No difficulties stop those who want to test themselves for strength, climb where not everyone can climb, see with their own eyes what not everyone is given to see - incredible and indescribable beauty natural world. And this is despite the fact that the ascent is to the real Mountain of Death, because Mount Everest attracts tourists.
When everyone found out where Everest is, the highest mountain in the world, they immediately began to conquer its peaks. Everyone who storms Everest knows that he can stay here forever. He can die due to lack of oxygen, heart failure, trauma incompatible with life, or simply freeze to death. At the same time, even fatal accidents may well lead to death, for example, an unexpectedly frozen valve of an oxygen cylinder or a seemingly strong cable suddenly torn. Death has happened on Everest, and this is evidenced by a kind of cemetery on Everest, where the corpses of the dead are.
The ascent to the top is so difficult that having reached a height of 8 thousand meters, each member of the expedition becomes so busy with himself that he is not always able to find the strength in himself and, if necessary, help a friend. He will think about the moral side of this question later, if he goes down. According to statistics, for every ten successful ascents of Chomolungma Everest, there is one death.
What does the highest point in the world look like?
Tourists often wonder what geographical coordinates Mount Everest, and who is the first conqueror of Everest. The highest (as most geologists say) mountain in the world is located on the territory of two countries at once. The summit, located on the south side, is about 8,760 meters high and lies between Nepal and the Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. The most high point the planet - on the north side, at a distance of 8848 m from sea level, completely belongs to the PRC.
In shape, Everest is somewhat similar to a three-sided pyramid. All three of its slopes (southwestern, southern and eastern) are extremely steep, and two of them are completely covered with glaciers. As for the southern slope, it is so steep that snow and ice simply cannot stay on it, which is why it is almost always naked.
The slopes are connected to each other by almost straight ridges, stretching to the west, southeast and south.
As for the summit of Everest, it is almost entirely composed of sedimentary deposits, mainly limestone and sandstone, which previously covered the ocean floor of the ancient Tethys Ocean, even before the emergence of a giant hill in this place. In addition, in our time, scientists often find fossils of marine animals and shells on the summit of Everest, which confirm the theory that this area in former times was located below sea level.
How Everest came to be
About 60 million years ago, the ancient continent located in the southern hemisphere of the world split into several lithospheric plates. After that, the Indian lithospheric plate began to move in a northerly direction and after a while came across the Eurasian plate, or rather, on south edge Asia.
As a result of the collision, the bottom of the ancient Tethys ocean was deformed. As a result, part of the ocean went deep into the Earth, into the mantle, and part of it rose and formed a huge barrier that blocked the mainland from West to East (it originates in the French Alps and ends in South Vietnam). It is because of its appearance in the southeastern part of Asia that seasonal monsoons were formed.
The highest mountains of this barrier are the Himalayas ("Abode of the Snows"). Their growth still has not stopped, annually increasing from 3 to 10 mm. In the Himalayan ridge, scientists have counted 75 mountains, whose height above sea level exceeds 7 km. At the same time, the highest mountains are located in Nepal - the height of nine peaks here is more than 8 km. And Everest rises above all, or as it is also called - Chomolungma (Goddess - mother of the world) or Sagarmatha (Lord of the sky).
Concerning official name, then the proposal to name the mountain in honor of George Everest, who at one time led the British Geodetic Survey in India, was made by Andrew Waugh, his student who managed to prove that the named Everest "Peak XV" is the highest point on the planet.
Mount Everest
After scientists established the exact coordinates of Mount Everest, they began to determine its height. Despite the fact that the exact height of the Chomolungma was established by English topographers back in the middle of the 19th century, the debate on this issue continued for quite a long time.
This is because the Chinese believed that Everest rises 8844 meters above sea level, while the Nepalese were convinced that Sagarmatha was four meters higher. This difference was explained by the fact that, according to the inhabitants of the Celestial Empire, Chomolungma must be measured, not taking into account the huge layer of snow lying on the top, only by the height of the mountain itself. The countries came to full agreement only a few years ago, agreeing to set the altitude according to the Nepalese option.
Despite the fact that Chomolungma is recognized as the highest point that is above sea level, there is a mountain on our planet that exceeds it in size by more than one kilometer. This inactive volcano Mauna Kea on Hawaiian Islands... Although it rises above the earth's surface by only 4205 m, its total height (if we start measurements from the ocean floor) is more than ten thousand meters.
