Ten amazing facts about the highest mountain on earth

• Mount Everest is part of the colossal Himalayan mountain range in Asia


• Everest peaks at a staggering 8,848 metres (29,035 feet), making it the highest point on the entire planet


• Everest was originally known as ‘Peak H’ and then ‘Peak XV’. The British named it Everest in 1865, after Sir George Everest, the former surveyor General of India – who never actually laid eyes on his namesake


• Everest straddles the border of Nepal, where it is called ‘Sagarmatha’ which means ‘Goddess of the Sky’ and Tibet, where it is called ‘Chomolungma’, ‘Mother of the Universe’


• Atmospheric pressure at the summit has been recorded at 253mmHg, one third of the pressure found at sea level


• The first expedition to Everest was in 1921 by George Mallory, who, when asked by a reporter why he wanted to scale the mountain, uttered the immortal words “because it’s there.” The pioneer disappeared on Everest in 1924 making a summit attempt, his body was found in 1999


• The first recorded successful ascent was by New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on May 29,1953. They arrived at the summit at 11.30am and stayed for 15 minutes


• Every year there are many failed attempts to climb Everest. In 1996, 15 climbers died on the mountain – the most in any one year


• In 2000 Slovenian extreme skier Davo Karnicar made the first ski descent


• In 2001, at 16 years old, Nepalese student Temba Tsheri became the youngest person to reach the summit. In 2002, at 65 years old, Japanese Tomiyasu Ishikawa became the oldest