Secrets of heights

Unsolved mysteries, strange finds, and fossils: The truth about Everest

Image: Martin Jernberg

At 29,032 feet, Mount Everest is known as the "rooftop of the world." While that's a fact most people already know, this ancient mountain holds more secrets than you might expect. From mythical creatures to the most unusual objects ever found there, today we're taking a journey up Everest, and what we'll discover might surprise you!

Image: Ben Lowe

Most of us know it simply as Everest, but this mountain has more identities. In the 19th century, the British named it after Sir George Everest, a British surveyor. But in Nepal, it's called Sagarmatha, which means "Forehead of the Sky." In Tibet, meanwhile, it's known as Chomolungma, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World." Beautiful, right?

Image: Konstantin Mishchenko

If you think marriage is only for the daring, you won't believe this. Despite the danger and harsh weather, several couples have chosen the world's highest peak as the location for their wedding. A recent example is Ashley Schmieder and James Sissom, who in 2017 became the first couple to get married on the summit of Everest wearing traditional wedding outfits. Imagine wearing a wedding dress at -10°F!

Image: Sebastian Pena Lambarri

On average, 800 to 900 people try to climb Everest each year, with many more visiting its base. Along the way, climbers often leave behind a surprising amount of items like crampons, clothing, cooking utensils, climbing tools, and oxygen bottles. In fact, there are "Trash zones" filled with these and many other articles left behind by people. You can imagine what else might be found there, especially since not everyone makes it to the summit.

Image: Joseph Corl

At the top of Everest, there's more than just leftover climbing gear. There, at almost 30,000 feet above sea level, they have found something else: marine fossils!

Although the summit is far from the sea today, it wasn't always that way. Millions of years ago, the area where Everest now stands was once part of a seabed at the bottom of the ocean. Over time, tectonic plates pushed the land upward, forming not just Everest but the entire Himalayan mountain range.

Image: Jonathan Ansel Moy de Vitry

Experienced climbers typically take 6 to 9 weeks to reach the summit of Everest, something incredible given the mountain's extreme conditions. But hear this: In 2003, expert Nepalese climber Lakpa Gelu reached the summit in just 10 hours and 56 minutes. And as if that wasn't impressive enough, in 2004, Sherpa Pemba Dorje beat that record, making it to the top in only 8 hours and 10 minutes!

Image: Luo Lei

The movement of tectonic plates causes the Himalayas to rise. Incredible as it may seem, Mount Everest isn't just tall: It's actually growing a fraction of an inch every year! It may not sound like much, but over millions of years, it really adds up.

Image: Ehab Al-Hakawati

There's an unsolved mystery on Everest involving two British climbers, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, who aimed to be the first to reach the summit back in 1924. They were reportedly last seen close to the top, but no one knows if they actually made it.

Both climbers disappeared, and while Mallory's body was discovered in 1999, Irvine has never been found. Many people report encountering ghosts that haunt the mountain and sometimes even offer help. Could those spirits be the two of them?

Image: Kirsten Frank

In 2024, Nat Geo explorers found a boot with a sock inside that read "A. C. Irvine." That's right! It took a hundred years before they finally discovered this boot, believed to have belonged to Irvine.

If it took a century to find just one boot, imagine everything else that might still be up there!

Image: Agnès Maillard

Part of the mountain's folklore is the mythical Yeti, also known by his stage name: the Abominable Snowman. Reports of a huge, ape-like creature walking on two legs date back as early as the 19th century.

Most research suggests it's likely all about a bear species, but even today, some people still claim to have seen the Yeti. In the mountain, there have also been discoveries of footprints too large to be human, and even enormous bones!

Image: JC Gellidon

The extreme altitude, cold, and other harsh conditions make life on Everest tough. However, to many people's surprise, the mountain does have its own unique plants and animals, all known for their ruggedness. On one hand, you can find hardy plants like mosses, lichens, and the Himalayan Blue Poppy. When it comes to animals, the area is home to snow leopards, Himalayan tahr (wild goats), and yaks. Of course, the higher you go, the scarcer wildlife becomes.

Which is your favorite name?

From Elvis to Ariel: 12 baby names that were popularized by celebrities

Image: Kelly Sikkema

Ever notice how some baby names seem to suddenly pop up everywhere? Celebrities, hit songs, and famous artists have a way of turning not-so-common names into household favorites. Whether it’s a chart-topping single or a star-studded baby announcement, pop culture leaves its mark on what we name our kids. Take a look at 12 of these names that got a boost from the spotlight.