Climate
The average air temperature at the top of Sagarmatha in January is -36 ° C and quite often drops to -60 ° C. The warmest month here is July, when temperatures rise to -19 ° C, but never exceed 0 ° C.
Almost all summer, Everest is under the influence of monsoon winds that come from the south and bring with them a huge amount of precipitation. Those who want to climb Everest in the summer quite often get into such strong snowstorms that it often becomes impossible to continue climbing.
When the monsoons end, from November to March (except January), terrifying winds strike Chomolungma, the speed of which often exceeds 285 km / h, which also makes it extremely difficult to climb the mountain.
People begin to actively conquer the summit in the intermediate periods, when the weather behaves more or less decently, but even at this time, you can often suddenly find yourself in the middle of a sandstorm or wake up in the middle of a three-meter layer of snow that has fallen overnight. During this period, westerly winds prevail here. If their speed is about 80 km / h, the clouds around Everest stay at the level of the summit, if the air masses move less quickly, then the clouds rise above the mountain, if faster, they go down.
Flora and fauna
The flora on Chomolungma is scarce, but there is. At the foot there are bunches of grass and low shrubs (among them - the snow rhododendron, the only bush that can exist at an altitude of more than 5 thousand km at a temperature of -23 ° C). Here you can see conifers, lichens, moss, etc.
As for living beings, the Himalayan jumping spiders, which are almost the only creatures that can exist at an altitude of 6,700 m above sea level, feel good here.
These arthropods feed on frozen insects, which bring in strong air masses, and on collembuli living here, small arthropods, which feel good at an altitude of up to 6 thousand km. In addition to them, several species of new grasshoppers were discovered on the slopes of Everest. As for the higher regions of Chomolungma (over 6700 m), only microscopic species can live here.
In addition to insects, you can sometimes see birds near the top of the mountain - climbers often noticed here a mountain duck and alpine jackdaws (the latter feed on carrion and are able to stay at an altitude of more than eight kilometers).
Chomolungma - the sacred mountain of the Sherpas
In the eastern part of Nepal, in the Everest region, live Sherpas, the descendants of Tibetans who emigrated more than five hundred years ago to the south of the Himalayan range. For them, Chomolungma is sacred, because, according to their beliefs, spirits, demons, and also Jomo Miyo Lang, who is one of the "five sisters of longevity", provide food for the inhabitants of the five highest Himalayan peaks, live on it.
According to local legends, once the Indian preacher Padmasambhava (Born in a lotus), the founder of Tibetan Buddhism (VIII century AD), organized a competition who would climb Everest faster, challenging one of the lamas of the official Bon religion at that time. Since Padmasambhava was brought to the top by a sunbeam, his opponent lost, and as a sign of his defeat left his drum there. After that, whenever an avalanche descends from the mountains, locals beat drums, thus driving away evil spirits and demons.
Before climbing Everest, the Sherpas each time hold a special ceremony (puja), remembering those who died on Sagarmatha, putting their thoughts and soul in order, and asking the spirits of the mountain to pity them and not destroy them.
In memory of everyone who died during the ascent, on the way to the base camp located between Dingbosh and Lobush, the Sherpas erected a pyramid. And near the foot of the mountain, in a special place they store stupas, prayer drums, flags and mantras intended for ceremonies.
Sherpa climbers
If not for the endurance of the Sherpas, their qualifications and experience, who knows how well they would have been studied Himalayan mountains, and with them and Everest. It was the representatives of this nationality who, as guides, provided invaluable assistance to the first explorers of the ridge in their time.
It is quite natural that a huge number of records for the conquest of Everest belong to the representatives of this particular people. Nevertheless, everyone is wondering who was the first to conquer Everest.
- The first conquerors of Everest were Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and mountaineer from New Zealand Edmund Hillary, who happened to be there back in 1953.
- Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi conquered the summit twenty-one times.
- Pemba Dorje climbed Sagarmatha in 8 hours 10 minutes.
- Babu Chiri managed to stay on the top of the mountain for about an hour - which is quite difficult, considering not only strong winds, but also a very low air pressure, due to which only 1/3 of oxygen enters the lungs.
Conquest of Everest
Since, according to local beliefs, gods live in the Himalayas, the governments of Tibet and Nepal did not previously allow foreigners to disturb the peace sacred mountains... Therefore, the Himalayas for a long time were inaccessible to the white man and rarely did anyone manage to climb the peaks of this mountain range.
