Mt. Everest
Section 1: History
Mount Everest (Tibetan: ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, Chomolungma or Qomolangma /ˈtʃoʊmoʊˌlɑːŋmə/ CHOH-moh-LAHNG-mə, "Holy Mother"; Chinese: 珠穆朗玛峰; pinyin: Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng; Nepali: सगरमाथा, Sagarmāthā) is the earth's highest mountain, with a peak at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. The international border between China and Nepal runs across the precise summit point. Its massif includes neighboring peaks Lhotse, 8,516 m (27,940 ft); Nuptse, 7,855 m (25,771 ft); and Changtse, 7,580 m (24,870 ft).
In 1856, the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India established the first published height of Everest, then known as Peak XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m). In 1865, Everest was given its official English name by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post, Sir George Everest. Although Tibetans had called Everest "Chomolungma" for centuries, Waugh was unaware of this because Nepal and Tibet were closed to foreigners.
The highest mountain on the earth attracts many well-experienced mountaineers as well as capable climbers willing to hire professional guides. While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather and wind.
In 1856, the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India established the first published height of Everest, then known as Peak XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m). In 1865, Everest was given its official English name by the Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post, Sir George Everest. Although Tibetans had called Everest "Chomolungma" for centuries, Waugh was unaware of this because Nepal and Tibet were closed to foreigners.
The highest mountain on the earth attracts many well-experienced mountaineers as well as capable climbers willing to hire professional guides. While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather and wind.
The First to Summit
In 1953, a ninth British
expedition, led by John
Hunt, returned to Nepal.
Hunt selected two climbing pairs to attempt to reach the summit. The first pair
(Tom Bourdillon
and Charles
Evans) came within 100 m (300 feet) of the summit on 26
May 1953, but turned back after running into oxygen problems. As planned, their
work in route finding and breaking trail and their caches of extra oxygen were
of great aid to the following pair. Two days later, the expedition made its
second and final assault on the summit with its second climbing pair, the New
Zealander Edmund Hillary
and Tenzing Norgay,
a Nepali sherpa
climber from Darjeeling,
India. They reached the
summit at 11:30 a.m. local time on 29 May 1953 via the South Col Route. At the time, both
acknowledged it as a team effort by the whole expedition, but Tenzing revealed
a few years later that Hillary had put his foot on the summit first. They
paused at the summit to take photographs and buried a few sweets and a small
cross in the snow before descending.
News of the expedition's success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, 2 June. Returning to Kathmandu a few days later, Hunt (a Briton) and Hillary (a New Zealander) discovered that they had been promptly knighted in the Order of the British Empire, a KBE, for the ascent. Tenzing, a Nepali sherpa who was a citizen of India, was granted the George Medal by the UK. Hunt was ultimately made a life peer in Britain, while Hillary became a founding member of the Order of New Zealand. Hillary and Tenzing are also nationally recognized in Nepal, where annual ceremonies in schools and offices celebrate their accomplishment.
News of the expedition's success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, 2 June. Returning to Kathmandu a few days later, Hunt (a Briton) and Hillary (a New Zealander) discovered that they had been promptly knighted in the Order of the British Empire, a KBE, for the ascent. Tenzing, a Nepali sherpa who was a citizen of India, was granted the George Medal by the UK. Hunt was ultimately made a life peer in Britain, while Hillary became a founding member of the Order of New Zealand. Hillary and Tenzing are also nationally recognized in Nepal, where annual ceremonies in schools and offices celebrate their accomplishment.
Section 2: Traveler's Description
In addition to obvious items such as hiking boots, warm clothing, UV sunblock etc., here is list of things that you might not have considered taking along, but that can greatly enhance the quality and comfort of your journey.
Water Disinfection drops. A 60ml bottle can be found in Kathmandu for around 10-30 Rs. This will let you treat your own water, saving you from buying new bottles. 1L of water at Namche is 100 Rs, past Namche its anywhere from 200-350 Rs.
A variety of clothing is necessary for the Mt Everest Base Camp trek. The emphasis on equipment necessary follows two simple aspects: Lightweight and Functional. The items you choose to take should be lightweight, dependable, and adaptable to a variety of extreme weather conditions. The quality of the trekking equipment you choose has a lot to do with how warm, dry, and safe you will remain> For this reason you have to be critical of quality and the proper fit of clothing.
You will need clothing for around Kathmandu, trekking in the humidity and heat, and to protect you from the cooler temperatures in the mountains.
