The Death Zone

 Climbing the world’s highest mountain, Mount Everest, is on the bucket list of countless adventurous individuals. Part of The Himalayas, Mount Everest’s peak towers at 29,029 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level and marks the border between the countries of Nepal, to the south, and Tibet to the north. In Nepal, Everest is known as “Sagarmatha” and in Tibet call the mountain “Chomolungma”. The cost of climbing Mount Everest is $25,000 – $60,000 (16,660 – 39,700 pounds) but ultimately, some pay with their lives.

  In recent years, Mount Everest has become notorious for an area known as “The Death Zone” which is the final resting place for over 200 climbers who lost their lives during their attempt to reach the mountain’s peak.

“The Death Zone” is located 26,000 feet (7,925 meters) above sea level where oxygen is so scarce, all but the most experienced climbers must breathe with the assistance of air-filled canisters. Only 1/3 of the oxygen available at sea level is present in the Death Zone; Therefore, climbers who attempt to summit without the aid of an oxygen bottle or those who run out will face oxygen depletion which can eventually lead to death. Oxygen depletion causes hallucinations and fatigue, often climbers suffering from a lack of oxygen will sit down and give up for no apparent reason, only to die hours later.

 Mount Everest partially punctures the stratosphere creating an environment which is in a constant state of subzero temperatures and can drop to -100 degrees Fahrenheit (-73 degrees Celsius). Jet stream winds reach speeds of 200 miles/hour (320 kilometers/hr), literally blowing climbers off the face of the mountain, never to be seen again.

  Any exposed skin will immediately become frostbitten which can lead to gangrene and in many cases, amputation. Due to the incredibly severe conditions this high above sea level, when a climber is in danger, not much that can be done to help. Often times, assisting a fellow climber in a deadly situation could led to your own death.

 In 2006 the death of British climber David Sharp caused quite a bit of controversy in the media. Despite the fact that at least 40 people climbing the mountain that day passed directly by him on their way to the summit while he was still alive, only a few stopped to help. He was severely frostbitten and suffering from oxygen depletion. According to those who stopped to tend to him, he was far beyond help. Eventually, he had to be left behind on the mountain to die. The media called the actions of these climbers who left David Sharp “callous”. While it is certainly easy to sit in a temperature-controlled environment in judgement of those who left a fellow summiter to die, only those who were there will ever know if anything could have been done to save him. Conditions on the mountain are so deadly, each hopeful summiter must sign a “body disposal” form which asks the preferred choice for your body, should you die at any point during your climb; Return home, return to Kathmandu (capital of Nepal) or remain on the mountain.

  Surprisingly, many choose for their body to remain on the mountain where they died. In fact, when local Sherpas, who believe leaving dead bodies on the mountain to be disrespectful to the mountain gods, attempted to remove several of the deceased, two families came forward asking that their loved ones remain where they met their demise. Many times, those who were with them on their fatal climb will return to give the body a “burial”, usually moving the body out of view from the mountain’s path or concealing their corpse with large stones.

 Many times, bodies cannot be recovered from the Death Zone. A recovery attempt would require 5-10 highly experienced Sherpas, even then, recovery may be impossible and the effort could easily claim another life. It costs approximately $30,000 to return a corpse to its native country.

 The south side of the mountain is considered to be “cleaner”. Most bodies on the southern, Nepalese side of the mountain have, at the very least, been removed from the main path. Only recently, helicopters have become able for use in the recovery of bodies; However, the body must be moved as far as a base camp on the south side of the mountain. The north side, which is controlled by the Chinese government, does not allow helicopter use for any purpose. The north side is notorious for being the more dangerous route with a far higher death rate than the south. On the northeastern side of the mountain lies “Rainbow Valley”. Despite its Care Bear-esque name, the area was dubbed as “Rainbow Valley” for the numerous corpses dressed in multicolored down jackets which line the main path.

  David Bashears, five time summiteer of Everest confessed, “There had been nothing in my training to prepare me to pass through the open graveyard waiting above.”

Did You Know?
On May 29th, 1953 Sir Edmond Hillary and his Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, became the first known people to reach Mount Everest’s summit. When Hillary died, his family wished to have his cremains scattered from atop the mountain, but the Nepalese government intervene and would not allow it.

Check out the NEW BOOK by The Post-Mortem Post’s Head Writer ‘Horrible History: Mass Suicides’ AVAILABLE NOW on Amazon Kindle!

Follow us on Twitter @PostMortem_post and Like The Post-Mortem Post on Facebook
If you enjoyed this article, you might also like Pray the Decay Away: Incorruptible Corpses and Other Forms of Postmortem Preservation, Nepal Earthquake, The Seven Stages of Decomposition, Rasputin’s Pickled Penis, Burying the Dead is Killing the Planet, and German Wings Crash: Andreas Lubitz Suicide was a Mere Side Effect to the Murder of 149