The peak officially conquered by the first white man, the height of which exceeded 7 thousand meters, turned out to be Trisul - and it happened in 1907. Active attempts to climb higher mountains began in 1921, and the first conqueror of Everest was identified in 1953.
Since then, many tragic pages have appeared in the history of the conquest of Everest - according to statistics, during the ascent of this mountain, for every ten successful ascents, there is one death. The saddest thing is that the corpses of many of the victims remained unburied on the mountain due to the difficulties associated with their transportation.
According to rumors, some of the corpses serve as a kind of landmark for climbers. For example, a Hindu, who died at the end of the last century at an altitude of about eight and a half thousand meters, is there to this day, denoting this height. It is better known to rock climbers under the name "Green Shoes" (the shoes of this color were worn by the deceased).
But this kind of information does not stop extreme sportsmen and fans of setting records. For example, in 1980, the Italian Reinhold Messner climbed Chomolungma alone, without using oxygen cylinders. In 2001, Marco Siffredi left Everest on a snowboard. But when he tried to do it the next year, he disappeared without a trace.
It was on Sagarmatkha that the most massive loss of life in the entire history of mountaineering was recorded. It happened in April 2014, when a huge avalanche buried sixteen people.
The most difficult part of the path
The most difficult climbers are given the last three hundred meters, not without reason, nicknamed "The longest mile of the Earth." And the fault is not only oxygen starvation and extreme weather conditions, but also the terrain. To successfully reach your destination, you must first overcome an extremely steep, snow-covered, smooth stone elephant... This section is so heavy and dangerous that climbers are not able to insure each other.
How much does it cost to climb Mount Everest
The pleasure of climbing Chomolungma is not cheap - about 65 thousand dollars. USA (while only for one permit, which must be issued by the authorities of Nepal, it is necessary to pay 10 thousand dollars). The payment includes the services of guides who, before starting the ascent, conduct training for future climbers (most of the clients are rich people who have almost no experience in conquering peaks), provide necessary equipment and care about safety.
For this, the future conquerors of Everest undergo appropriate training: it takes about two weeks for them to climb from Katmadu to the parking lot located at an altitude of 5364 m.After reaching the base, the climbers, before moving on, acclimatize for a month and get used to the altitude. The ascent itself usually takes about two months and the most favorable period for this is spring.
Recently, the flow of tourists to Everest has been increasing annually. For instance:
- In 1983, only eight climbers conquered Sagarmatha;
- After seven years, their number increased to forty;
- In 2012, in just one day, more than two hundred climbers climbed to Chomolungma (at the same time, traffic jams and fights between tourists were recorded).
Global warming
Global warming definitely could not but affect the most high mountain world, as a result of which the Chomolungma glaciers decreased by 30%, which is an extremely huge problem, since these glaciers feed the largest rivers in the area (including the Yangtze and the Yellow River). The melting glaciers also expose the rock, making it harder to climb Sagarmatha.
Influence of humans on Everest
Definitely, if the first climbers saw now the state of Everest, they would not recognize it - the entire mountain is strewn with used oxygen containers, torn tents, bags, and, as Time journalist Brian Walsh put it, "pyramids of human excrement." An illustrative example in this case is the data of ecologists, who calculated that in 2007 alone, when about 40 thousand tourists visited the mountain, they left about 120 tons of garbage.
Tourists cause irreparable harm to the environment by actively destroying trees growing around Chomolungma, using them later for heating. The issue of burial of the dead climbers is becoming more urgent (the resolution of this issue is of particular concern to local residents).
How to revive it
The government of Nepal and a large number of non-profit organizations have developed a number of activities aimed at reviving Everest. Moreover, some of them even go to the detriment of the country's economic interests - first of all, the authorities are going to consider the issue of reducing the issuance of permits for climbing Chomolungma, which costs a lot of money.
In the meantime, this decision did not come into force, it was decided that every tourist who climbed Everest must take out at least eight kilograms of garbage from the mountain.
Some organizations began to work on how to stop the melting of glaciers - such an impact had on the ideologist of this project, American cinematographer David Breachers, comparing only two photographs - one that he shot himself, and one that George Mallory, one of the first climbers who conquered Chomolungma. The difference impressed him enormously. The future will show how successful these projects will be.
