Contrary to popular belief, no one has installed a chairlift to the top of Mt. Everest (elev. 29,035 ft.) in recent years. No matter how accessible people believe this mountain to be, Mount Everest still remains the highest mountain in the world and attempting to climb it is still one of the most dangerous of human pursuits. Since 1922, when a disastrous attempt was made by a British expedition, more than 11,000 people have challenged the mountain. As of June 2007 (the end of the climbing season), a grand total of 3,304 climbers had stood on the summit and lived to tell the tale. Sadly, 209 Mount Everest climbers have lost their lives. That means one death for every 15 successful ascents.
But as author and mountaineer, Jon Krakauer, said in his book, Into Thin Air, "attempting to climb Everest is an intrinsically irrational act—a triumph of desire over sensibility."
The costs of such climbing usually varies in between a range of 70-100K USD.
The latest individual who lost her life in pursuit of climbing mount Everest was the great Iranian girl "Leila Esfandiari" who passed away in July 2011.
