All about Mount Everest. Mount Chomolungma (Everest) - description, photos, facts Ecology: garbage left by climbers, bodies of the dead

Everest from the plane (shrimpo1967 / flickr.com) Everest (Neil Young / flickr.com) Mount Everest from Base Camp (Rupert Taylor-Price / flickr.com) Mount Everest, Base Camp and Rongbuk (Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn) / flickr. com) Top of Qomolungma (jo cool / flickr.com) View of Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com) cksom / flickr.com Mahatma4711 / flickr.com McKay Savage / flickr.com ilker ender / flickr.com Fred Postles / flickr. com Jeff P / flickr.com Everest in the clouds (Jean-François Gornet / flickr.com) utpala ॐ / flickr.com View of Everest from an airplane (Xiquinho Silva / flickr.com) Rick McCharles / flickr.com Climbing Everest (Rick McCharles / flickr.com) Everest Base Camp - Gorak Shep - Nepal (lampertron / flickr.com) akunamatata / flickr.com Summit of Mount Qomolungma (Everest) (TausP. / flickr.com) Denn Ukoloff / flickr.com Mount Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com) Returning from Everest Base Camp (valcker / flickr.com) Everest and Nuptse (smallufo / flickr.com) Stefanos Nikologianis / flickr.com

Everest or Chomolungma is the highest mountain peak in the world. It is located in the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China. Geographic coordinates of Mount Everest: 27°59′17″ north latitude and 86°55′31″ east longitude.

The height of Chomolungma is 8848 meters above sea level. For comparison, the height of Elbrus, the highest point in Russia, is only 5642 meters above sea level, i.e. at 3206 m below Chomolungma.

The first ascent of Everest was made on May 29, 1953 by New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

The mountain is best known throughout the world as "Everest". The peak was named after George Everest, who was the chief surveyor of British India in the 1830s and 40s.

Mount Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com)

Interestingly, the mountain was so named during Everest’s lifetime, about a year before his death. The name was suggested by a student of a scientist who calculated the exact height of the peak and thereby proved that it is the highest on Earth. Before this, the peak was also known as "Peak XV".

The traditional Tibetan name for the peak is Chomolungma, which can be translated as “mistress of the winds.” This name is widely used in Russian cartography, but in Western countries it is not very well known, as it is considered rather unpronounceable.

On maps published in our country, the peak is usually signed as “Qomolungma”, and the name “Everest” is indicated in brackets. The traditional Nepalese name for the mountain is also Sagarmatha.

Where is Mount Everest (Qomolungma)?

Almost every child knows where Everest is today. If you look at the geographical map, you can see that it is located in the highest mountain system on Earth - the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and China.

Everest coordinates: 27°59′17″ N and 86°55′31″ E. Mount Everest is part of the Mahalangur Himal range; the Nepalese part is located within the Sagarmatha Park.

Summit of Everest

The top of Mount Chomolungma looks like a pyramid with three almost flat sides. The southern slope is steeper, snow and ice hardly even linger on it, the northern slope is somewhat flatter.

The relative height of the mountain is approximately 3550 m. The South Col Pass, whose height reaches 7906 meters above sea level, connects Everest with Mount Lhotse (8516 m), and the North Col Pass (7020 m) with Mount Changtse (7553 m). Most mountaineering routes pass through these two passes.

Geographical characteristics

The Khumbu Glacier is located in the basin between the peaks of Chomolungma and Lhotse. Below it turns into the icefall of the same name, which is considered the most dangerous section when climbing through the South Wing.

View of Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com)

This can be explained by the fact that the icefall is almost constantly in motion. To pass this place, climbers use various ladders and railings.

Below the icefall, the glacier continues again and ends only at an altitude of 4600 meters. Its total length is 22 km.

Another notable feature of the local topography is the Kangshung Wall. This is the eastern wall of the summit of Mount Qomolungma, whose height is 3350 meters and the width of the base is about 3000 meters.

At the foot of the wall there is a glacier of the same name. Climbing to the top along the Kangshung Wall is significantly more dangerous compared to standard routes.

Everest in the clouds (Jean-François Gornet / flickr.com)

Climate - what time of year is suitable for conquering Everest?

The summit of Everest is characterized by extremely unfavorable climatic conditions. There are often very strong winds here, blowing at speeds of more than 50 meters per second.

The temperature at the top never goes above 0 degrees. The average July temperature is minus 19 degrees, and the average January temperature is 36 degrees below zero. On winter nights, temperatures can drop to 50-60 degrees below zero.

What period of the year is best suited to conquer the peak? Based on climatic conditions, the most favorable time for climbing is the beginning of May. At this time, the winds here are usually the least strong.