Image: Kelly Sikkema

The King of Rock 'n' Roll himself, Elvis Presley, has been the inspiration for the naming of countless babies. His appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show," one of America's most popular television programs of the mid-20th century, spawned an uptick in babies named in his honor. The same goes for his untimely passing in the 1970s.

Image: Enis Yavuz

The name Sienna has gained popularity in baby name registrations since 2005. That year marked a turning point after Sienna Miller's breakout roles in Alfie and Layer Cake.

Her rising fame helped push the name into the spotlight, leading to a noticeable increase in its use among new parents.

Image: jordis small

When Titanic hit theaters in 1997, it became a cultural phenomenon. It was the highest-grossing film ever at the time, and held that record for many years. Titanic catapulted Leonardo DiCaprio to international fame, cementing his status as a heartthrob and launching a successful acting career.

The movie’s impact went beyond the box office: it even influenced baby names, generating a huge spike in popularity for the name Leonardo.

Image: Susana Coutinho

The Disney brand has had an unquestionable influence on baby name trends. No other company has shaped naming choices quite like Walt Disney Entertainment.

Whoever had a child in the past decade has likely encountered the lasting impact of Frozen. The film sparked everything from Halloween costumes and merchandise to endless rounds of karaoke and, of course, a surge in babies named after Elsa, the Ice Queen herself.

Image: Helena Lopes

There's arguably no other band that's had a cultural impact as widespread and as lasting as The Beatles. The surge of Beatlemania during the 60s guaranteed the band's worldwide popularity, and many a baby was named after Liverpool's best and their songs.

The Lennon-McCartney-penned song, "Hey Jude," helped generate a big spike in popularity for the name Jude around the time when the song was released.

Image: Caroline Hernandez

Zendaya first gained attention in 2010 with her role on the Disney show Shake It Up, and her star has only risen ever since. She’s taken on major roles in projects like Euphoria, the Dune franchise, and Challengers, becoming one of the most recognizable household names in entertainment.

Before her rise to fame, the name "Zendaya" was so rare it didn’t even appear in the Social Security dataset. But with each new hit, the name has steadily grown in popularity, inspired by the actress’s continued success.

Image: Christopher Luther

The name "Elon" has seen a notable rise in popularity since 2013. That year marked a turning point when Tesla’s stock began skyrocketing in value.

As the company (and its CEO, Elon Musk) continued to make headlines, the name gained more attention, leading to a steady increase in its use.

Image: Jen Theodore

They were certainly not as popular as the Beatles, and some might consider them a one-hit wonder, but the American rock band The Knack also left their mark on the lists of popular baby names.
The song that spearheaded the band's rise to fame, "My Sharona" from 1980, generated a spike in the register of births of baby girls named, you guessed it, Sharona.

Image: Vitaliy Zalishchyker

Forrest Gump (1994) had such a noticeable cultural impact that it sparked a one-year surge in babies named Forrest. The film’s widespread popularity left its mark on parents, many of whom were inspired by the character’s virtues of honesty and kindness.

Some parents likely chose the name to reflect the same goodness embodied by Tom Hanks' iconic role, while others simply couldn’t shake the name out of their minds after seeing the film.

Image: Sean Foster

The 2005 song "Hey There Delilah" is a ballad that says the name Delilah a large number of times. It's the signature song of the American pop band Plain White T's.

This song was very popular in its day, and it left a significant cultural fingerprint, producing a massive spike in kids named Delilah.

Image: Matthew Osborn

Trinity brought something fresh to the action movie genre: a strong, independent female character in a space often dominated by men. Her role in The Matrix broke new ground, offering audiences a different kind of action hero.

The film’s impact extended beyond the screen, influencing baby names. In 1998, the year before The Matrix was released, 557 babies were given the name Trinity. By 2004, that number had jumped to 5,729.

Image: Christian Bowen

Another Disney movie_,_ The Little Mermaid, tells the story of a mermaid girl who sacrifices her voice for legs. Loosely based on a darker version of the story by Hans Christian Andersen, the film skyrocketed the name Ariel into a huge hit. Over 6,000 babies were given the name shortly after the movie's debut.