Demystifying the Process of Dying

As an aging body approaches death and begins slowly shutting down, many changes occur which often frighten those experiencing and witnessing the final days of a human life for the first time. We tend to fear things we don’t understand and because death is considered a “taboo” subject, most people don’t share what they observed after witnessing their loved one pass on. Generally, a person’s first “lesson” in death isn’t received until they are at the side of a spouse or parent who is dying, or until they are dying themselves and do not know what to expect from their final hours. In a person’s last few days, circulation begins to decrease throughout the body as blood flow is reserved for the most vital organs. Circulation having decreased, the dying person may feel increasingly cool to the touch on their hands, arms, feet and eventually legs. The brain, at this point, is no longer considered a “vital organ” and will receive less blood flow, which may lead to mental changes such as confusion and hallucinations. These hallucinations however, may be less of a “mental shift” due to lack of blood flow and more of a spiritual experience as the soul detaches from this Earth. Often times, as people reach their final days they begin having “visions”, claiming to have been visited by or spoken with deceased loved ones. Usually the “visions” are very real for the person experiencing them and comforting in the process of crossing over. Irregular breathing patterns may also be observed in a dying person. Shallow breathing is common, as is no breathing at all for periods of time usually lasting 5-30 seconds, but can last up to one minute. Due to the kidneys and other organs, which have been deemed “not vital”, operating at minimum capacity, someone reaching death may produce less urine than expected that is darker than normal. The “death rattle” can be a particularly disturbing end of life event for most family members and friends who witness a loved one pass. Death rattles can begin 2-3 days prior to death and is caused by build up of fluids (saliva, bronchial secretions) in the upper chest. Dying persons who have difficulty swallowing may also have excess fluids in the back of the throat. The “death rattle” produces a bizarre gurgling sound, which is similar to a rattling, hence the name. Once the heart and lungs stop functioning and brain activity ceases causing a loss of sentient personality, a person is considered to be clinically dead. In clinical death, brain cells begin scrambling to use of the last of the body’s oxygen supply, causing irreversible damage to themselves in the process. Aproximately 4-6 minutes after clinical death occurs, biological death follows. It is after biological death that resucitation becomes impossible.
Come back tomorrow to learn some weird things our bodies continue to do after we die!
Follow us on Twitter @PostMortem_post

CAUSE OF DEATH: Boogie Fever

July of 1518 in Strasbourg, Alsace in the Holy Roman Empire, a bizarre plague known as “Dance Fever” broke out, killing many citizens. Also known as the “Dance Epidemic”, it forced the people of Strasbourg to dance, in many cases, to their death. The strange occurrence began when a woman named Frau Troffea began to dance erratically in a narrow street and did not stop for 4-6 days. Slowly, more people joined in and within a week 34 additional Strasbourg residents had caught Boogie Fever. By the month’s end, approximately 400 people were effected with the bizarre affliction. This event was documented in local and religious records, physicians notes and was even repeatedly refered to in various cathedral sermons. There is no questioning whether or not this mysterious event took place in, the only question is “why?“. When nobles of the time turned to physicians for advice, astrological and supernatural events were quickly eliminated as possible causes. Dance Fever was deemed to be a natural disease caused by a condition known as “hot blood”. In the 1500s, “hot blood” was usually treated by a process known as “bleeding” or “bloodletting”. During that period in time, doctors believed withdrawal of “bad blood” could cure or prevent many illnesses. Today, bloodletting is generally viewed as an archaic medical practice, though it is still used occasionally in specific cases. Doctors of the time also prescribed more dancing claiming the only cure was for the afflicted to dance day and night. In accordance, the town of Strasburg designated two guild halls and a grain market for dancing. The city even went so far as to build a new stage and hire musicians to facilitate doctors’ orders. Michigan State University professor, historian and author  of A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 John Waller believes he has finally solved the mystery of exactly what prompted so many to dance to their deaths. In his book, John Waller theorizes the citizens of Strasburg were suffering stress-induced psychosis. This specific type of psychosis is caused by some type of major stressful or traumatic event such as surviving a natural disaster or experiencing the death of a loved one. In 1518, the region had recently suffered from a severe famine and many perished due to starvation. In addition, the area was plagued with multiple diseases including syphilis and small pox. Many citizens were broke, homeless and reduced to begging in the streets. Living conditions were intolerable to say the least. In light of this it was determined the residents of Strasburg had experienced mass psychological illness in July of 1518 when the Dance Epidemic started. Symptoms of stress-induced psychosis can include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, non-coherent speech or language, disorientation, confusion, changes in eating/sleeping/energy and unusual behavior, among other things. Of course, many died from a heart attack, stroke or exhaustion caused by non-stop dancing; However, John Waller presents the fact that all of them should have died. Frau Troffea, who danced for 4-6 days and night non-stop without food, water or rest and ultimately survived the Dance Epidemic should have died within three days due to dehydration alone. A second theory suggests citizens of Strasbourg may have unknowingly consumed Ergot fungus, an organic version of LSD. This theory is not as strongly supported considering Ergot fungus is far more likely to kill those who ingest it as opposed to send them into a month-long acid trip. Could an event as unbelievable as the Dance Plague have an equally unbelievable explanation? Ancient people believed if the spirit of Saint Vitus, a Sicilian martyred in 303AD was provoked, he would send “Plagues of compulsive dancing”, much like the one which swept through Strasbourg.

Buy John Waller’s book A Time to Dance, a Time to Die: The Extraordinary Story of the Dancing Plague of 1518 

Follow us on Twitter @PostMortem_post
From the same demented mind that brought you The Post-Mortem Post: FREAK

If you enjoyed the article, you may also like Chrysippus Died Laughing (Literally) and Karl Wallenda’s Fatal Tightrope Fall