4 Things You Might Not Know About Mt. Everest

Mt. Everest which is popular as the highest mountain in the world is the number one destination for climbers and trekkers from all around the world. Everyone knows about Mt. Everest and if you don’t, then you must be living under the rock. Everest is quite a familiar name but there are things that most people don’t know. Here, we disclose the things about Mt. Everest that many people are not aware of.

1. Height of Mt. Everest is growing.

The current official height of Mt. Everest is 8,848.86m meters (29,031. 69ft) measured from sea level. Before 2010, there was a long-running dispute between Nepal and China over the height of Mt. Everest. China claimed that the height of Everest is 8,840 m and the height should be measured up to the rock part without including snow on top. But Nepal said that the height should include snow on top which makes the height 8,848 m. In 2010, both countries came to an agreement settling the dispute with an official height of 8,848 m and a rock height of a mountain of 8,840 m. But, the interesting thing is that the height of Everest is growing every year. The official height of Everest may be wrong according to more recent measurements. In 1994, the research team discovered that the height of the mountain is growing approximately 4 millimeters (0.16 inch) every year. You might be wondering why the height of Everest is growing. It’s because the tectonic plates whose movement created the mountain are still moving, pushing the mountains even higher. In the measurement of 2020, its height has been increased reaching 8848.86m

2. Everest is the highest mountain but not the tallest in the world.

Mt. Everest is definitely the highest mountain in the world measured from sea level. If you reach the summit of Everest, you will be at the highest point from sea level. But there is a misconception that people think it’s the tallest mountain in the world since its summit is at the highest point. The higher altitude of Everest does not make it taller. Mauna Kea in Hawaii is the tallest mountain in the world. The height of Mauna Kea is only 4,207 meters (13,802 ft) above sea level but it extends 6000 meters (20,000 ft) below the surface of the water. So, the total height of Mauna Kea from the base of the mountain is 10,207 meters (33,802 ft) making it the tallest mountain in the world from base to summit.

3. You still can’t hide from spiders in Everest.

If you hate spiders or you are afraid of spiders and you wish yourself to be in the Everest area to get rid of spiders, then your wish is all in vain. Even in the Everest area, with such a high attitude with less air to breathe, you can’t hide from spiders. In the Everest area, you may meet Himalayan jumping spiders (Euophrys omnisuperstes) which hide in nooks and crevices on the slopes of Mt. Everest. These spiders make their living by feeding on stray insects that are blown up the mountain by wind. Climbers have spotted them up to the height of 6,700 meters (22,000 ft).

4. Everest may be the dirtiest mountain in the world.

Mt. Everest is not only the highest mountain in the world; it’s probably the dirtiest mountain in the world too. This masterpiece of nature is being exploited by humans. Everest which has caught the eye of climbers from all across the globe is littered with not just dead bodies of climbers buttons of wastes left behind by climbers. Over 8 tons of trash was removed from Everest by a single cleanup in spring 2011. New litter bins and a waste incinerator have recently been placed near the mountain. Cleaning Everest has become a major concern for Nepal Government. The Nepalese government has formulated and passed laws that require trekkers and climbers to follow the “Leave No Trace” approach when exploring the mountainous beauty.

We’d like to humbly request the climbers and trekkers to throw their litter in trash bins and help to make the environment of this amazing mountain clean.