The summit of Mount Everest may be more accessible than ever, but the world’s tallest mountain remains very dangerous. From weather disasters, to avalanches, to health issues from reduced oxygen above 26,000 feet, every Everest season come with risk. The first recorded ascent of Mount Everest occurred nearly 70 years ago, and since then, climbers have died on the mountain while trying to reach the top. Below is a collection of the worst moments in the history of mountaineering on the famed peak.
The Doomed Documentary
In the spring of 1970, an ambitious crew set out to create a documentary about Japanese alpinist Yuichiro Miura’s ski descent of Everest. Dropping 4,200 feet in two minutes and 20 seconds, Miura became the first person to ski down the mountain. The Man Who Skied Down Everest won an Academy Award for best documentary but the journey there was tragic.
During production, massive ice formations fell high on the mountain, causing an avalanche to sweep through the Khumbu Icefall, killing six Sherpas. Days later, another member of the party was struck down by ice falling from a serac.
