Can you boil water on Mount Everest?

Boiling Water on Top of the World

Imagine standing at the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. You pull out a stove to boil water for a hot drink—only to discover it’s bubbling at a surprisingly low temperature. That’s because, up here, the laws of cooking change.

The boiling point of water isn’t fixed—it depends on air pressure. At sea level, water boils at 212°F (100°C). But as altitude increases, atmospheric pressure drops, and so does the boiling point. On top of Mount Everest, which rises over 29,000 feet above sea level, pressure is only about a third of what it is at sea level. As a result, water boils at just around 154°F (68°C).

This might not sound like a big deal, but it has real consequences. At such a low boiling point, water isn’t hot enough to properly cook food or sterilize effectively. A cup of tea may steam and bubble, but it won’t be as hot as you’d expect. That’s why climbers often rely on special equipment or pressurized cookers to make up for this quirk of physics.

It’s a striking reminder that something as simple as boiling water depends on the invisible force of air around us. In the thin atmosphere of Everest’s peak, even basic tasks become a lesson in science. So yes, you can boil water on Mount Everest—but don’t expect it to behave like it does in your kitchen.