Photo Gallery Traffic Jam in the Death Zone
Climbers and adventurers around the world are drawn to Mt. Everest, the world's highest peak. But many of them don't have the experience necessary to be there -- and the increased volume of climbers result in traffic jams high up on its slopes.
This year, 11 people died while trying to climb Mt. Everest, six of them on the weekend of May 19-20. In the two days of tragedy, more than 300 climbers were attempting to summit. Here, climbers on the South Summit prepare to scale the last few hundred meters -- including the treacherous Hillary Step -- to the summit.
Everest Base Camp: Each year, people try to set all manner of climbing records on the mountain. This year, a bike-shop owner from New York wanted to carry his bicycle up the mountain, but the authorities disallowed it before he embarked on his summit attempt.
A string of climbers leading from the South Summit up the Hillary Step and on to the summit. Often, climbers have to wait for up to two hours at the base of the Hillary Step (the steep rocky part in the picture) for climbers above to move out of the way.
Graphic: A deadly weekend in May.
Climbers descending from the summit of Mount Everest. Due to the low barometric pressure and lack of sufficient oxygen, the area above 8,000 meters is referred to as the Death Zone. Climbers are advised not to spend too much time on the top of the mountain.
The climb from base camp to the summit takes four days, but climbers must spend weeks at the mountain to become accustomed to the altitude.
On top of the world. Climbers usually climb through the night on summit day, aiming to hit the top before noon to give them ample time to descend.
Base camp at Everest is a sprawling collection of tents covering most of a square kilometer. Hundreds of people spend time there during the climbing season.
Sunset on the peak of Mount Everest behind Nuptse. A total of 683 climbers tried to summit the mountain this spring. A week after the tragic May weekend, fully 197 of them summited.
