India, Oct. 23 -- An Australian teen has gone viral for showing what the human body endures in Mount Everest's notorious "Death Zone," an icy, treacherous stretch so high up that oxygen is severely limited. Bianca Adler, from Melbourne, has racked up more than 22 million views on Instagram. The 17-year-old attempted to climb in May this year and made it as high as 8,450 metres (400 metres below the summit) before she was forced to turn back.

In the viral video filmed shortly after descending to base camp, Adler can be seen gasping for air, her face red and swollen from windburn. "I just got back from camp 2," she says between breaths. "I'm at base camp. I feel horrible. My throat and lungs . I am so out of breath even though yesterday I ...