It is difficult to imagine that the words "Chomolungma", "Everest", "Peak XV", "Sagarmatha" are the names of the same mountain, the highest point on the planet. Today, the height of Everest is 8848 meters, and this is far from the final figure - according to scientists, the peak increases by another 5 mm every year.
The height of Everest. Description of the object and general information
The planet rushes up among the eternal snows of the Himalayan mountain range on the border of two states: China and Nepal. Nevertheless, it is generally accepted that the peak itself is located on the territory of the Middle Kingdom.
One of the names - "Chomolungma" - translated from Tibetan sounds very beautiful "Mother of the Wind" or, according to some other sources, "Mother vitality land ". The Nepalese are used to calling her "Sagarmatha", which means "Mother of the Gods."
A more familiar name for us "Everest" in 1856 was proposed by the Englishman Andrew Waugh, who at that time was the successor of D. Everest, the head of the geodetic department in British India. Before that in Europe the mountain was called "Peak XV".
It is noteworthy that from the Nepalese side it will hardly be possible to immediately see Everest - it is obscured from the outside world by the mountains Nuptse and Lhotse, whose height is no less impressive and is 7879 m and 8516 m, respectively.
The most courageous and hardy adventurers climb the Kala Pattar or Gokyo Ri peak to admire the top of the world and take breathtaking pictures.
The height of Everest. Climbing history
This mountain attracted and continues to attract climbers from all over the world. It is no exaggeration to say that Everest has become a place of "pilgrimage" for climbers. Every year hundreds of climbers come here, who strive, if not to visit the summit, then at least to see the legendary mountain with their own eyes.
Everest is considered difficult to climb: the peak has a pyramidal shape with a steeper slope on the south side. At an altitude of 5 thousand meters, the glaciers end, and on the steep slopes of the mountain, the snow does not linger at all.
The mountain was first conquered at the end of May 1953. The team consisted of thirty people who used - it is impossible without them. Almost 30 years later, Soviet climbers climbed up the southeastern wall. The Ukrainian athletes M. Turkevich and S. Bershov especially distinguished themselves - they made the first night ascent in history.
To date, according to the latest statistics, about 3000 climbers from all over the planet have already visited Everest. Unfortunately, the mountain did not release about 200 athletes - they died: someone on the ascent, someone during the descent from lack of oxygen, frostbite or heart failure, some fell off or fell under an avalanche.
This once again proves the fact that on such routes, as a rule, it is not expensive and modern equipment that plays a decisive role, but accompanying luck, which can save the traveler from falls and hurricanes that demolish everything in its path.
The height of Everest. How realistic is it to be in the vicinity of the great mountain?
From year to year, the number of such pristine places as the Himalayas on the planet does not increase at all. Everyone who has recovered to conquer the peak will certainly find himself among the pristine places unspoiled by civilization and scientific progress.
Everest is a height for those who seek to conquer the irresistible. But, as they say, in this world nothing is impossible, the main thing is to want. For many years, the giant mountain has amazed with its grandeur, impresses with its formidableness and attracts millions of adventure seekers. Although not everyone goes to the very top. Why do they come to Everest? Photos taken at the foot or in the foothills, and the atmosphere itself, can hardly leave anyone indifferent. In addition, every year international rallies are held here, base camps and evenings of acquaintances are arranged.
For those who want to see the earth from the highest point of the planet, you need to hire a guide or get into a special group. However, I would like to warn right away that this pleasure is not cheap - the cost of the ascent will cost 45-60 thousand dollars.
Top of the world. Everest. March 24th, 2013
Clickable 8000 px
Over the years of climbing Mount Everest, more than 200 people died, and only the bodies of a few were lowered from the top. The rest are buried in meter-long snow or are exposed by the winds and "meet" other climbers on the way to the top. These are the laws of Everest: the higher the altitude, the less humanity remains in people. It happened more than once that a rising group could help those in trouble, but to provide help means to end the hike, to give up the dream. Many passed by, and when they walked back, help was no longer required.
Vladimir Vysotsky has a song " Better than mountains there can only be mountains, ”and this is true. The only exception is Chomolungma. What is the experience of a climber who has conquered the main peak in his life? Joy or disappointment, from the fact that the main goal has been achieved, and further the mountains will be "smaller" ?!
