Everest looms as the world’s ultimate high‑altitude challenge, and it also houses a collection of 10 mysterious creepy stories that still send shivers down the spines of seasoned climbers and curious readers alike. From daring misfits to spectral apparitions, each episode adds a layer of intrigue to the already legendary peak.

10 mysterious creepy Highlights

10 The Man Who Tried To Climb Everest In High Heels

Everest has magnetized a slew of zealots, oddballs, and larger‑than‑life personalities over the decades, yet none match the sheer audacity of Englishman Maurice Wilson. In 1933 he concocted a scheme to soar into the mountain’s northern flank, crash‑land his Gypsy Moth, and then solo‑scale to the summit. He trained back home, trekking and learning to pilot, before wintering in Darjeeling where he subsisted on fasting and fervent prayer, convinced spiritual purity would lift him to the top.

When the aircraft plan proved absurd, Wilson abandoned it and set off on foot across the Rongbuk Glacier on May 22, 1934. An ice wall halted his progress, and his utter lack of proper climbing gear or experience sealed his fate. His final diary entry dates to May 30, and his body was discovered the following year, reportedly clad in women’s lingerie. A 1960 Chinese expedition unearthed a high‑heeled shoe near his last known spot, and later research revealed Wilson had previously worked in a women’s clothing shop in New Zealand and was a cross‑dresser, adding a bizarre twist to his tragic obsession with Everest.

9 The Yeti

Ancient sightings of the Yeti originate from the Everest region, where Nepali and Tibetan legends describe a hulking, hairy, nocturnal creature roaming the high passes. Modern investigations have catalogued massive footprints discovered by Eric Shipton’s 1951 expedition at 6,000 m (20,000 ft) and a preserved “Yeti scalp” housed in Khumjung monastery on the mountain’s south side.

Perhaps the most compelling modern evidence stems from Joshua Gates and his Destination Truth crew in 2009. They collected hair from footprints measuring 33 cm (13 in) long and 25 cm (10 in) wide, which forensic analysis later declared to contain a previously unknown DNA sequence, fueling ongoing debate about the creature’s reality.

8 First Ascent 1: Mallory And Irvine?

When Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay famously reached the summit in 1953, skeptics pointed to an earlier 1924 attempt by Englishmen George Mallory and his partner Sandy Irvine. Observers through a telescope saw them merely 200–300 m (650–1,000 ft) shy of the pinnacle before they vanished, igniting a century‑long debate over whether they might have been the true first summiteers.

Conrad Anker’s 1999 expedition finally located Mallory’s frozen body, but crucial clues remained missing—most notably his camera, hoped to settle the dispute. Intriguingly, Mallory had confided to his wife Ruth and his climbing party that he intended to leave a photograph of his wife at the summit, kept in his inner pocket. When his remains were recovered, the photo was nowhere to be found, adding another tantalizing piece to the mystery.

7 First Ascent 2: The Russians?

In 1952, prior to the famed Hillary‑Norgay climb, a Russian team allegedly attempted the north‑route ascent in Tibet. Contemporary reports even suggested the expedition planned to erect statues of Lenin and Stalin atop the world’s roof. The group established a final camp near 8,000 m (26,200 ft) before disappearing without trace.

Adding to the enigma, Soviet authorities later denied that the 1952 venture ever occurred, despite Yevgeniy Gippenreiter’s account in the Alpine Journal describing a 35‑person party targeting the Northeast Ridge. An April 21, 1952 article in the Sydney Morning Herald also speculated on their prospects. Yet, to this day, no definitive record of the team’s members or leaders has surfaced.

6 The Ghosts Of Everest

Record‑holder Sherpa Pemba Dorje is celebrated for two feats: a lightning‑fast ascent of Everest in eight hours, ten minutes on May 21, 2004, and a chilling supernatural episode three days later. While descending from the South Col, Dorje stumbled upon a cluster of frozen bodies. Suddenly, he claims, shadowy spirits materialized, stretching hands and pleading for sustenance. He described them as the lingering souls of countless mountaineers who perished on the mountain, noting that one climber still dangles from a rope.

Many Sherpas believe these specters will not rest until the numerous corpses littering the “Death Zone” above 8,000 m receive proper burial rites. With bodies continually accumulating, Everest’s haunted reputation shows no signs of fading.

5 The Third Person

In September 1975, British climbers Dougal Haston and Doug Scott found themselves stranded overnight in the Death Zone after a late‑day summit. They dug a snow hole, exhausted their oxygen, and faced dwindling supplies. Then, an inexplicable phenomenon occurred.

Both men reported sensing an additional presence within their snow cave—a phantom that shared body heat and offered practical advice, helping them survive until daylight. Other renowned alpinists such as Peter Hillary, Lincoln Hall, and Reinhold Messner have recounted similar encounters with an unseen helper on Everest, suggesting a recurring, mysterious third companion.

