Why Mt. Everest is special
Mt. Everest - higher than a jet's cruising altitude - is the world's tallest mountain. No one realized that fact until 1856.

Climbing Mt. Everest
No human successfully climbed the summit of Mt. Everest in south central Asia until 1953. This was done by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Since then, over 1000 climbers have scaled Mt. Everest - and some 160 died. The worst year was in 1996 when 15 were killed.
Climbing Mt. Everest is not cheap. Commercial expeditions charge clients up to $60,000 each - with no refunds if they fail or die in the attempt.
The annual window for ascending Mt. Everest is short. Normally, conditions in this part of the Himalayan Mountains are favorable only in May. Before then, the freezing winds are too strong. After May, the stormy monsoon season arrives.

Environmental concerns
In the last decade, Mt. Everest has been attracting too many climbers for its own good, say environmentalists. During the May window, base camps are unbearably crowded with hopefuls - and mountaineer litter bugs discard non-biodegradable climbing gear including empty oxygen tanks on the formerly pristine slopes.

Mt. Everest sightseeing
The peak is seen annually by tens of thousands of hardy hikers who trek to breathtaking vantage points. Non-hikers can see Mt. Everest, too (though from greater distances). Nepal has several sites for them. Darjeeling in India also has a special viewing spot. Alternatively, you can take a flight-seeing tour - some fly within a couple of miles of Mt. Everest.

Height controversy
The current official height of Mt. Everest is 8850 meters (29,028 feet), which is based on a 1954 ground-based measurement. In 1999, a National Geographical Society satellite-based measurement indicated that Mt. Everest was about 2 meters (7 feet) taller.

Not standing still
Due to massive geological forces, Mt. Everest is rising at the rate of almost 1 centimeter (1/3 inch) per year - and moving northeast at about 6 centimeters (2 inches) per year.

What leading travel books say about Mt. Everest
Just why humans continue to hurl themselves against Everest remains a mystery.
Nepal Handbook
Moon Publications

Everest is the magnet of Nepal.
Nepal Handbook
Footprint Handbooks