I just watched “Into Thin Air,” the film about the 1996 disaster on Everest that took 5 lives.
A few facts from this article.
Leading cause of death for Sherpas: avalanche
Leading cause of death for climbers: falls
304 have died since 1953, with only three years not having at least one.
27% have died after reaching the summit.
I was curious to know how many bodies are still there…I see estimates of 200.
source
If you scroll halfway down on the last source, you’ll see an eery photo…or maybe it’s a painting. The description says:
Her body remained on Everest for years propped up on her backpack. It served as a very grim reminder of what could go wrong. For a long time her hair would still blow in the wind. Some climbers mistook her clothing for a tent and would approach, only seeing the reality at the last minute.
Over the years the wind and exposure stripped the body to the skull.