1. Highest mountain: Mount Everest (aka Chomolungma or Sagarmāthā): 8,848 m 29,029 ft) above sea level 2. From base to summit, Everest stands c. 4,700 m (15,420 ft) tall above its surrounding plain 3. The top of Mount Denali, the highest mountain in North America, sits at 6,190 m (20,308 ft) above sea level … 4. …but its base-to-peak measurement is greater than Everest’s at c. 5,596 m (18,360 ft) 5. Tallest mountain: Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA: 10,205 m (33,480 ft) from its base on the seafloor to its peak, with only 4,205 m (13,796 ft) above sea level 6. Farthest point from Earth’s core: Mount Chimborazo, Ecuador: 6,384.4 km (3,967.1 mi) from the center of Earth, vs 6,382.3 km (3,965.7 mi) for Everest https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/records/hall-of-fame/kami-rita-sherpa-and-lhakpa-sherpa-most-times-to-climb-everest
Everest is a harsh mistress. Many folks have tried to reach the summit. (Approximately 11,346 summit ascents by 6,098 people.) Some 200+ people have tried to reach the summit and failed. They failed to even make it off the mountain. Since removing them is much too dangerous and costly, they are simply used as waypoints for other climbers — and as a stark reminder that mistakes can be costly.