Initially, the peak was not considered the highest in the world; according to the results of the first topographic survey (1823-1843), it was included in the classifier as peak "XV" (Dhualagiri was in the lead in this list). And only after the second topographic survey (1845-1850) everything fell into place.
V 1921 year, the first expedition to Chomolungma in order to explore the ascent route from the north, from the side of Tibet. Based on intelligence data, the British, led by Mallory, stormed the summit in 1922, but the monsoon, snowfall and lack of experience in high-altitude ascents made it impossible for them to make the ascent.
V 1924 year - the third expedition to Chomolungma. The group spent the night at an altitude of 8125 m, the next day one of the participants (Norton) reached an altitude of 8527 m, but had to return. A few days later, a second attempt was made to storm the northeastern ridge (a bunch of Mallory, Irvine with the use of oxygen cylinders), the climbers did not return, there is still an opinion that they could have been at the top of Chomolungma.
Subsequent pre-war expeditions to the area did not bring new results.
V 1952 year - a Swiss expedition set out to storm Everest from the south. Twice in 1952, Lambert and Norgay Tenzing rose above 8000 meters, but in both cases the weather forced them to turn.
V 1953 year - the British expedition led by Colonel Hunt went under Everest (Chomolungma), New Zealand climbers also joined them, one of whom was E. Hillary, they were supposed to help the British get over the Khumbu Icefall, the Sherpa Norgay Tenzing was included in the assault group ... There is a legend that the conquest of Everest was prepared as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II on the day of her coronation.
May 27, the first two - the British Evans and Bourdillon reached south peak, where they left oxygen and a tent for the next assault group.
A May 29, 1953 Sherpa Norgay Tenzing and New Zealander Edmund Hillary reached the summit.
May 8, 1978 R. Messner and P. Habeler accomplished what was considered impossible - the first ascent of Everest without oxygen. Messner described his feelings in the following way: “In a state of spiritual abstraction, I no longer belonged to myself, to my vision. I am nothing more than a lonely panting lung floating over mists and peaks. "
The first ascent of Soviet climbers to the highest peak of the Earth took place in May 1982. The Soviet team of 9 people climbed to the summit of Everest, along a very difficult, previously not covered route along the southwestern wall.
November 13th, 2015In a continuation of the series of posts that attracted a lot of blogger attention (, and), let's remember why Everest is called Everest.
Everyone who studied geography at school will easily remember the name highest peak planets. Everest has long attracted climbers, extreme lovers and fans of everything mysterious. Its height has been re-measured several times recently. Therefore, even in official materials, there are three sets of numbers: 8848 m, 8850 m, 8844 m. The first of them is firmly embedded in our memory. The last one was given measurements from the Chinese side. This is not an easy question, because we are talking about the height of the high mountain Earth. And it is very correct that the interested parties agreed to conditionally consider the height equal to 8848 meters for the near future.
Meanwhile, the highest mountain on the planet received its current name relatively recently, only a century and a half ago. Tibetan monks from time immemorial called her Chomolungma - "Mother Goddess of the Earth." French missionaries, who reached the Himalayas in the 18th century, mapped it under the name Ronkbuk - that was the name of a Tibetan monastery built by the order of the Dalai Lama on the northern slope of the mountain.
In Nepal, the highest of the mountains was called Sagarmatha - "Heavenly summit". However, today the mountain is known to the whole world by the name given to it by the British.
They were given in honor of a person who never climbed to its top and did not even approach it.
George Everest was born on July 4, 1790 in Wales, in the town of Gvernvale, in an aristocratic family. For boys from wealthy English families of the time, military careers were typical, and George was no exception. After leaving school, he entered the military academy at Woolwich. George studied well, especially delighting the teachers of mathematics with his successes. School Everest graduated early, at the age of 16, and was sent to serve in India as an artillery cadet.
The command, appreciating his brilliant mathematical abilities, transferred the young soldier to the geodetic service. In 1814, Everest went on an expedition to the island of Java, where he spent two years.
In 1816, the 26-year-old officer was returned to India, and two years later he became the deputy of the William Lambton- Head of the British Geodetic Survey in India.
At this time, Lambton and his subordinates are solving a truly titanic task - conducting geodetic surveys of India. It was not only about the country within its modern borders, but also about the territories in which other states have now been formed, first of all, about Pakistan.
