Over six decades have rolled by since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first planted their flags on the roof of the world, but the magnetic pull of Mount Everest remains as strong as ever. In this roundup of 10 things you probably haven’t heard about the giant of the Himalayas, we’ll dive into spider residents, record‑breaking Sherpas, secret histories, and the surprising ways the mountain is changing.
10 Things You Will Uncover About Everest
10 Mountain Spiders
Even at the dizzying altitude where the air is razor‑thin, tiny eight‑legged adventurers refuse to quit. The Himalayan jumping spider, scientifically named Euophrys omnisuperstes—which translates to “standing above everything”—makes its home in crevices and sheltered niches on Everest’s slopes, earning the title of the world’s highest permanent animal resident. Climbers have reported spotting these bold arachnids as high as 6,700 meters (about 22,000 feet) above sea level.
These miniature hunters survive by snatching stray insects that the fierce winds sweep upward, essentially turning the mountain into a high‑altitude buffet. Apart from a handful of bird species, they are virtually the only creatures that call such elevations home. During the ill‑fated 1924 British Everest expedition, researchers also collected a few previously unknown grasshopper species, which now grace the displays of the British Natural History Museum.
9 Two Men Climbed It 21 Times
Two legendary Sherpas, Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi, share the record for the most Everest summits, each having reached the top an astonishing 21 times. Phurba achieved a triple summit in 2007 alone, while Apa managed to stand on the roof of the world nearly every year from 1990 through 2011.
Apa has witnessed the mountain’s transformation first‑hand, noting how rising temperatures are melting snow and exposing rock, making the climb progressively tougher. He also voiced concern for fellow Sherpas after a flood—triggered by glacial melt—destroyed his home. Determined to raise awareness, Apa has dedicated several of his ascents to spotlighting climate change and its impact on the Himalayas.
8 The World’s Highest Brawl
Everest isn’t always a serene stage for triumph. In 2013, climbers Ueli Steck, Simone Moro, and Jonathan Griffith found themselves locked in a violent clash with Sherpas after allegedly ignoring orders to halt their ascent. The Sherpas accused the trio of obstructing their work and triggering an avalanche that struck ropes being laid downhill.
The confrontation escalated quickly: Sherpas threw punches, kicked, and even struck the climbers with rocks. Moro recounted an angry Sherpa threatening his life. Fortunately, American climber Melissa Arnot warned the group to retreat to base camp before the situation spiraled into a deadly mob. The Nepalese army later facilitated a peace agreement, ending the standoff.
7 A 450‑Million‑Year History
While the Himalayas themselves began forming around 60 million years ago, the rocks that crown Everest have a far older story. The limestone and sandstone at the summit were once part of sedimentary layers lying beneath an ancient sea 450 million years ago. Over eons, tectonic forces shoved these oceanic rocks upward at a rate of up to 11 centimetres (about 4.5 inches) per year, eventually lifting them to their present lofty perch.
These uplifted layers now house marine fossils—shells and remnants of sea creatures—providing tangible proof of Everest’s submarine past. Explorer Noel Odell first identified these fossils in 1924, confirming that the mountain’s summit had once been underwater. The first rock specimens were retrieved by Swiss climbers in 1956 and later by an American team in 1963.
6 Height Dispute
Pinning down Everest’s exact height has sparked a diplomatic tug‑of‑war. China reports the peak at 8,844 metres (29,016 ft), while Nepal cites 8,848 metres (29,029 ft). The Chinese argument hinges on measuring only the rock summit, excluding the snow cap that crowns the mountain, whereas the international community typically includes snow when reporting mountain elevations.
After years of debate, the two nations reached a consensus in 2010, officially recognizing the height as 8,848 metres. The discrepancy highlights how national perspectives and measurement methods can shape even the most seemingly straightforward facts.
5 It’s Growing
Recent research suggests Everest isn’t a static monument; it’s still inching upward. A 1994 study revealed the mountain rises roughly 4 millimetres (0.16 inches) each year as the Indian subcontinent, once an independent landmass, continues colliding with Asia, driving the Himalayas higher.
In 1999, the American Millennium Expedition placed a GPS device just below the summit to capture precise growth data. Their measurements prompted an update to the official height, now listed as 8,850 metres (29,035 ft). While tectonic uplift adds height, other forces—like erosion and seismic activity—can shave it away, but the net trend appears upward.
4 Multiple Names
Though most of the world knows the giant as “Everest,” its original monikers echo the cultures that first revered it. Tibetan peoples have called it “Chomolungma” (also spelled “Qomolangma”), meaning “Goddess Mother of Mountains.” Nepalese locals refer to it as “Sagarmatha,” translating to “Forehead in the Sky,” a name now attached to the Sagarmatha National Park.
The English name emerged when British surveyor Andrew Waugh couldn’t find a widely accepted local term. After consulting maps and still lacking consensus, he chose to honour Indian Surveyor General George Everest—head of the British Great Trigonometrical Survey—by naming the peak after him in 1865, despite the man’s own objections.
3 A Human Traffic Jam
Everest’s allure comes with a costly price tag, and the number of hopeful climbers has surged dramatically. In 2012, German mountaineer Ralf Dujmovits captured a stark photograph of hundreds of climbers queued near the summit, forcing many to turn back at the South Col when weather turned sour.
On May 19, 2012, a bottleneck near the peak caused a two‑hour wait. In just half a day, 234 adventurers managed to crest the mountain, but four lives were lost, sparking urgent conversations about crowd control. Nepal’s authorities responded by installing an additional fixed rope that season and have even floated the idea of permanent ladders to alleviate congestion.
2 The World’s Dirtiest Mountain
While awe‑inspiring photos of climbers scaling Everest flood social media, the mountain’s grim side is less glamorous. An estimated 50 tons of waste—ranging from discarded oxygen bottles and climbing gear to human excrement—litter the slopes each season, alongside the tragic remnants of fallen climbers.
Since 2008, the Eco Everest Expedition has trekked the mountain each spring, hauling away over 13 tons of trash. In 2014, Nepal introduced a regulation requiring each climber to descend with at least 8 kilograms (18 lb) of waste, or forfeit a $4,000 deposit. Artists involved in the “Everest 8848 Art Project” have repurposed eight tons of rubbish into 75 sculptures, turning the mountain’s mess into a powerful visual statement.
1 It’s Not The Tallest Mountain
Although Mount Everest claims the title of highest point on Earth above sea level, the record for the world’s tallest mountain belongs to Mauna Kea, an extinct Hawaiian volcano. Everest’s summit soars higher, but Mauna Kea rises a staggering 6,000 metres (20,000 ft) beneath the ocean’s surface, giving it a total height of roughly 10,200 metres (33,465 ft)—about a mile taller than Everest.
Depending on the measurement method, Everest also isn’t the farthest point from Earth’s centre. That distinction goes to Chimborazo in Ecuador, whose summit sits 6,267 metres (20,661 ft) above sea level but, due to the planet’s equatorial bulge, stands farther from the planet’s core than Everest’s peak.