General Knowledge
Survive a Mountain Climb Quiz
Death zone, summit fever, hypoxia — what kills climbers above 8000m
Death zone, summit fever, hypoxia — what kills climbers above 8000m
K2 has a summit-to-death ratio of 25% — meaning for every 4 climbers who reach the top, one dies — making it deadlier than even Everest. High-altitude mountaineering is one of the most dangerous pursuits on Earth, where thin air, brutal cold, and unforgiving terrain can kill in hours. This quiz tests your knowledge of the death zone, the 14 8000ers, legendary climbers, and the physiology that decides who comes home.
Each round presents 10 randomized questions from a pool of 50, with four multiple-choice options and instant feedback after every answer. Your final score comes with a performance tier and shareable results.
You'll explore death zone physiology above 8,000 meters, the 14 8000er peaks of the Himalayas and Karakoram, Hillary and Tenzing's first Everest summit in 1953, the historic K2 winter ascent of 2021, Reinhold Messner's record of climbing all 14 without supplemental oxygen, and the trio of altitude killers: AMS, HAPE, and HACE.
The death zone refers to altitudes above 8,000 meters (26,247 ft), where atmospheric pressure is roughly 30% of sea level and oxygen is about one-third available. The human body cannot acclimatize there indefinitely — metabolism declines, sleep becomes impossible, healing stops, and the risk of brain and lung edema rises sharply.
New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953, as part of a British expedition led by John Hunt. Their ascent of the 8,848.86-meter peak became one of the most celebrated feats in mountaineering history.
There are 14 mountains on Earth that exceed 8,000 meters, all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram ranges of Asia. They include Everest, K2, Kangchenjunga, Lhotse, Makalu, Cho Oyu, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna I, Gasherbrum I, Broad Peak, Gasherbrum II, and Shishapangma.
Last updated: May 2026