How was Everest formed?

The history of the formation of Everest is closely connected with the history of the formation of the Himalayas, which dates back many millions of years ago and stems from global geological processes.

Top of Chomolungma (jo cool / flickr.com)

About 90 million years ago, the Indian Plate broke away from the giant continent of Gondwana and began to move north quite quickly.

The speed of movement reached twenty centimeters per year, which is significantly greater than the speed of movement of any other plate of the earth's crust. About 50-55 million years ago, the Indian Plate began to collide with the Eurasian Plate.

As a result of this collision, the Eurasian plate was greatly deformed - a vast mountain belt was formed, the highest part of which is the Himalayas.

At the same time, the sedimentary rocks that previously made up the bottom of the ancient ocean were crushed into huge folds and often ended up at enormous heights. This explains the fact that the top of Everest is composed of sedimentary rocks.

Everest Education Scheme

Today, the Indian plate continues its movement in a northeast direction, deforming the Eurasian plate. In this regard, mountain-building processes in the Himalayas continue.

The height of the mountain system in general and individual peaks in particular continues to slowly increase by several millimeters per year.

During large earthquakes, changes in the height of an area can occur almost instantly and be much more significant.

Ecology: garbage left by climbers, bodies of the dead

The environmental situation on Mount Chomolungma leaves much to be desired. During the ascents, a huge amount of garbage accumulated on its slopes.

As of 2007, the Tibetan section of the mountain alone contains about 120 tons of various debris left by climbers. It is not entirely clear how to remove garbage from the slopes.

In the last few years, attempts have been made to collect waste, but this was clearly not enough. Another problem is the evacuation and burial of the bodies of deceased climbers.

• A rather interesting fact is that the water on the highest peak in the world boils at a temperature of only +68 °C. You'll probably ask: why? This is because the atmospheric pressure here is only a third of the normal pressure at sea level.
• Another interesting fact is the gradual growth of the mountain. Indeed, the height of Chomolungma increases every year by 3 to 6 millimeters. The same trend is characteristic of all the Himalayas, which is explained by the ongoing processes of mountain building and the associated rise of the territory.
• I would also like to mention this curious fact that Everest is the highest point in the world only if we take into account the height from the level of the world's oceans. Thus, the Mauna Kea volcano on the island of Hawaii rises 10,203 meters relative to the ocean floor, while its height above sea level is only 4,205 meters.

A place with a view of Everest

Thanks to the efforts of the www.AirPano.com team, the opportunity to take a virtual walk on Everest has become possible. AirPano specializes in virtual tours captured in high definition from a bird's eye view. Below is a panorama overlooking Everest.

On May 14, 2018 at 09:12 local time, I stood on top of the world. Nearby were my friends Dmitry Semerenko and Roman Gorodechny, our Sherpas and a dozen other climbers. We did it! We climbed Everest!

It all started in not so distant 2013. Or maybe even earlier, when I first went with my parents to . I was 9 years old then.

I summited Everest in two weeks at 29. Almost 20 years passed from my first peak, Velikiy Verkh (1598 m) to Everest (8848 m). But then, while gorging myself on blueberries and fishing for trout, I didn’t even think about Everest. Perhaps I didn't even know it existed. I just ran down the mountain and inhaled the aroma of clean air deeply. This is how my love for the mountains took root..

Elbrus (5,642 m) - the first big mountain

I remember how in 2013, at a tourism evening in Bila Tserkva, I whispered to friends and acquaintances that I wanted to go to Elbrus. Then for me it was something extremely unreal. I was afraid that more experienced tourists would laugh at me, asking where I should go to Elbrus. Therefore, he told it in a whisper and only to a few.

In August 2013, I was on the top of Elbrus with two friends. We climbed the classic route from the south side. The weather was good, but it was heavy and cold. We walked the entire mountain, starting from the Azau clearing, and we were greatly infuriated by the roar of retractors at 4100 and above. Then I seriously thought about whether I needed these mountains. I thought about it seriously, but not for long.

Without big mountains - 2014-2015

In the spring of 2014, I first went to, and in the summer - to and. For two years I drove around these regions myself. There was no time for any of my own plans. But the Couloir was developing, great guides came to us, on whom I could completely rely.

Somewhere during this period, I started thinking about 8000 m. No, not about Everest, but about the most technically simple eight - Cho Oyu (8,201 m). I even created a group on Facebook, where I added several of my friends, who, in theory, could keep me company.

You can’t just go to 8000m, you need to prepare. For myself, I selected several peaks so that the height would be gained gradually. The eight was planned for the fall of 2017.

