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In this photograph taken on May 23, 2013 unidentified mountaineers look out from the summit of Mount Everest. Nepal marked 60 years since the first ascent of Everest May 29, celebrating the summiteers whose success has bred an industry that many climbers now fear is ruining the world's highest peak.TSHERING SHERPA/AFP/Getty Images
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Mount Everest is facing its deadliest climbing season in recent years, with at least 11 people reported dead so far in 2019.
2019-05-28
Christopher John Kulish, a 62-year-old American citizen, was the latest casualty on Monday. He died after reaching the top of Everest on the Nepalese side of the mountain, a Nepalese official told Reuters.
While Everest has always been considered dangerous, this year has proven to be particularly devastating — with the recent slate of deaths attributed largely to overcrowding. The crowds have trapped climbers for hours in the mountain's deadly "death zone," where oxygen is limited and the body's cells begin to die. If climbers face too much time in that zone, they risk their lungs or brain filling with liquid.
British climber Robin Fisher died on Saturday while climbing Everest. In an Instagram post published just days before his death, Fisher wrote "around 700 more people will be looking to summit from Tuesday the 21st onwards... with a single route to the summit delays caused by overcrowding could prove fatal so I am hopeful my decision to go for the 25th will mean fewer people. Unless of course everyone else plays the same waiting game."
These 11 photos that show just how dangerous Mount Everest really is.
People travel from all over the world to climb Mount Everest, with the mountain's recent victims hailing from all over the world, including India, Ireland, Austria, and the UK.
In this photograph taken on April 26, 2018, a sign points towards the Everest base camp while two trekkers walk in the Everest region in Solukhumbu district. some 140km northeast of Nepal's capital Kathmandu.PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images
The Nepalese government issued a record number of climbing permits this year, despite many climbers lacking the skills to properly scale Mount Everest.
Climbers look up towards the avalanche site at Khumbu Icefall after their Mount Everest expedition was cancelled in Solukhumbu districtReuters/ Phurba Tenjing Sherpa
Climbers have been forced to wait for hours on end in dangerous conditions due to overcrowding at the summit.
In this photo taken on May 16, 2018, mountaineers ascend on their way to the summit of Mount Everest, as they climb on the south face from Nepal.GESMAN TAMANG/AFP/Getty Images
Some are so eager to reach the peak that they ignore warnings to stay back.
In this photo taken on April 29, 2018, mountaineers walk near camp two of Mount Everest, as they prepare to ascend on the south face from Nepal.PHUNJO LAMA/AFP/Getty Images
Climbers also only had a few days of good weather to climb Mount Everest this month, after Cyclone Fani brought strong winds and poor conditions.
In this photograph taken on April 24, 2018, climbers cross the Khumbu icefall of Mount Everest (height 8848 metres), as seen from the Everest base camp, some 140 km northeast of Kathmandu.PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images
Decades of commercial mountaineering has turned Mount Everest into the world's highest trash dump, as an increasing number of big-spending climbers pay little attention to the environmental footprint they leave behind.
This picture taken on May 21, 2018 shows discarded climbing equipment and rubbish scattered around Camp 4 of Mount Everest.DOMA SHERPA/AFP/Getty Images
On Monday, Nepali Army personnel collected heaps of waste from Mount Everest.
Nepali Army personnel collect waste from Mount Everest at Namche Bazar in Solukhumbu district before it is transported to Kathmandu to be recycled. Some ten tons of garbage have been picked from Mount Everest and four bodies retrieved at the end of this year's climbing season, Nepalese authorities said on May 27.PRAKASH MATHEMA/AFP/Getty Images
Indian climber Ameesha Chauhan received treatment at a hospital on Tuesday after surviving the dangerous overcrowding.
Indian climber Ameesha Chauhan who survived dangerous overcrowding on Mount Everest gets treatment at a hospital after she was rescued in Kathmandu, Nepal, Tuesday, May 28, 2019. Seasoned mountaineers say the Nepal government’s failure to limit the number of climbers on Mount Everest has resulted in dangerous overcrowding and a greater number of deaths.AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha
But, others weren't so lucky.
The bodies of Indian climbers are unloaded from a helicopter in Kathmandu, Nepal, Sunday, May 28, 2017. This year, rescuers retrieved the bodies of three Indian climbers who died on Mount Everest. One of the climbers, Ravi Kumar, died last weekend, while the other two — Paresh Chandra Nath and Gautam Ghosh — died last year but the bodies had not been removed.AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha
Despite the risks, Mount Everest remains a popular destination for people eager to climb the mountain.
In this March 11, 2017 file photo, trekkers hike towards Everest Base camp near Lobuche, Nepal.AP Photo/Tashi Sherpa, File
