Mount Everest – Information, Expeditions and More
Everyone has heard of Mount Everest, we learned about it in school, avid climbers dream about reaching its summit, and we know it is on the Nepal and Tibet borders. However, there is much more to know about this great mountain.
Everest stands an astounding 29,029 feet above sea level. It is said that it actually grows about 2 inches a year due to the shifting of the tectonic plates. Originally names Peak XV in 1865 it was re-named after the Surveyor General of India, Sir George Everest. If you are in Tibet you will hear it called Chomolungma meaning Mother Goddess of the Universe, and in Nepal it is called Sagarmatha meaning Goddess of the Sky.
The mountain is said to be 60 million years old. Over 6,000 people have attempted to climb Mount Everest, of that only about 2,250 actually reached the summit. Sadly there have been over 200 Mount Everest deaths due to weather conditions. It is said that 120 bodies still remain on Mount Everest.
The weather can be treacherous as temperatures fall lower than 100 degrees below zero. Additionally the wind on Mount Everest can blow with the strength of a hurricane at 118 miles per hour or more. The other factor is the altitude as oxygen levels decrease the higher you climb. At only 9.800 feet there is only about 2/3 of the oxygen compared to sea level amounts. As you progress higher at 20,000 feet there is only half the needed oxygen and at the top of Mount Everest there is only a third of the oxygen needed to support human life.
Many climbers succumb due to the altitude. The low oxygen levels can cause severe illness and disorientation. Most climbers use the technique of climbing high and sleeping low. This means literally back tracking downwards on the mountain when it’s time to rest, but that is required in order to gain the benefits of being able to digest food and sleep sounder allowing your body to regain its needed strength.
The hardest part of the mountain to climb is called the Khumbu Icefall which literally requires climbers to climb through a moving sea of ice typically using nothing more than an ordinary aluminum ladder. Khumbu Icefall is responsible for over 19 deaths.
Since 1953 when Tenzing Norgay Sherpa of Nepal made the first ever documented climb of Everest, thousands more have been drawn to the challenge. Avid climbers put Mount Everest on their lists of mountains they want to conquer and it attracts those of all ages. The youngest known person to reach the summit was a mere 15 years old, while the oldest was 64 years old.
One needs to be a very experienced, highly trained climber in order to even attempt to conquer Everest. Even with those qualifications the mountain continues to take lives. The majority of lives lost on the mountain happened while the climbers were on their way back down. Many had reached the summit and lost their lives descending due to pure exhaustion. It’s a challenge that will entice climbers for decades to come!
Additional Mount Everest Information
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