Kilimanjaro (5,895 m), September 2016

Lenin Peak (7,134m) - July 2017

I’ll say right away that we didn’t reach Lenin. We turned around just above the “Knife” at an altitude of 6800-6900 m due to strong wind and frost. That was the first time I saw blisters on my fingers. This time it was not possible to come to an agreement with the Mountain, but I was not upset about this. You can always come back if you want.

After an independent oxygen-free eight, I realized that I could try Everest. It was at that moment that he appeared in my mind with a clear purpose, not before.

In the article I listed only the key peaks in terms of elevation gain; between them I did a lot of trekking and hiking at lower altitudes.

Everest (8848 m), May 14, 2018

My first thought was very daring - to try to climb Everest without oxygen (it’s good that I changed my mind). Then I decided that it was better with oxygen, but to try two mountains at once - Everest and Lhotse (8,516 m). This is also a very daring undertaking, which at that time only 86 people in the world managed.

There were four of us: Me, Roman Gorodechny, Dmitry Semerenko and Ira Galai. Ira had already been to Everest and her goal was an oxygen-free ascent to Lhotse.

Everyone was actively training, and three weeks before the start I left for Nepal to lead a group along the route: . This was a good acclimatization for me, and I took my mother to the group so that she could look at Everest with her own eyes and then worry less.

On April 7, the team of the Ukrainian expedition to Everest + Lhotse gathered together in Kathmandu. Here we go!

The assault took 20 hours. 13 hours up and 7 down.

In total, we spent about 34 hours without sleep.

I tell all the details about the expedition in my diary:

Everest has changed each of us. Now we know even more precisely that everything is possible. We have risen to the top of the world, but there are many more to come!

My future plans:

January 2019 - Winston Peak, the program is still in development

Spring 2019 - if the team gets together, then . I’ll try to go to Lhotse for myself

It is difficult to imagine that the words “Qomolungma”, “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.

Everest height. Description of the object and general information

On the planet it rushes up among the eternal snows of the Himalayan mountain range on the border of two states: China and Nepal. However, 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 of the vital force of the earth”. The Nepalese are accustomed to calling her “Sagarmatha”, which means “Mother of the Gods”.

The name “Everest,” which is more familiar to us, was proposed in 1856 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 is unlikely that you will be able to immediately see Everest - it is obscured from the outside world by the Nuptse and Lhotse mountains, whose heights are no less impressive and are 7879 m and 8516 m, respectively.

The most courageous and resilient adventurers climb to the peak of Kala Patthar or Gokyo Ri to admire the top of the world and take breathtaking photos.

Everest height. Climbing history

This mountain has attracted and continues to attract climbers from all over the world. Without exaggeration, we can 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 peak, 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 - without them it was impossible. Almost 30 years later, Soviet climbers climbed the southeastern wall. 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 3,000 climbers from all over the planet have already visited Everest. Unfortunately, the mountain never let go of about 200 athletes - they died: some on the ascent, some on the descent from lack of oxygen, frostbite or heart failure, some fell or were caught in an avalanche.

This once again proves the fact that on such routes, as a rule, the decisive role is not played by expensive and modern equipment, but by accompanying luck, which can protect the traveler from falls and hurricanes that destroy everything in their path.

Everest height. How realistic is it to be in the vicinity of a great mountain?

Year after year, the number of untouched places like the Himalayas on the planet does not increase at all. Everyone who has recovered to conquer the peak will certainly find themselves among pristine places unspoiled by civilization and scientific progress.

Everest is a height for those who strive to conquer the insurmountable. But, as they say, nothing is impossible in this world, the main thing is to want it. For many years, the gigantic mountain has amazed with its grandeur, impressed with its formidability and attracted millions of adventurers. 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 are unlikely to leave anyone indifferent. In addition, international gatherings are held here every year, base camps are established and dating evenings are organized.

Those who absolutely want to see the earth from the highest point on the planet need to hire a guide or join a special group. However, I would like to immediately warn you that this pleasure is not cheap - the cost of the climb will cost 45-60 thousand dollars.

Why Everest and not Chomolungma? November 13th, 2015

In continuation of a series of posts that have attracted a lot of attention from bloggers (, and) let's remember why Everest is called Everest.

Anyone who studied geography at school will easily remember the name of the highest peak on the planet. Everest has long attracted climbers, extreme sports enthusiasts and fans of all things mysterious. Its height has been 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 latter was measured from the Chinese side. This question is not easy, because we are talking about the height of the highest mountain on Earth. And it is very correct that the interested parties agreed for the near future to conditionally consider the height to be 8848 meters.