4 Frank Smythe: Apparitions, Aliens, Or The Supernatural?

During his 1933 solo push on the North Ridge, English climber Frank Smythe reported a bewildering sight at 8,565 m (28,100 ft). He wrote:

…two curious objects hovering in the sky… they resembled kite balloons, yet one bore squat, under‑developed wings and the other a beak‑like protrusion. They hovered motionless, pulsating slower than my heartbeat…

Earlier in the same ascent, Smythe claimed an unseen force had visited him, feeling a solid presence beside him. He even offered a piece of Kendal mint cake from his pocket to this invisible companion, convinced of its reality. The episode remains one of Everest’s most puzzling encounters.

3 Who Was Really First: Hillary Or Tenzing?

If Mallory, Irvine, or the enigmatic Russians never topped Everest, the question of who truly stepped onto the summit first still sparks debate. After their historic 1953 ascent, Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made a gentleman’s pact to never disclose who claimed the final step, aiming to defuse rising anti‑imperialist sentiment in Nepal and India.

Nevertheless, a Kathmandu poster soon after the climb depicted Hillary lagging behind his companion, suggesting local belief that Tenzing led the way. Later, two of Tenzing’s sons revealed their father privately told them he had been first, despite both climbers publicly maintaining simultaneous arrival.

Hillary eventually clarified the matter in a 2003 interview with Scotland on Sunday, stating: “We set off at 6.30 am, first light, me in the lead, Tenzing behind on a tight rope… I suspect Tenzing was deferential to the Sahib, so I got to the top first, with him just ten feet behind.” This claim was corroborated by a Royal Geographical Society memo where Hillary wrote, “I stepped on top of Everest… I quickly brought up Tensing beside me.” While Tenzing never refuted the account, many still argue the Nepali sherpa was the true first foot on the world’s roof.

2 Ueli Steck

In April 2017, the celebrated “Swiss Machine” Ueli Steck perished while rehearsing an unprecedented double‑summit of Everest’s West Ridge and neighboring Lhotse. Renowned as mountaineering’s equivalent of Michael Jordan or Lionel Messi, Steck had already claimed speed records on the Eiger’s north face and Annapurna’s south face, and twice earned the Piolet d’Or for first ascents.

Despite his extraordinary skill, Steck fell in the Western Cwm—a segment of the standard “tourist” route—plummeting over 300 m (1,000 ft). The exact cause remains uncertain: a slip, ice failure, or altitude‑related illness? He was climbing alone, with the nearest observers over 1.6 km (1 mi) away. His untimely death shocked the climbing community, underscoring both his prowess and Everest’s relentless mystery.

1 The 2017 ‘Deaths’ That Never Were

On May 22, 2017, Everest Base Camp received alarming news: four bodies had supposedly been discovered in a tent at Camp Four (7,950 m / 26,082 ft). The climbers were presumed victims of altitude sickness, found by a rescue team sent to retrieve a Slovakian climber who had died three days earlier.

Subsequent investigations revealed that no climbing agencies reported missing members, casting doubt on the identities of the alleged corpses. Nepal’s tourism ministry initially linked the bodies to a prior year’s expedition, only to discover those teams also reported no unaccounted climbers. The baffling episode remains unresolved, adding yet another perplexing chapter to Everest’s storied, eerie legacy.

May offers the most reliable window for the hundreds of hopefuls who chase the world’s highest summit, but every climbing season on Everest also brings a grim tally of lives lost. The mountain’s unforgiving walls have claimed countless souls, and this year alone eight climbers perished. Below are 10 harrowing stories that reveal the lesser‑known fatalities and the astonishing, often heartbreaking, circumstances behind each attempt.

10 Harrowing Stories Overview

10 Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay

The drive to claim a “first” on Everest can be intoxicating. Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay secured the original “first” in 1953, and ever since the quest has shifted to “firsts” of a different flavor—first to paraglide, first to ski, first blind climber, and the coveted record of oldest summiter. In 2011, 82‑year‑old former Nepalese foreign minister Shailendra Kumar Upadhyay set out to become the oldest man to stand atop the world’s roof. He pushed his expedition to Camp I, but illness struck. While descending for medical aid, he collapsed and died. His body was airlifted to Kathmandu, ending his bid for the age record that had previously been held by a 76‑year‑old Nepali mountaineer. Two years later, Japanese legend Yuichiro Miura, at 80, shattered the record, having already survived four heart surgeries and a broken pelvis from skiing.

9 Blair Griffiths

The Khumbu Icefall, a treacherous jumble of crevasses and towering seracs, guards the gateway to Camp I on the South Col route. Its ice moves several feet each year, creating new gaps that can swallow climbers without warning. The most lethal hazard, however, are the massive seracs—unstable ice towers that can collapse without a sound, crushing anything beneath. Canadian CBC cameraman Blair Griffiths was documenting the 1982 Canadian Everest Expedition when a serac shifted, pinning him between two colossal blocks. After arduous attempts, his teammates recovered his body and performed a solemn cremation on the mountain, a stark reminder of the Icefall’s lethal unpredictability.

8 Maurice Wilson

While the 1924 British Expedition ended in mystery—George Mallory and Andrew Irvine vanished—another English eccentric, Maurice Wilson, pursued a solo ascent a decade later. Convincing himself that fasting, prayer, and divine faith could overcome Everest’s perils, Wilson bought a vintage Gipsy Moth plane he christened “Ever Wrest”. He intended to fly close to the summit, crash‑land, then trek the remainder on foot. After a series of bureaucratic setbacks, he finally reached India, then Tibet, guided by three Sherpas familiar with previous British attempts. Repeated assaults on the mountain were thwarted by weather, a massive 40‑foot ice wall, and his own inexperience. Refusing to retreat, Wilson pressed on until he perished in his tent, echoing the tragic demise of Scott. His quixotic quest remains a haunting footnote in Everest lore.

7 Shriya Shah‑Klorfine

Recovering bodies from the Death Zone is perilous, yet it has been achieved. Canadian‑born climber Shriya Shah‑Klorfine, 33, vanished on May 19, 2012, just shy of the summit, alongside three other climbers. Her body rested above 8,000 m, demanding a daunting rescue. A small Sherpa team—six to eight strong—ascended to retrieve her, placing her in a sled and lowering her down a 60‑degree slope, navigating crevasses hand‑by‑hand. The arduous descent took a full day, culminating at Camp II (6,500 m), where a helicopter could finally lift the sled. On May 29, 2012, her remains were safely flown away, a testament to the extraordinary effort required to bring a soul home from the roof of the world.

6 Marco Siffredi

At 22, Marco Siffredi made history in May 2001 by becoming the first person to snowboard down Everest, albeit via the North Col route after insufficient snow forced him off his original Hornbein Couloir plan. A broken binding forced a quick repair, but he still managed a four‑hour descent to Advanced Base Camp. Determined to conquer the Hornbein Couloir the following year, he returned in August 2002. After a grueling ascent through waist‑deep snow, a broken radio and an ill‑timed weather window left him alone at the summit. Ignoring his Sherpa’s pleas to wait, he launched down the steep Couloir. The Sherpas later found his snowboard tracks ending abruptly 1,500 ft below, with no sign of him—presumed dead, his body still unrecovered.

5 Tomas Olsson

Swedish skier Tomas Olsson and compatriot Tormod Granheim set out in May 2006 to become the first to ski down Everest’s North Face via the Norton Couloir—a 60‑degree, 3,000‑meter drop. After reaching the summit, they descended, but a broken ski forced Olsson to improvise with tape. At 27,900 ft they encountered a 150‑foot rock wall they could not ski. Attempting a rappel, Olsson’s snow anchor failed, sending him plummeting 2,500 m to his death. Granheim survived, later recalling the harrowing loss. Olsson’s body was recovered at 22,000 ft, a somber reminder of the razor‑thin margin between triumph and tragedy.

4 Hannelore Schmatz

The South‑East Ridge, once dubbed “Rainbow Valley” for its kaleidoscope of bodies, has long been a macabre gallery for climbers. German Hannelore Schmatz became the first woman to die on Everest’s upper slopes in 1979. Exhausted at 8,300 m, she and American Ray Gennet bivouacked in a storm, never to rise. Her frozen form remained seated against her pack, hair whipping in the wind, eyes wide open—an eerie sentinel for those who passed. Two climbers who later attempted to retrieve her body tangled themselves and fell to their deaths. Years later, the relentless wind finally swept her remains over the edge, erasing the grim landmark.

3 Green Boots

Perhaps the most infamous specter on Everest is “Green Boots”, a body lying in a small cave at 8,500 m, still wearing vivid green mountaineering boots. Believed to be Indian climber Tsewang Paljor, who disappeared during the 1996 disaster, his corpse became a grim waypoint for countless summit hopefuls. The 1996 season also claimed British climber David Sharp, who was mistakenly thought to be the famous Green Boots. In 2007, veteran Ian Woodall attempted to give the remains a proper burial but was thwarted by weather, leaving the mystery unresolved.

2 Francys Arsentiev

American Francys Arsentiev made history in 1998 as the first U.S. woman to summit Everest without bottled oxygen, yet her triumph was tragically short‑lived. After a grueling three‑day push above 8,000 m, she and husband Sergei reached the summit on May 22, only to be forced into an unplanned night at extreme altitude. The next morning, a separation left Francys alone, barely alive, while Sergei vanished attempting a rescue. An Uzbek team found her frozen and struggling; despite heroic effort, she succumbed before help could arrive. Her body lingered as a haunting landmark until fellow climber Ian Woodall later performed a modest burial, lowering her remains to a less conspicuous spot.

1 Namgyal Sherpa

The “Extreme Everest Expedition” of 2010, led by veteran Sherpa Namgyal, aimed to cleanse the mountain above 8,000 m of trash and two bodies. While the team hauled away 2,000 kg of waste, they left behind the remains of famed guide Rob Hall, per his widow’s wishes. Tragically, on May 16, 2013, during his tenth summit—a personal milestone—Namgyal collapsed at 8,000 m, clutching his chest before he passed. His death underscored the perpetual danger that even the most seasoned mountaineers face on the planet’s highest peak.

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.