Theodolite - the measuring device used by George Everest
FEATURES OF THE FLORA AND FAUNA OF EVEREST
During a year climatic conditions on Everest are considered to be very extreme. January is recognized as the coldest month, as the average temperature ranges from -36 to -60 ° C! But the most warm month, if you can call it that, is July, when the temperature does not drop below -19 ° C. Amazing fact is that the boiling point of water at the top of the mountain is only 70 ° C. This phenomenon is due to the pressure indicator, which is only 326 mbar. Usually in the spring and winter Chomolungme there is a characteristic western wind.
Only a small proportion of plants and animals can withstand extreme conditions. In 1924, scientists made an amazing discovery, as it turned out, at an altitude of about 6700 meters, a jumping spider was found, belonging to the genus Araneomorphic. In order to survive, the small spider has to hunt small springtails and flies that live within 6,000 meters. But insects, in turn, feed on lichens and some types of fungi.
As part of the expedition, which took place in 1925, experts discovered about 30 species of those same lichens. Also, in the area of 5600 meters, scientists discovered a mountain goose. Only a few species of birds can withstand the pressure at the summit, and they use the waste of the climbers' food as their food.
Peak XV
This work began in 1806, and was completed only half a century later, in 1856. George Everest spent on it most own life.
William Lambton died in 1823 and Everest succeeded him. True, two years later he was mowed down by a serious illness, which forced him to return to England.
In Britain, however, Everest continued to deal with the geodetic service of India - providing supplies of new instruments, solving theoretical problems and organizational issues.
In 1830, with health problems behind him, George Everest returned to India, where he worked for another 13 years.
During these years, and Mountain peaks Himalayas, however, their height was not measured. All peaks were given a code name, and Chomolungma was included in this list as "Peak XV".
Merit award
In 1843, 53-year-old George Everest retired with the rank of colonel and returned to England. Despite his considerable age, the honored surveyor decided to do something for which he had not had time before - creating a family. I must say that the scientist more than succeeded in this, having acquired six children.
The services of George Everest to the British Empire were highly appreciated. In 1861 he was awarded the title "Sir" and in 1862 he was elected Vice President of the Royal Geographical Society.
After working for many years in the geodetic service in India, Everest brought up a whole galaxy of students, one of whom, Andrew Waugh, in 1852 he worked on determining the height of the Himalayan peaks. Vaud's measurements showed that "Peak XV" is not only the highest mountain in the Himalayas, but also the highest point in the world.
The world's highest mountain needed a proper name. In 1865, the English Royal geographic society decided that in recognition of services to science and in honor of the 75th birthday of Sir George Everest "Peak XV" should be named after him. Andrew Waugh was the first to propose this idea in 1856, and over the next nine years, the English community has come to the conclusion that Sir Everest deserves it.
The hero of the day did not like this idea at first, but his colleagues insisted on their own. As a result, "Peak XV", first in English documents, and then throughout the world, began to be called "Everest".
Sir is dead and the name lives on
The memory of the merits of the scientist-geodesist remained only in special literature and in encyclopedias, but the name given to the peak was so firmly entrenched that it supplanted all its other names.
In countries whose territory is directly adjacent to the Himalayas, in particular, in China and Nepal, proposals have long been heard to return the "historical" name to the peak. Cartographers, trying to reconcile the warring parties, offer this option: mountain range entirely receives the name Chomolungma, and the peak acquires the double name of Everest (Sagarmatha).
However, whatever one may say, for most people who do not delve deeply into such disputes, Everest remains Everest. The surname of the surveyor sir turned out to be painfully suitable for the highest peak of the planet.
It's funny that John Everest himself was of Welsh origin and called himself a Hebrew. But the mountain in English transcription was immediately called Everist. For the whole world, who speaks bad English, she also began to be called Everest .., which with a certain stretch can be called "always resting." Interestingly again, George himself had the nickname "Neverest" - "never resting."
Note that Everest himself in 1857 took part in a conference on the names and spoke out against the use of his name. In his opinion, the name does not correspond well to the local languages and cannot be assimilated by the natives.
FIRST ASCENT OF JOMOLUNGMU
On May 26, 1953, the first attempt was made to climb the impregnable Everest, but Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon, members of the British expedition, did not reach the summit of only 100 meters! The reason for this was an acute shortage of oxygen. But a few days later - on May 29, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered the impregnable mountain. The climbers did not stay at the top for long, they managed to take a few pictures and buried a cross with a couple of chocolates in the snow.