Meanwhile, the highest mountain on the planet received its current name relatively recently, only a century and a half ago. Since time immemorial, Tibetan monks have called her Chomolungma - “Mother Goddess of the Earth.” French missionaries, who reached the Himalayas in the 18th century, put it on the map under the name Ronkbuk - that was the name of the Tibetan monastery built by order of the Dalai Lama on the northern slope of the mountain.

In Nepal, the highest of the mountains was called Sagarmatha - “Heavenly Peak”. However, today the whole world knows the mountain under the name that the British gave it.

Dali was given in honor of a man who never climbed to its peak or even came close to it.

George Everest born on July 4, 1790 in Wales, in the town of Gwernvale, into an aristocratic family. For boys from wealthy English families of that time, a military career was typical, and George was no exception. After leaving school he entered the military school in Woolwich. George studied well, especially pleasing his mathematics teachers with his success. Everest graduated from the school ahead of schedule, 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 military man 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 solved a truly titanic task - conducting a geodetic survey 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, primarily Pakistan.

Theodolite - a measuring instrument used by George Everest

FEATURES OF FLORA AND FAUNA OF EVEREST

During the year, climatic conditions on Everest are considered quite extreme. January is recognized as the coldest month, as the average temperature ranges from -36 to -60° C! But the warmest month, if you can call it that, is July, when the temperature does not drop below -19° C. An 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 spring and winter, Qomolungma has a characteristic westerly wind.

Only a small part 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 belonging to the genus Araneomorpha was found. In order to survive, the little 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 an expedition that took place in 1925, experts discovered about 30 species of those same lichens. Also, in the area of ​​5600 meters, scientists discovered a bar-headed goose. Only a few species of birds can withstand the pressure at the top, and they use climbers' food scraps as food.

"Peak XV"

This work began in 1806, and was completed only half a century later, in 1856. George Everest spent most of his life on it.

In 1823 William Lambton died and Everest succeeded him. True, two years later he was struck down by a serious illness, which forced him to return to England.

In Britain, however, Everest continued to deal with issues of the Indian Geodetic Survey - he provided supplies of new instruments, solved theoretical problems and organizational issues.

In 1830, with his health problems behind him, George Everest returned to India, where he worked for another 13 years.

During these years, the mountain peaks of the Himalayas were also recorded, but their heights were 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 advanced age, the honored surveyor decided to do something for which he had not had time before - starting a family. It must be said that the scientist was more than successful in this, having acquired six children.

George Everest's services 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.

Having worked for many years in the geodetic service in India, Everest trained a galaxy of students, one of whom, Andrew Waugh, in 1852, worked to determine the height of the Himalayan peaks. Waugh's measurements showed that "Peak XV" is not only the highest mountain of the Himalayas, but also the highest point on the globe.

The highest mountain in the world needed a suitable name. In 1865, the English Royal Geographical Society decided that in recognition of services to science and in honor of Sir George Everest's 75th birthday, “Peak XV” should be named after him. Andrew Waugh was the first to express this idea in 1856, and over the next nine years the community of English scientists came to the conclusion that Sir Everest deserves it.

At first, the hero of the day categorically did not like this idea, 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 died, but the name lives on

The memory of the merits of the scientist-geodesist remained only in specialized 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, there have long been proposals to return the “historical” name to the peak. Cartographers, trying to reconcile the warring parties, offer this option: the entire mountain range receives the name Chomolungma, and the peak takes on the double name Everest (Sagarmatha).

However, whatever one may say, for most people who do not delve deeply into such disputes, Everest remains Everest. The surname of Sir Surveyor turned out to be very suitable for the highest peak of the planet.

It's funny that John Everest himself was of Welsh origin and called himself an Ivrist. But the mountain in English transcription immediately began to be called Everist. For the whole world, who speaks little English, it began to be called Everest... which, with a certain stretch, can be called “always resting.” Again, it is interesting that George himself had the nickname “Neverest” - “never resting.”

Note that Everest himself took part in a meeting on names in 1857 and spoke out against the use of his name. In his opinion, the name does not correspond well to local languages ​​and cannot be learned by the natives.

FIRST CLIMBING OF JOMOLUNGMA

On May 26, 1953, the first attempt was made to climb the inaccessible Everest, but Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon, members of the British expedition, did not reach the top by only 100 meters! The reason for this was an acute lack of oxygen. But a few days later - on May 29, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay conquered the inaccessible mountain. The climbers did not stay at the top for long; they managed to take a few pictures and buried a cross in the snow with a couple of chocolates.

