At 8,848 meters, Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth and the ultimate objective in high-altitude mountaineering. First summited on May 29, 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa via the Southeast Ridge, the mountain has drawn climbers from around the world for over seven decades. Two standard routes exist for speed record purposes: the Southeast Ridge from the Nepal side, beginning at the stream crossing at the top of Everest Base Camp in the Khumbu Valley (5,300m), and the Northeast Ridge from the Tibet side, beginning at Base Camp on the Rongbuk Glacier (5,150m).

Route Description