Since Everest bears the title of the highest mountain in the world, tourists and climbers from all over the world gather at the foot of the mountain to make a difficult climb and conquer the inaccessible slopes of Chomolungma. Thanks to the many years of experience of professionals, there is a wide range of safe routes. There are two most popular routes: the North Ridge from Tibet and the Southeast Ridge from Nepal. The latter is considered technically easier, therefore it is recognized as the most popular among beginners.
Most of the ascents to the highest mountain in the world take place in May, and all because at this time there are no powerful gusts of wind. Also, October and September are very favorable months, but the large amount of snow formed after the monsoons makes the ascent slightly difficult.
Putorana plateau - lost World Siberia, but. Here is American and famous. It is impossible not to mention and The original article is on the site InfoGlaz.rf The link to the article this copy was made from is
More than 60 years have passed since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first ever successful conquerors of Mount Everest, but the desire to climb it has not diminished over time. We hear countless stories of triumphant, and more recently tragic, attempts to reach the top of the mountain. However, many interesting facts about the grief remain unknown to many.
10. Mountain spiders
Photo: Gavin Maxwell
Even high in the sky, where thin air is very difficult to breathe, we cannot hide from spiders. Euophrys omnisuperstes ("Standing Above All"), better known as the Himalayan jumping spiders, hide in the crevices and recesses of the slopes of Everest, making them one of the creatures living at the highest altitudes on Earth. Climbers spotted them at a maximum altitude of 6,700 meters.
Small spiders feed on any stray insects that are blown by the winds to the top of the mountain. These are actually the only animals permanently living on such high altitude besides several species of birds. In addition, several previously unnamed species of grasshoppers were collected during the famous unsuccessful British expedition to Mount Everest in 1924 and are now in the British Natural History Museum.
9.Two men who climbed the mountain 21 times
Photo: Mogens Engelund
Two Sherpas, Apa Sherpa and Phurba Tashi, hold the joint record for the largest number climbing Everest. The pair have jointly managed to reach the top of the mountain an impressive 21 times. Phurba reached the top of the world three times in one 2007, and Apa successfully climbed the mountain almost every year from 1990 to 2011.
Apa says that over the years he has noticed obvious changes in Everest caused by global warming. He talked about his concerns about melting snow and glaciers exposing the rock, making it harder to get to the top. He is also concerned about the future of the Sherpa people after he lost his own home in a flood caused by melting glaciers. Apa has dedicated several Everest ascents to raising awareness of climate change.
8. The tallest fight in the world
Photo: Jon Griffith
Climbing Mount Everest isn't always as harmonious a triumph as you might imagine. In 2013, climbers Ueli Steck, Simone Moro and Jonathan Griffith found themselves at the center of a Sherpa scandal after allegedly ignoring an order to stop their ascent.
The Sherpas blamed the climbers for interfering with them and causing an avalanche, which injured other Sherpas who laid ropes down the slope. The climbers denied the accusations and the quarrel turned violent. The Sherpas kicked, punched and stoned the men, and Moreau said that one of the members of the nationality even threatened him with death.
The fight could have ended much worse, but American climber Melissa Arnot advised the trio to flee to their base before the rest of the Sherpas formed a crowd and stoned them to death. In the aftermath of the incident, with the assistance of a Nepalese army officer, the two sides signed a peace agreement that ended the quarrel.
7. History of 450 million years
Photo: Tibet Travel
Despite the fact that the Himalayas were formed 60 million years ago, the history of Everest is actually much longer. The limestone and sandstone at the top of the mountain were once part of a layer of sedimentary rock below sea level 450 million years ago.
Over time, rocks seabed formed a cluster that was pushed upward at a speed of 11 centimeters per year, eventually forming the modern mountain. The upper reaches of Mount Everest now contain marine creature fossils and shell rock that was once at the bottom of the ancient ocean.
Researcher Noel Odell first discovered fossils in rocks ah Everest in 1924, proving that the mountain was once below sea level. The first fossilized Everest organisms were harvested by Swiss climbers in 1956 and an American climbing team in 1963.
6. Dispute about height
Photo: Tom Simcock
What is the actual height of Mount Everest? It depends on which side of the border you are on. China said the summit of Mount Everest is 8,844 meters, while Nepal estimates it is 8,848 meters.
