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The death zone, in mountaineering, refers to altitudes above a certain point where the amount of oxygen cannot sustain human life. The point is generally tagged as between 7000 meters (22,950 feet) to 8000 meters (26,250 feet). Many deaths in high-altitude mountaineering have been caused by the effects of the Death zone, either directly (loss of vital functions) or indirectly (wrong decisions made under stress, physical weakening leading to accidents).
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Wikipedia About Death Zone
The death zone, in mountaineering, refers to altitudes above a certain point where the amount of oxygen cannot sustain human life. The point is generally tagged as between 7000 meters (22,950 feet) to 8000 meters (26,250 feet). Many deaths in high-altitude mountaineering have been caused by the effects of the Death zone, either directly (loss of vital functions) or indirectly (wrong decisions made under stress, physical weakening leading to accidents).
Physiological background
The human body functions at its best at sea level, where the atmospheric pressure is measured at 1 atm. The hemoglobin (the oxygen-binding red pigment in red blood cells) is saturated with oxygen (nearly 100 %) at that air pressure.
At higher altitudes, the air pressure drops and so does the amount of available oxygen. At 5,000 meters (16,400 feet, height of Mount Everest base camp), the amount of oxygen is only half that at sea level. At 8,848 meters (29,029 feet, summit of Mount Everest), only one-third as much is available. When the partial pressure of oxygen drops, the human body tries to compensate by a process known as altitude acclimatization. Additional red blood cells are manufactured, the heart beats faster, non-essential body functions are temporarily shut down, food digestion efficiency declines (as the body shuts the digestive system down) and one breathes more deeply and more frequently. However, acclimatization cannot take place immediately – in fact, it takes place over a period of days or even weeks. Failure to acclimatize may result in altitude sickness, including high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) or cerebral edema (HACE).
At extreme altitudes (above 7,500 meters, 24,600 feet), sleeping becomes very difficult, digesting food is near-impossible,Fact: date=February 2007 and the risk of HAPE or HACE increases greatly.Fact: date=February 2007
Finally, in the "death zone" at 7,000 (22,950 feet) - 8,000 meters (26,250 feet) and higher, no human body can acclimatize. An extended stay in the zone without supplementary oxygen will result in deterioration of body functions, loss of consciousness and ultimately, death.
See also
- August 2008 K2 climbing accident
