step over "Green Boots."
"Green Boots" was likely Tsewang Paljor, an Indian climber who perished in the 1996 storm. For nearly two decades, his bright neon boots served as a grim waypoint for others heading to the summit. It’s morbid. It’s haunting. But on Everest, "Green Boots" wasn't a tragedy to the people passing him; he was a marker. You knew you were close when you saw the boots.
Then there’s Francys Arsentiev, the "Sleeping Beauty." She was the first American woman to summit without bottled oxygen, but she never made it down. Her husband died trying to save her. For nine years, she lay visible from the main path until Ian Woodall, who had spoken to her as she lay dying years prior, returned in 2007 to move her body out of sight, wrapping her in an American flag.
The Sherpa Toll
We cannot talk about people who have died on Mount Everest without talking about the Sherpas. They are the backbone. They carry the loads, fix the ropes, and cook the meals. Statistically, they are at much higher risk because they traverse the Khumbu Icefall—the most dangerous part of the South Side—dozens of times per season, whereas a client might only go through it twice.
When a Sherpa dies, it doesn’t always make the international front pages like a wealthy Westerner does. But the impact on the local community in the Khumbu Valley is devastating. These are the breadwinners. When a 25-year-old Sherpa dies in an avalanche, a whole family loses its future.
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The "Traffic Jam" Problem of 2019 and Beyond
You’ve probably seen the photo. A long, neon line of climbers snaking up the Hillary Step, stuck in a queue. In 2019, 11 people died, and many blamed the crowds.
When you’re stuck in a "traffic jam" at 8,700 meters, you’re burning oxygen you don't have. Your toes are freezing. Your mind is fading. If the weather turns, you can't just run down. You’re trapped by the person in front of you who might be moving at a snail’s pace.
- Oxygen Depletion: If you plan for an 8-hour push and it takes 12 because of crowds, you run out.
- Frostbite: Standing still in -40 degree winds is a recipe for losing fingers.
- The Ego Factor: People pay $50,000 to $100,000 to be there. They don't want to turn around, even when their body is screaming at them to stop.
The Nepalese government has faced pressure to limit permits, but Everest is a massive revenue generator. It’s a complicated mess of ethics, economics, and ego.
What Happens to the Bodies?
It costs a fortune to bring someone down. We're talking $30,000 to $70,000, and it requires a team of 6 to 10 of the strongest Sherpas. They have to literally chip the body out of the ice. Often, the family chooses to leave them there. The mountain becomes their headstone.
In recent years, climate change has started to uncover more people who have died on Mount Everest. As the glaciers melt, old remains are emerging. It’s a logistical and emotional nightmare for the authorities. They are finding boots, gear, and remains from the 70s and 80s that were long thought buried.
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Dealing With the Ethics
Is it "disrespectful" to climb past a dead body? Some say yes. Others say it's the reality of the environment. If you stop to help someone who is clearly past the point of no return, you might die too. This is the "Hard Ethics" of the high peaks. In 2006, David Sharp died near "Green Boots" while dozens of climbers passed him. Some didn't realize he was alive; others felt they couldn't help without risking their own lives. The backlash was immense, but on the mountain, the rules of the civilized world don't apply.
Practical Insights for the Modern Climber
If you're actually considering this, or just fascinated by why people keep going back despite the body count, here is the ground truth. Everest isn't a "walk-up" anymore, even with the fixed ropes.
- Experience over Ego: Don't let Everest be your first 8,000-meter peak. Climb Manaslu or Cho Oyu first. See how your body handles the "thin air" before you're in a situation where you can't get down.
- Pick the Right Team: The "budget" expeditions often cut corners on oxygen and Sherpa support. That is where people die. You want a 1:1 Sherpa-to-client ratio at minimum.
- The Turnaround Time is Law: If you aren't at the summit by 11:00 AM or noon, you turn around. Period. No matter how close you are. Most people who have died on Mount Everest died on the way down because they pushed too late into the afternoon.
- Listen to your Sherpa: If your guide tells you to go down, you go down. They can see the "death look" in your eyes before you can feel it.
The mountain doesn't care about your summit photo. It doesn't care how much you paid. It is a mass of rock and ice that exists in a vacuum of empathy. Understanding the risks means respecting those who didn't come back and realizing that the greatest success on Everest isn't standing on the top—it's getting back to Base Camp with all your fingers and your life intact.
Actionable Next Steps:
- Research Guide Safety Records: Before booking, check the Himalayan Database for the summit-to-death ratio of specific trekking companies.
- Physical Conditioning: Focus on "weighted uphill carries" and zone 2 aerobic capacity for at least 12 months prior to any high-altitude attempt.
- Medical Evaluation: Get a specific screening for predispositions to HAPE/HACE, as some people are genetically more susceptible regardless of fitness level.