Mount Everest — Chomolungma

To the Tibetan people, the mountain is Chomolungma — 'Goddess Mother of the World' — the throne of Miyolangsangma, one of the Five Long-Life Sisters, Tantric Buddhist goddesses who protect the mountain and its devotees. Sherpas traditionally make offerings at puja ceremonies before any ascent, seeking the goddess's permission to climb. Many Sherpas refuse to summit without these rites.

Beyond religious tradition, climbers have reported phenomena difficult to explain at extreme altitude: encounters with perceived companions or voices guiding them to safety, known as the 'third man factor'; sightings of figures standing or walking above the climbers at impossible positions; and geometric light formations in otherwise clear sky. Whether these represent altitude-induced hallucinations, genuine spiritual phenomena, or something else entirely is debated.