International Mount Everest Day: Why Climbing Mount Everest Remains A Monumental Achievement?

Last Updated:May 29, 2025, 07:20 IST

International Mount Everest Day: This day commemorates the first successful ascent by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

International Mount Everest Day: May 29 is observed as International Mount Everest Day to commemorate the first successful ascent of the world’s highest peak. On this day in 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa of Nepal made history by reaching the 8,848-meter (29,029 ft) summit of Mount Everest.

The day not only recognises the courage and determination of these pioneering climbers but also celebrates the spirit of mountaineering, human endurance, and the cultural and environmental significance of the Everest region.

This year, let’s take a moment to reflect on the historic climb, its lasting global impact, and why summiting Everest continues to be one of the most awe-inspiring feats in human history.

International Mount Everest Day 2025: History

Climbing Mount Everest was an achievement for Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay that left the world spellbound. Despite facing frostbite, storms, and high-altitude exhaustion with basic mountaineering gear, the climbers managed to achieve this feat. After Hillary’s death in 2008, the Government of Nepal declared the day as International Everest Day.

This decision was made to not only honour the summit but also to celebrate their legacy, perseverance, and collaboration between diverse cultures united to achieve one singular objective.

International Mount Everest Day 2025: Significance

Celebrating International Everest Day goes beyond honouring the legendary first ascent. It’s a tribute to the extraordinary courage, resilience, and teamwork that made that historic climb possible. The day continues to inspire adventurers across the globe while recognising the deep spiritual and cultural significance of Mount Everest to the Sherpa and Tibetan communities, for whom the peak is considered sacred.

Moreover, International Everest Day sheds light on the vital role Everest tourism plays in Nepal’s economy. It also serves as a call to action for promoting sustainable and responsible mountaineering practices. The occasion provides a critical platform to address growing environmental concerns in the Himalayas, including climate change, glacial retreat and the urgent need for improved waste management on the mountain.

International Mount Everest Day 2025: Quotes

• “Climbing to the top demands strength, whether it is to the top of Mount Everest or to the top of your career.”– APJ Abdul Kalam
• “Everest for me, and I believe for the world, is the physical and symbolic manifestation of overcoming odds to achieve a dream.” – Tom Whittaker
• “I don’t think you can climb Mount Everest with a broken leg, but I did break my leg prior to going to Mount Everest, so I was really climbing with a healing broken leg. I had the good fortune of climbing the highest mountain on each of the seven continents.”– Gary Johnson
• “Qualifying for the Olympic Games was one of those moments where you just cry because it was like you’ve climbed Mount Everest.”– Natalie du Toit
• “I have climbed my mountain, but I must still live my life.”– Tenzing Norgay

Why Climbing Mount Everest Remains A Monumental Achievement?

Decades after Hillary and Norgay’s pioneering ascent, summiting Mount Everest remains one of the world’s most formidable and captivating challenges.

1. Extreme Altitude: Above 5,000 meters, the air becomes dangerously thin with critically low oxygen levels, severely affecting cognitive function. Everest climbers face breathlessness and symptoms of altitude sickness such as headaches, fatigue, dizziness, stomach issues, and sleep disturbances.
2. Treacherous Terrain: The Khumbu Icefall presents a deadly challenge with its shifting ice blocks, deep crevasses, steep ice walls, and exposed ridges, demanding expert navigation and caution.
3. Unpredictable Weather: Sudden blizzards, hurricane-force winds, low air pressure, intense UV radiation, and extreme cold make weather one of the most unpredictable and dangerous factors on Everest.
4. Constant Dangers: Avalanches and rockfalls loom as ever-present threats, capable of causing catastrophic outcomes.

Despite advancements in climbing gear, weather forecasting, and logistical support, climbing Mount Everest demands rigorous preparation and often luck. Altitude sickness, bad weather, high winds, and considerable risks linked with avalanches and the dangerous Khumbu Icefall can often be significant obstacles for climbers.

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