How Many Miles High Is Mount Everest?

Gunther Hagleitner/CC-BY 2.0

Mount Everest is 29,029 feet above sea level, making it 5.5 miles high. Everest is the tallest mountain in the world and is located in Nepal in the Himalayan mountain range.

Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay are credited as the first men to reach the summit of Everest. Both men had attempted the climb several times before finally succeeding in 1953. Thousands have attempted to reach the summit of Everest, and many hire professional guides known as sherpas.

There are not many technical climbing challenges, but the ascent is dangerous due to hazards, such as avalanches, weather conditions and altitude sickness. There is almost no chance of rescue in an emergency situation. Many climbers use bottled oxygen, and some highly experienced climbers have reached the top without supplemental oxygen.

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