The glory and bitterness of conquering Mount Everest.

Died while attempting to conquer Mount Everest in the Himalayas.

On May 16, 2022, the first Vietnamese woman to successfully conquer Mount Everest was Nguyen Thi Thanh Nha (Celine Nha Nguyen).

Recently, Thanh Nha shared on her personal Facebook page that Dawa C, the Sherpa leader of the group she was a part of, had passed away. The leader was swept away by an avalanche while clearing a path for his comrades descending the mountain and disappeared on Mount Manaslu. Helicopters and rescue teams searched the mountain continuously and found Dawa's body buried under a frozen ravine.

Each year, the number of people registering to conquer Mount Everest steadily increases. However, the number of people who suffer injuries, have to abandon their expeditions, or even lose their lives on the snow-capped peaks is also considerable.

Mount Everest is located in the Mahalangur Himalayan massif of the Himalayas. Situated on the border of Tibet and Nepal, Mount Everest has an altitude of 8,848.86 meters above sea level.

The first two people to conquer Mount Everest were New Zealand explorer Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese native who acted as their guide, in 1953. Not only is the mountain extremely high, but the environment is also dangerous and harsh. In the past decade, many people have lost their lives each year while attempting to climb the world's highest peak.

Oxygen levels at the summit of Everest are extremely low, and temperatures are incredibly cold. It's even said that Everest is only for those who dare to attempt it and don't know if they'll survive to return. All those who participate in the expedition to conquer the world's highest mountain must sign a waiver agreeing to leave their bodies behind on the mountain. However, despite the high cost of the expedition, it remains a top tourist destination, attracting many, especially professional mountaineers who always dream of setting foot on the "roof of the world."

According to El País, a Spanish daily newspaper, since 1953, more than 300 mountaineers have died on their way to the summit of the world's highest mountain. One-third of these deaths were due to oxygen deprivation.

Harsh and treacherous, yet many still want to conquer it.

At an altitude of 8,848.86 meters, the amount of oxygen surrounding the summit of Everest is only about one-third of that near sea level. This makes it difficult for explorers to breathe due to insufficient oxygen, as the human body cannot tolerate altitudes above 6,000 meters. The higher one climbs, the less oxygen there is, and the body faces numerous risks including pulmonary edema, cerebral edema, and blood clots.

Furthermore, frostbite damage accelerates because at such altitudes, the heart has to work harder to pump blood throughout the body, delivering oxygen to the organs. Internal organs are prioritized, followed by fingers and toes; therefore, exposure to cold can cause frostbite, leading to amputation of fingers and toes.

The primary causes of death were mostly landslides, falls, altitude sickness, and exposure to extreme temperatures.

Max Vu (Ho Chi Minh City), who has explored the Everest Base Camp route many times, said: “Conquering Everest is definitely one of the most treacherous and challenging routes. Many people have died while attempting this route because of its dangers. The death rate on Everest is very high, so it is considered a major obstacle for many people.”

So why is climbing Mount Everest so appealing, despite the high cost and inherent dangers?

For the community of mountaineering and adventure enthusiasts, conquering Mount Everest and reaching the "roof of the world" is a dream for many. For those who have successfully conquered Everest, the event means more than anything: overcoming their own limitations. Climbing a mountain over 8,000 meters high, standing on the world's summit, and then returning home safely is an unparalleled experience that not everyone can accomplish.

From landslides and high altitudes to treacherous terrain and blizzards, everything can threaten the lives of mountaineers at any moment. However, perhaps this is precisely what motivates many to strive to reach this summit.

Mount Everest is the dream of many, but to see the world's highest peak without endangering your life, you can undertake a trekking expedition to Everest Base Camp, one of the classic and beautiful trekking routes that follows in the footsteps of explorers.

Everest Base Camp is the base camp, the first point on the journey to conquer Mount Everest, which stands at 5,380 meters. This is considered a fairly popular route for mountaineering in Nepal.

"Everest Base Camp is one of the most classic treks in the world, traversing the base camp of mountaineers aiming to view Everest. It's both beautiful and manageable for first-time visitors to the Himalayas. Usually, you'll start with the basic trek, then gradually increase the difficulty depending on your fitness level and health. It's recommended to start with lower mountains and gradually increase the altitude. For first-time trekkers, choosing a smaller, easier route in Nepal is recommended to fully appreciate the Himalayas," Max Vu shared.

Mount Everest has two main climbing routes: the Tibetan route and the Nepalese route. Of the two main routes, the Nepalese one is technically easier and therefore the more frequently used.

In Nepal, there is the Southeast Ridge route, created by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary in 1953. From Tibet, there is the North Ridge route, which George Mallory disappeared from in 1924, long before a Chinese expedition conquered the summit in 1960.

Climbing from the southeast, they face a dangerous race across the Khumbu Icefall, but the descent is shorter and easier in case of emergency as the summit approaches. Climbing from the north, while accessible by vehicle to the base camp, requires a much longer climb to the summit.

The extraordinary Sherpas

Mount Everest is too high and the climate too harsh for anyone to live there, but the valley at its foot is home to Tibetan people known as Sherpas, in villages located as high as 4,870 meters.

For hundreds of generations, the Sherpa people living on the highlands have undergone a genetic revolution to adapt to the oxygen-scarce conditions. On the towering peaks of the Himalayas, this Nepalese group is renowned for their speed in climbing, forging previously uncharted routes, their leadership abilities, and their extraordinary skills.

Living near the highest peaks on Earth, the Sherpas consider the Himalayas sacred, building Buddhist monasteries, flying Lungta flags on hilltops, and establishing habitats for wildlife such as musk deer and pheasants.

Many Sherpas are hired to carry luggage for climbers ascending Everest. Although they accept mountain climbing as a means of livelihood, the Sherpas do not attempt to expand the number of climbable mountains, believing them to be "the homes of the gods" which they deeply respect.

The mountaineering industry has made them one of the wealthiest ethnic groups in Nepal; however, their mountaineering achievements are often overlooked by the Western mountaineering community and media.

The Sherpa people's remarkable mountain-climbing ability, according to experts, may be partly due to genetic adaptations to life at high altitudes and in thin air. Many studies suggest that Sherpas are born with a more advantageous gene mutation that gives them a unique metabolic ability to climb high and harsh mountain regions.

Phuong Thao is an editor at Travellive magazine. She is passionate about traveling and enjoys capturing moments with her camera in every place she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are Phuong Thao's favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao