INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
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Mount Everest is the world's highest mountain, but is it the deadliest
As glaciers melt at a greater pace, there are concerns among expedition operators that bodies are becoming exposed on Mount Everest
The mountain is one of the crown jewels for climbers - but with the achievement of reaching the world's highest peak come risks.So how
deadly is Everest and how does it compare with others in the region Everest deathsRecords suggest there have been just over 280 deaths on
While the number of deaths has been increasing, however, the death rate - the proportion of those who climb above base camp that die - has
Deaths on Mount EverestCumulative number of deaths on Mount Everest, 1900-2018Since 2010, there have been 72 deaths on Everest and 7,954
climbs above base camp.Death rate on Mount Everest % of climbers above base camp who dieMost of these deaths are from avalanches or falls,
which partially explains the difficulty in retrieving bodies from the mountain
Acute mountain sickness, with symptoms of dizziness, vomiting and headaches, has also caused deaths.Cause of death on Mount
EverestPercentage of deaths by cause, 2010-18While the risks are clear, Alan Arnette, a professional mountaineer who counts Everest and K2
among his climbs, points out that it is significantly safer climbing Everest than elsewhere in the Himalayas.On Everest, he says, "it's
basically just following a well-used route"
"There is a lot more infrastructure, more tea houses, more helicopter airlifts possible," he says
"In some of the mountains in Pakistan you have to rely on an army helicopter." 'Killer Mountain'The recent deaths of two climbers in
Pakistan have highlighted that danger.The British climber Tom Ballard and his Italian climbing partner Daniele Nardi died attempting to
scale the Himalayan peak Nanga Parbat, known colloquially as "Killer Mountain".Tom's mother, Alison Hargreaves, had previously died climbing
K2, the world's second-highest peak, also in Pakistan
Image copyrightTom BallardImage caption
British climber Tom Ballard died climbing Nanga Parbat
Both
Nanga Parbat and K2 are considered two of the toughest of the "eight-thousanders" - the 14 mountains higher than 8,000m
(26,000ft).Statistics on successful attempts and deaths are not as readily available in Pakistan.But calculations done by Mr Arnette and
other climbers show Nanga Parbat has had 339 successful ascents to the summit and 69 deaths
Deaths on mountains over 8,000m% of deaths to successful summitsThat works out at roughly one death for every five successful ascents to the
K2, which is part of the neighbouring Karakoram mountain range, is even more dangerous - there have been 355 successful ascents to the
Across the HimalayasMost Himalayan ascents are not attempted from Pakistan but from mountains with their peaks in Nepal.And statistics are
more detailed in this part of the Himalayas, thanks primarily to the work of journalist Elizabeth Hawley
Her Himalayan Database is seen as the most authoritative records of climbs, successful or unsuccessful, of more than 450 peaks in the
region, including Everest
Unlike records from Pakistan, the Himalayan Database collects information not just on successful ascents to the summit but also on all those
who venture beyond base camps, giving a more accurate view of the danger of the mountains
And for all climbs above base camp in the region, the death rate has dropped from 3% in the 1950s to 0.9% over the past decade
For Sherpas, the Nepalese professional climbers hired to support mountaineering teams, it has declined from 1.3% to 0.8%.Likelihood of death
in Himalayas% of trips above base camp resulting in death in Nepalese Himalayas by decadeSince 2010, there have been 183 recorded deaths
above base camp in the region, according to the Himalayan Database, and over 21,000 climbs above base camp.The statistics also shine a light
on which mountain peak poses the greatest threat to climbers
Ten most deadly peaks in Himalayas% of climbers above base camp killedSince 2010, out of the four mountaineers to have climbed Yalung Kang,
The overall number climbing these peaks is small, which does skew the figures, but ultimately reiterates the point that the mountains less
well trod are potentially the most lethal
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