The Death Zone: The Most Difficult Challenge on Everest
According to statistics, approximately 200 professional climbers attempting to conquer the “Roof of the World” have entered the Death Zone on Everest and lost their lives there permanently.
For professional mountaineers, the Death Zone is not an unfamiliar concept. Reaching the Death Zone means they have already overcome numerous harsh difficulties before. So what exactly is the Death Zone?
What Is the Death Zone?
The Death Zone refers to altitudes above 8,000 meters above sea level on Mount Everest. At this height, oxygen becomes the most precious and expensive commodity for human lungs. According to the Royal Medical Society of the United Kingdom, at this extreme altitude, the air is extremely thin, containing only 30% of the oxygen found at sea level.
To understand how scarce oxygen is in the Death Zone, professional mountaineers describe it this way:
Imagine that even with an oxygen mask on, at altitudes above 8,000 meters, breathing is as difficult as running on a treadmill at maximum speed while only being allowed to breathe through a tiny straw.
The Miracle Without Oxygen
There are climbers in the world who have conquered Everest without supplemental oxygen. That means they crossed the Death Zone and climbed nearly 900 meters further to reach the summit without any oxygen equipment. That climber is Reinhold Messner.
On May 8, 1978, the Italian mountaineer Reinhold Messner, together with Peter Habeler (from Austria), became the first duo to conquer Everest without using supplemental oxygen!
Primary Sources:
Royal Medical Society of the United Kingdom – The effects of altitude on the human body
Records of Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler (1978)
Reports on the Death Zone on Everest