Water Disinfection drops. A 60ml bottle can be found in Kathmandu for around 10-30 Rs. This will let you treat your own water, saving you from buying new bottles. 1L of water at Namche is 100 Rs, past Namche its anywhere from 200-350 Rs.
A variety of clothing is necessary for the Mt Everest Base Camp trek. The emphasis on equipment necessary follows two simple aspects: Lightweight and Functional. The items you choose to take should be lightweight, dependable, and adaptable to a variety of extreme weather conditions. The quality of the trekking equipment you choose has a lot to do with how warm, dry, and safe you will remain> For this reason you have to be critical of quality and the proper fit of clothing.
You will need clothing for around Kathmandu, trekking in the humidity and heat, and to protect you from the cooler temperatures in the mountains.
- A good pair of hiking boots (well broken in) - You will be spending five to six hours a day on the trail. Your boots are an important part of your gear. The boots can be light to medium, high or low. If you plan to go in the months when snow can fall, the high boots are better for hiking in the snow.
- Soft and light shoes (sneakers or kung-fu shoes are perfect) - after a long hike in inflexible hiking boots, you will be extremely happy to have some light and soft footwear to to wear around the lodge or in the village.
- Lightweight knapsack - this is very useful for short trips away from your lodge, and will save you having to lug your large backpack along. It should be big enough for your camera and a change of clothes and sleeping bag, if you plan to spend a night away.
- Lightweight sleeping bag - as most (all?) lodges can offer you blankets, a light sleeping bag should be sufficient for the journey. Taking a light bag will save you valuable space in your backpack. But blankets often smell terrible, so the better alternative is a high quality down-sleeping bag (comfort-temperature at least -10 C°) with small packing volume to avoid spending nights fully dressed.
- Fabric bandages - blisters on the feet can turn a wonderful walk into a hell. Bandaids (sticking plasters) should be immediately applied to any area of the foot that there is irritation and friction - don't wait for the blister to develop before doing this. However, only fabric made bandaids (e.g., Moleskin) will stick to a sweaty foot. Others (even those that claim to be water-proof) will fall off in minutes. A good alternative to bandaids is duct tape. Works great for blisters and also proves invaluable in many other ways.
- Binoculars -certainly not a necessity but they bring the mountains details closer and also great for spotting elusive wildlife.
Section 4: Map
Location Solukhumbu District, Sagarmatha Zone, Nepal
Tingri County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
Coordinates 27°59′17″N 86°55′31″E / 27.98806°N 86.92528°E / 27.98806; 86.92528Coordinates: 27°59′17″N 86°55′31″E / 27.98806°N 86.92528°E / 27.98806; 86.92528
Tingri County, Shigatse Prefecture, Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China
Coordinates 27°59′17″N 86°55′31″E / 27.98806°N 86.92528°E / 27.98806; 86.92528Coordinates: 27°59′17″N 86°55′31″E / 27.98806°N 86.92528°E / 27.98806; 86.92528
Section 5: Connecting (moving on)
1. If you are climbing Everest, why not also try K2 (also known as Savage Mountain, Mountaineer's Mountain, Mount Godwin-Austen, Balti: Chogori and Sarikoli: Mount Qogir) is the second-highest mountain on Earth, after Mount Everest. With a peak elevation of 8,611 m (28,251 feet), K2 is part of the Karakoram Range, and is located on the border between Baltistan, in the Gilgit-Baltistan region of Pakistan, and the Taxkorgan Tajik Autonomous County of Xinjiang, China. It is more hazardous to reach K2 from the Chinese side; thus, it is mostly climbed from the Pakistani side.
K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among the "eight thousanders" for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.
2.
3.
K2 is known as the Savage Mountain due to the difficulty of ascent and the second-highest fatality rate among the "eight thousanders" for those who climb it. For every four people who have reached the summit, one has died trying. Unlike Annapurna, the mountain with the highest fatality rate, K2 has never been climbed in winter.
2.
3.
Section 6: References
"Mount Everest-1996 The Expedition". Anti Essays. 24 Apr. 2012
<http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/192077.html>
Mount Everest-1996 The Expedition. Anti Essays. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from the World Wide Web: http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/192077.html
"Mount Everest- The Mountain Goddess". 25 Apr. 2010
<http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/192077.html>
<http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/192077.html>
Mount Everest-1996 The Expedition. Anti Essays. Retrieved April 24, 2012, from the World Wide Web: http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/192077.html
"Mount Everest- The Mountain Goddess". 25 Apr. 2010
<http://www.antiessays.com/free-essays/192077.html>