Surprisingly, inexperienced climbers are not the biggest victims. It’s often veteran mountaineers who push too hard. The mountain doesn’t care if you’ve climbed the seven summits—it’s like a cat that still knocks your coffee off the table even after you’ve fed it.
But here’s the bright side: 99% of climbers today survive thanks to better gear, weather forecasting, and oxygen systems. In the 1920s, you’d be lucky to come back with all your toes. Now, you might just lose a fingernail and gain a cool story.
And let’s not forget Kami Rita Sherpa, who has summited Everest 30 times. That’s like going to the grocery store for milk, except the grocery store is the roof of the world, and the milk is oxygen. He’s still alive, by the way. Absolute legend.
The Weirdest Deaths on Everest (Because Of Course)
One guy died because he took off his gloves to adjust his camera and his hands froze in seconds. Darwin Award, anyone?
Another climber got snow blindness and wandered off a cliff because he thought he was walking toward a sunny café. The café was a crevasse. Ouch.
And my personal favorite: a climber who died while taking a selfie. The mountain is patient, but it has zero tolerance for narcissism.