The difference is due to the fact that, according to China, the mountain should be measured only by the height of the rocks, excluding the meters of snow at the very top. Whether it is a more accurate measurement or not, the international community often includes snow when estimating the heights of mountains around the world.
The two countries came to an agreement in 2010, setting an official height of 8,848 meters.
5. The mountain is still growing
Photo: Pavel Novak
Judging by recent measurements, both the Chinese and Nepalese may be wrong in their assessment of the mountain's height.
A team of researchers discovered in 1994 that Everest continues to grow by about 4 millimeters every year. The Indian subcontinent was originally an independent land mass that collided with Asia to form the Himalayas. The lithospheric plates continue to move, making the mountains continue to grow.
Researchers at the American Millennium Expedition in 1999 positioned a global positioning system at the summit to measure height. Their measurements, more accurate thanks to modern technology, led to the fact that the official height of Everest will soon be changed to 8850 meters. In the meantime, other tectonic activity is actually causing the mountain to decrease in height, but changes, coupled with this moment give rise to the mountain.
4. Lots of titles 
Photo: Ilker Ender
Despite the fact that most of us know the mountain called "Everest", the people of Tibet continue to call the mountain by the ancient name "Chomolungma" (or "Chomolungma"). The Tibetan name means Mother Goddess of All Mountains. But this is not the only alternative name for the mountain. In Nepal, the mountain is known as "Sagarmatha", which means "forehead in the sky", and accordingly the mountain is part of the Nepalese " National Park Sagarmatha National Park.
The mountain was only named Everest after the British surveyor Andrew Waugh was unable to find a common local name. After studying maps of the surrounding area and never finding a suitable solution, he named the mountain after the geographer who worked in India, George Everest, the leader of the British team that first explored the Himalayas. Colonel Everest gave up the honor, but British officials officially changed the name of the mountain they used to Mount Everest in 1865. Previously, they called the mountain the 15th Peak.
3. Cork of people
Photo: Ralf Dujmovits
Despite the fact that the ascent to Mount Everest costs several thousand dollars, the number of those wishing to conquer the mountain is growing every year. In 2012, German climber Ralf Dujmovits took a shocking photo of hundreds of climbers queuing up to climb the summit. Ralph decided to turn back at the South Col of the mountain, because of the bad weather conditions and the kind of long queue.
On May 19, 2012, climbers wishing to visit one of the attractions near the summit had to stand in line for two hours. In just half a day, 234 people climbed the summit of Everest. However, at the same time, 4 people died, which caused great concern about the climbing process. Specialists from Nepal installed a new handrail that year to eliminate the "human congestion" and the question of installing at the top of the stairs is currently under discussion.
2. The most polluted mountain in the world
Photo: Himalaya Expeditions
Countless photographs document the climbers' journey to the summit of Mount Everest, but we rarely see photographs of what they leave behind. Everest is polluted not only by the bodies of climbers, but, according to some estimates, 50 tons of waste, and this number is growing every season. Lots of discarded oxygen tanks, climbing equipment and human excrement can be seen on the slopes.
The Eco Everest Expedition has climbed the mountain every year since 2008 in an attempt to tackle the problem, and so far they have collected over 13 tons of waste. The government of Nepal introduced a new rule in 2014, according to which each climber must bring 8 kilograms of waste when descending the mountain, otherwise they will lose their $ 4,000 deposit.
The artists working on the Everest 8848 Art Project turned 8 tons of waste, including broken tents and beer cans, into 75 works of art... 65 porters worked on two expeditions in the spring to empty the trash, and artists turned it into sculptures to draw attention to the dirtiness of the mountain.
1. This is not the highest mountain
Despite the fact that Mount Everest is the highest point on Earth from sea level, Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii holds the record for the highest mountain in the world.
The peak of Everest is on greater height but that doesn't mean the mountain is actually higher. Mauna Kea reaches an altitude of only 4,205 meters above sea level, but the volcano stretches 6,000 meters below the surface of the water. When measured from its base on the ocean floor, its height is 10,200 meters, exceeding the height of Everest by more than a kilometer.
In fact, depending on how you measure it, Everest is not the most high mountain and not the highest point on Earth. Chimborazo in Ecuador reaches only 6267 meters above sea level, but it is the highest point from the center of the Earth. This is because Chimborazo is located just one degree south of the equator. The earth in the center is slightly thicker, so the sea level of Ecuador is located further from the center of the planet than in Nepal.
