Death Toll On Mount Everest Reaches 11 As Mandy Moore Arrives At Base

The quest to reach the top of Mount Everest is as tempting as it is dangerous. In recent years, overcrowding on the mountain’s path to the top has resulted in many deaths. In May 2019 alone, 11 people have died, up from 2018’s total of just five deaths.

Since 1922 there have been 308 deaths on the trail, averaging in around three deaths per year. The most recent year in which no deaths have been reported was 1977, when only two climbers reached the summit. The mountain is located on the border of China and Nepal. Visitors of all ages like Fisher travel from all over the world to brave the harsh conditions in hopes of reaching the glorious mountain peak.

The causes of death stretch from altitude sickness and exhaustion on the descent from the mountain top which are common, as well as falls which are surprisingly less common considering the steepness of the trail and the icy conditions.

The second most recent man to die on the trail, British climber Robin Haynes Fisher, posted about the overcrowding on the trails before dying on the trail just six days later from apparent altitude sickness.

As shown below, long lines to reach the summit form, increasing the wait time and exposing climbers to harsh conditions for longer periods of time.

“Before you reach the summit, you have to wait and every minute counts at the height,” said Krishma Poudel of Peak Promotion, a mountaineering agency in Nepal, while speaking to NBC News. “Waiting for hours at that kind of height really takes a toll.”

All this as singer Mandy Moore reached the base of Everest for her own group climb.