17-year-old on Mt Everest films herself gasping for air following horrific conditions of ‘Death Zone’

A teenager has left viewers in shock as she shared a video of herself while at Mount Everest's base camp.

It is the world's tallest mountain, standing at 8,849m (29,032ft) at its peak as it still remains one of the most difficult summits to climb.

While the likes of K2 (8,611m) and Annapurna I (8,091m) are known in the mountain climbing community as some of the more dangerous peaks to get to, there's no doubt that the physical and mental strain needed to reach the top of Mount Everest is immense.

Bianca Adler, 17, has been sharing aspects of her Everest journey on TikTok, from the views and the sleeping arrangements to the 'ice bridges' which they had to climb.

It won't make you jump to sign up for a climb yourself, let's say that.

But in a now viral video shared online, Bianca can be seen speaking to viewers about her struggles after failing to make it past the mountain's infamous 'Death Zone'.

The Australian could be seen gasping for air after nearly four days in the area, which is known to be incredibly icy with unforgiving conditions so high above sea level that there almost isn't enough oxygen to survive. Some have even died while trying to reach the summit.

Just managing to get her words out, Bianca admitted: "I feel horrible."

Her face appeared beaten and bruised by the freezing cold temperatures and winds, while her lips were cracked and her voice struggling to go louder than a whisper.

"My neck, my throat, my lungs," she added.

While the adventurous teen was looking to triumph against the horrific conditions, she simply couldn't make it, and for the sake of her health, she turned around just 400m (1,312ft) from the summit after experiencing symptoms of frostbite.

In the comments, one user said: "It’s almost like it’s called DEATH zone."

Another added: "Why do people climb everest again?"

A third was more sympathetic, writing: "I'm glad you're still alive, a lot of ppl don't make it out of the death zone luv."

Having started the climb with her father, he actually tapped out earlier after being hit with snow blindness, as she shared on Instagram: "On the way down, he was still sick and I was exhausted.

"We both got diagnosed with HAPE (high altitude pulmonary edema) and dehydration (which is normal for mountaineering). I still feel quite sick and extremely exhausted, so I’m taking time to recover."

People were shocked that someone so young would put their life at risk to complete the mission, as experts have spoken of the importance of preparing for an expedition like this.

Dr Harly Greenberg, who is the chief of pulmonary, critical care and sleep Medicine at Northwell Health, spoke to The New York Post about the dangers of hypoxia, which can 'disrupt energy production and critical processes within our cells and disrupt organ function'.

This can lead to mountain sickness, which involves the dilation of blood vessels in the brain, causing headache and nausea, before being followed by fatigue, lightheadedness and insomnia.

In some cases, HAPE can occur, with this critical condition causing fluid from blood vessels to leak into brain tissue, minimising mental function and causing confusion, drowsiness, or even a loss of consciousness, which could probe 'fatal', says Dr Greenberg.

"High altitude pulmonary edema can develop two or more days after ascent to high altitude and can be life threatening," the expert added, saying: "It is the most common cause of death in high altitude illness."