A typical dead body on Everest weighs over 200 pounds and is frozen solid. Before the body can even be moved, it must first be broken free from the mountainside. Most bodies freeze to the mountainside less than one hour after death and freeze solid in less than four hours.

More than 300 people have died attempting to reach the summit. The last years without known deaths on the mountain were 1977, a year in which only two people reached the summit, and 2020, a year when permits were suspended by Nepal because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Interestingly, the death rate has decreased a bit, from 1.6 percent in the earlier period to 1.0 percent in the more recent period. That said, since the number of climbers has quadrupled, the actual number of deaths has increased.

Standard protocol is just to leave the dead where they died, and so these corpses remain to spend eternity on the mountaintop, serving as a warning to climbers as well as gruesome mile markers. One of the most famous corpses, known as “Green Boots” was passed by almost every climber to reach the death zone.

Although there are not many animals that can survive the harsh winter of the Everest Region to survive on the higher parts of the mountain, some can live till 6100 meters. The animals like the Blue-sheep, Pika, Tibetan Gazelle, and wild yak along with some other birds can live up to the altitude of 6100 meters.

“The Tao of Everest” Francys Arsentiev’s body was visible to climbers for nine years, from her death, May 24, 1998, to May 23, 2007. On May 23, 2007, Woodall was able to locate Arsentiev’s body, and after a brief ritual, dropped her to a lower location on the face, removing the body from view.

They spend their lives guiding climbers to the top. Doing so takes a toll on their bodies. Sherpas — sure-footed Nepalese mountaineers — are the invaluable guides to thrill-seeking climbers itching to reach Everest’s summit. They trek through extreme elements while carrying packs that weigh about 22 pounds.

His body was found on 23 May by mountaineers from the IMAX expedition, and still remains just below the South Summit.

Annapurna I (Nepal) The deadliest mountain in the world is a specific ascent of Annapurna, another peak in the Himalayas. The route is so deadly because of an extremely steep face. Astonishingly, 58 people have died from just 158 attempts. It has the greatest fatality rate of any ascent in the world.