South Summit (Mount Everest) South Summit (Mount Everest) The South Summit of Mount Everest in the Himalayas is the second-highest peak on Earth, and is a subsidiary peak to the primary peak of Mount Everest. Although its elevation above sea level of is higher than the second-highest mountain on Earth, K2 (whose summit is above sea level), it is only considered a separate peak and not a separate mountain as its prominence is only 11 meters. The peak is a dome-shaped peak of snow and ice, and is connected to the summit of Mount Everest by the Cornice Traverse and Hillary Step. It was
Mount Everest in 2012 Mount Everest in 2012 The Mount Everest climbing season of 2012 included several hundred summitings and the highest fatality total since 1996. 683 climbers from 34 countries attempted to climb the mountain, and 547 people summited. A record was set in May when 234 climbers summitted on a single day. There were 11 deaths, some of which were attributed to overcrowding near the peak. In addition to an increase in mountaineers compared to previous decades, the success rate for expeditions increased. There was a 56 percent success rate in summit attempts in 2012, compared to 24 percent in 2000. 547