No Higher: At 29,035' (8850m), about five miles up, the world's highest summit is at about the cruising altitude of a jet or 23 times the height of the Empire State building.


Set Your GPS: 86? 56' E 27? 59' N


Local Names: in Nepal: Sagarmatha (means: churning stick in the sea of existence); in Tibet: Chomolungma (means: mother goddess of the universe). Once known to Westerners as Peak XV, Everest was renamed in 1859 for Sir George Everest, the British surveyor general of India.


Thin Air: Decreasing atmospheric pressure at high altitude means there are less oxygen molecules in a given space. At the top of Mount Everest, the actual percentage of oxygen in the air is the same as that at sea level (about 20%). However, the atmospheric pressure at the summit of Everest is 33% that of sea level. So if you had a shoe box full of air, there would be 66% less oxygen in the box at the summit of Everest than at sea level. Each breath pulls in 33% of the oxygen as that at sea level.


The Death Zone: Above 26,000' there's about a third of the oxygen available at sea level. Even acclimated, the body begins to shut down, and if a person stays that high long enough, they will die. Most climbers use oxygen here for climbing and sleeping.


Because It Is There: in 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, of Great Britain, were last seen going strong for the top on the north side of the mountain. It is unknown if they reached the summit before disappearing, although the discovery of Mallory's body last year is shedding new light on the debate. In 1921, Mallory had led the first-ever expedition to Everest.


Wind: climber David Breashears has compared the ominous sound of evening winds on the upper mountain to that of a 747 jet endlessly taking off.


Narrow Window: weather on Everest permits reasonable climbing only in May and October between winter snows (December-March) and summer monsoons (June-September).
Best and Worst Years: in 1965, nine climbers summitted and there were no deaths. In 1996, 15 climbers perished, the most in any single year.


Total Ascents and Deaths: 808 climbers (764 men and 44 women) have stood on the summit (for a total of 1052 ascents) and 161 have perished, 36 on the descent.


First Ascent: 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zealand, and Tenzing Norgay, Nepal, via the South Col Route. Neither has ever said who stepped on the summit first.


Fastest Ascent: Sixteen hours and 56 minutes on May 21, 2000 by Babu Chirri Sherpa. On October 17, 1998, Kaji Sherpa of Nepal climbed Everest in 20 hours 24 minutes to break Frenchman Marc Batard's longstanding mountaineering record set in October 1990 when Batard did it in 22 hours 29 minutes.


Most Summits: Eleven, Appa Sherpa became the first person to climb Everest 11 times on May 24, 2000. Ang Rita Sherpa of the Solu-Khumbu region of Nepal has summitted 10 times, and on May 26, 1999, Apa Sherpa of Nepal reached the summit at 11am and tied Ang Rita's record.


Longest Time Spent on the Summit: on May 7th, 1999, Babu Chirri Sherpa of Nepal set a new record by spending 21 hours on the summit without oxygen.


Youngest Summitter: Temba Tsheri, of Nepal, 15, on May 22,2001.


Oldest Summitter: Sherman Bull, May 25,2001 at 64. Prior to Bull, Lev Sarkisov (12/2/38) of Georgia heald the record, reaching the summit on May 12, 1999. At 60 years and 161 days old, he had beaten Spaniard Ramon Blanco's record by one day. In 2002, Al Hanna, 71, will attempt to beat Bull's record.


Oldest Female Summitter: Anna Czerwinska born 7/10/49 climbed Everest from Nepal side on 5/22/2000, at age 50.


First Oxygenless Ascent: 1978, Reinhold Messner, of Italy, and Peter Habeler, of Austria, via the Southeast Ridge.


First Solo Ascent: 1980, Reinhold Messner via the North Col to the North Face.


First Ascent by a Woman: 1975, Junko Tabei, of Japan, via the Southeast Ridge.


First Ascent by an American: 1963, James Whittaker via the Southeast Ridge.


First Ascent by an American Woman: 1988, Stacy Allison, via the Southeast Ridge.