4 Fun Facts about Mount Everest ⛰️

At 29,032 feet above sea level, Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. But did you also know that…

1. Although Mount Everest is the tallest mountain above sea level, Hawaii’s Mauna Kea (a dormant volcano) is actually taller when measured from its base. From its base underwater, Mauna Kea is 30,610 feet tall - an impressive 1,578 feet taller than Mount Everest! But regardless of how you measure, Mauna Kea is a force to be reckoned with. Even if you only count how far it rises above sea level, it would still be the 15th tallest mountain in the world.

2. Mount Everest was first successfully climbed in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Since then, it’s been climbed more than 11,000 times by 6,000 different people! The current record holder is Kami Rita Sherpa, who’s climbed Everest 30 times!

   At already more than 5.5 miles high, oxygen levels at the summit are only 33% of what they are at sea level. Other risks climbers face include avalanches, falls, exposure, altitude sickness, or other health issues arising from the extreme conditions. While nearly 800 people attempt to climb Mount Everest every year, it still remains a very dangerous challenge.

3. Crinoid and other marine fossils have been found on Mount Everest! The first fossils were actually brought down by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay after their successful climb back in 1953. This indicates that parts of the mountain were once underwater, which could be explained by plate tectonics.

4. Mount Everest is growing every year! As the Indian tectonic plate gradually pushes towards the Eurasian plate, it's causing the Himalayas, including Mount Everest, to rise about 0.16 inches each year. This means that the world’s tallest mountain keeps getting taller!