The tallest mountain in the Solar System known to us today is Olympus Mons, located on Mars. With a height of approximately 25 km, it is about three times taller than Mount Everest on Earth.
Climbing the highest mountains in the world is always a bold and challenging adventure. But what would happen if you decided to embark on a journey beyond Earth to conquer the largest mountain in the entire Solar System? How would this journey compare to climbing the highest peaks on Earth? What special equipment would you need, and what would you see when standing atop such a great height?
The tallest mountain in the Solar System is Olympus Mons on Mars.
Mars once experienced significant geological activity, creating massive volcanoes. The gravity on Mars is lower than that on Earth, allowing volcanoes to grow taller without collapsing under their own weight. On Earth, tectonic plates move and erode mountains, but Mars lacks this activity, allowing Olympus Mons to maintain its impressive height over billions of years.
First, let’s introduce the subject of this journey: Olympus Mons. This is a giant volcano on Mars, reaching a height of up to 25 km (15.5 miles), making it the tallest mountain in the Solar System. To put it into perspective, the base of Olympus Mons covers an area equivalent to the state of Arizona in the United States (nearly 300,000 km2), and it is nearly three times taller than Mount Everest. While climbing Mount Everest is considered a physical feat, Olympus Mons presents a completely different challenge.
This mountain is nearly three times taller than Mount Everest.
Olympus Mons is not only tall but also extremely wide, with a base diameter of hundreds of kilometers. Despite its height, the slope of Olympus Mons is quite gentle, making it look more like a shield-shaped mountain rather than a pointed peak. If you stood at the summit of Olympus Mons, you could see very far across the Martian surface.
Before embarking on the mountain climbing journey, you would first have to undertake a challenging endeavor that, to date, no human has achieved: reaching Mars. This requires a space mission with advanced technology to traverse the distance between Earth and Mars, along with safely landing on the Red Planet.
If you stand at the summit of Olympus Mons, you can see very far across the Martian surface.
The climate on Mars is much harsher than that on Earth. Intense dust storms can sweep across the planet, but with a thin atmosphere, these winds are not as strong as those on Earth. Another unique aspect of the Martian atmosphere is that it is almost entirely composed of carbon dioxide. This means you will need a spacesuit that provides a stable oxygen supply for breathing. With this suit, you won’t have to adjust the oxygen levels as you ascend to high altitudes, a necessity when climbing Mount Everest due to the decreasing oxygen concentration at higher elevations.
Starting your journey from the base, you will have to face a nearly vertical cliff that is almost as high as the summit of Everest, ranging from 7 to 10 km depending on the location. If you overcome this challenge, the next part of the ascent will be easier, with gentle slopes. You will need approximately 30 hours of continuous walking to reach the summit, provided you encounter no issues along the way. However, doing this in a spacesuit weighing about 38 kg poses a significant challenge. Fortunately, the surface gravity on Mars is only about one-third that of Earth, which means the spacesuit won’t feel as heavy as it does on Earth.
You will need about 30 hours of continuous walking to reach the summit if you encounter no issues along the way.
The spacesuit will provide you with all the essentials for survival: oxygen, food, and water. You will have to consume foods that can be easily stuffed into your mouth through the helmet, such as fruit bars and cereals, similar to what NASA astronauts typically do during spacewalks. This is to prevent food crumbs from floating around inside the suit, which could pose a danger. Water also needs to be carried within the suit or at least in a temperature-controlled backpack, as the average temperature on Mars is -62°C (-81°F), which can cause water to freeze quickly. You will also need a thick, absorbent diaper to manage personal hygiene needs.
The spacesuit will provide you with all the essentials for survival.
Finally, as you approach the summit, you will pass through thin clouds of water vapor, which may surprise you since it never rains on Mars. At the summit, you will encounter a massive crater 85 km (53 miles) wide, equivalent to the width of Lake Ontario. With such a thin atmosphere, you will feel as if you are standing on an island in the middle of space, surrounded by the bright red landscape. It will be an unforgettable moment, marking the achievement of a challenging journey.
But once you reach the summit, how do you get back to Earth? This will be a significant challenge. You may have to be prepared to spend an extended period on Mars if a way back has not yet been found. Nonetheless, conquering Olympus Mons will undoubtedly be an unforgettable experience, marking a significant step forward in humanity’s journey to explore the universe.
