Growing giants and savage peaks

misslily The genetic superpower of Tibetans

misslily The tricks of a starving brain

misslily Where the air runs out

misslily The spacesuits of the mountains

misslily Summit Stumble

misslily Surviving the death zone

Even the roof of the world is climbing higher, rising up every single year.

misslily The genetic superpower of Tibetans

Fun Fact

Denisovan legacy: The gene that helps Tibetans survive at extreme altitudes was inherited from an extinct human relative called Denisovans.

misslily The tricks of a starving brain

Glossary

death zone (noun)
An altitude above eight thousand meters where the oxygen level is insufficient to sustain human life. In 1978, Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler climbed Mount Everest's peak without supplemental oxygen.

Quiz

What percentage of sea-level oxygen molecules is available at the summit of Mount Everest?

Gossip

Is climbing with supplemental oxygen considered cheating?

Quiz

Which gene variant helps Tibetans survive high altitudes without dangerous blood thickening?

Quiz

From which extinct human cousin did Tibetans inherit their high-altitude gene adaptation?

Quiz

What is the medical term for life-threatening brain swelling caused by extreme altitude?

Quiz

How does using supplemental oxygen benefit a climber in the death zone?

Quiz

At what altitude does the 'death zone' officially begin?

Quiz

What insulation material is primarily used inside high-altitude climbing suits to trap body heat?

Quiz

Why does thick blood pose a major danger to climbers at high altitudes?