为什么爬珠穆朗玛峰?最著名的对这个问题的回答来自登山者乔治·马洛里:“因为它在那里。”Though he was likely responding in frustration after being asked the same question dozens of times, his answer succinctly cuts to the heart of the matter.
缺氧是珠穆朗玛峰带来的重大挑战之一。顶部的含氧量只有他们在海平面的三分之一。人类无法生存了一段时间之后在海拔超过26000英尺(8000米),这在珠穆朗玛峰被称为“死亡地带”。At this altitude, the human body is unable to acclimate to the low oxygen and begins to deteriorate. Most climbers must use oxygen and will have difficulty sleeping.