At Everest Base Camp and on the way to the summit, climbers will see memorial stones dedicated to those people who made an attempt on the mountain never to return. For every 10 successful attempts to climb Everest there is usually one death.

One of the most tragic accidents in recent times occurred in 1996 when experienced American climber Scott Fischer was killed in a severe storm which hit the group he was leading on their descent. A memorial stone for Scott Fischer can be found at the top of a hill near Lobuche on the trail to Everest Base Camp.

Aside from countering extreme weather conditions it is vitally important to understand the need for acclimatisation. The atmospheric pressure at the top of Everest is about a third of the pressure at sea level. This means there is about a third as much oxygen available to breathe as at sea level. A side effect of this is a vastly increased breathing rate.

This is why the Marie Curie team will spend a lot of time acclimatising to conditions on the mountain at Base Camp. In making a successful attempt to summit Everest, the Marie Curie team will also be helped by climbing an established route and by having the climbing equipment required for the ascent.

by Marie Curie Cancer Care