Since Everest holds 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 Qomolungma. Thanks to many years of experience of professionals, there is a large selection of safe routes. There are two most popular routes: following the Northern ridge from Tibet and along the Southeast ridge from Nepal. The latter is considered technically easier, so it is also recognized as the most popular among beginners.

Everest is the highest peak in the world, the second name is Chomolungma. Its popularity among climbers is great, especially among those who are eager to conquer this height. Without a doubt, traveling to the peak of the mountain is a dangerous adventure, because many people have lost their lives on the way to the goal. But the hero who managed to conquer Everest can fully enjoy this unearthly beauty and sense of freedom. There is something special hidden in her that attracts and attracts people, even at the cost of their lives...

Where is Mount Everest and what is its height?

The height of Everest is 8848 meters. It was only in 1853 that the world learned about the highest point on earth, when the first ascent of the mountain took place. Before the opening of the peak, the championship was occupied by Mount Kanchenjunga, 8586 meters high.

Everest is located in the Himalayan mountains in southern Asia. The exact location cannot be formulated, since the length of the mountain covers the territory of two bordering countries: China and Nepal.

The peak, which is located on the north side, is located in China. The second peak, slightly less than 8760 meters high, is located on the demarcation line between Tibet and Nepal.

Air temperature at the top and at the bottom

The climate and temperature regime of Everest is harsh and unpredictable, and sometimes even extreme. Temperature values ​​at the foot and at the top differ sharply from each other. At the foot, as a rule, the temperature is above zero, which decreases by 6.5 degrees with every thousand meters.

The temperature depends on seasonality, but is never above 0 degrees. The most favorable climatic conditions are in the summer months of the year; the average temperature in July is minus 19 degrees. In winter, the temperature drops, so the average temperature in January-February is -36 degrees, and at night it can reach up to 55-60 degrees below zero.

In the winter and spring periods of the year, westerly winds “walk”, and in winter – southwestern winds, the speed of which can reach 280 kilometers per hour. During the summer and autumn months, monsoons blow from the Indian Ocean, bringing large amounts of precipitation.

Sudden temperature changes on Everest are not uncommon. Even during the most favorable period for conquest (from May to October), sudden storms and snowfalls are also common. But in each season there are 3-4 days of stable weather, they are called “windows”, which climbers use to conquer mountain peaks.

Atmosphere pressure

Every 10-12 meters, atmospheric pressure decreases by 1 millimeter of mercury. Using a simple mathematical calculation, the estimated height at the top of Everest is about 23 millimeters of mercury, while the norm, as at the foot of the mountain, is 760 millimeters. The actual atmospheric pressure at the summit is considered to be 3 times lower than normal.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW! A drop in atmospheric pressure is directly related to the occurrence of mountain sickness (oxygen deficiency) in climbers. As a result, hypoxia, pulmonary edema and heart failure may develop. Therefore, when the first signs of a decrease in the partial pressure of oxygen occur, it is necessary to reset the altitude as quickly as possible and go down.

Flora and fauna

The flora and fauna of Everest are not very diverse. At the foot you can find some varieties of low-growing shrubs, individual tufts of grass, some conifers, mosses and lichens. But with every kilometer up, this meager flora disappears. On the slopes of Chomolungma you can find a shrub called snow rhododendron. This is the only plant whose life is possible at altitudes above 5000 meters at constant sub-zero temperatures.

Among the living creatures you can find Himalayan jumping spiders and some species of grasshoppers. The top of the mountain is home to mountain ducks, alpine jackdaws and some other species of birds that can live at high altitudes.

INTERESTING! There is a legend about the appearance on the slopes of the famous Bigfoot - Yeti. But so far only huge footprints in the snow have been found, according to local residents, belonging to this unique creature. But the fact of its existence has not yet been proven, although many scientists and climbers are searching for this miracle.

Video information

How and who conquered Everest

• The first to achieve the feat and conquer the world's highest peak, 8848 meters high, were climber Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Almost 65 years have passed since then (1953). And during this period of time, hundreds of thousands of brave people tried to conquer this mountain.
• The second ascent of Chomolungma was 3 years later in 1956 by a Swiss expedition group led by Ernst Reiss and Fritz Luksinger.
• In 1963, the first American expedition to Everest was organized, and Jim Whittaker became the conqueror. The American was accompanied by Sherpa Nawang Gombu, who later in 1965 climbed the peak for the second time as part of an Indian expedition and became the first person lucky enough to conquer the peak twice.
• In 1975, the first conqueror of Everest, among the fair half of humanity, was the Japanese woman Junko Tabei.
• In 1982, the first Soviet expedition took place to reach the top of the world. It consisted of 25 people, the leaders of the group were Vladimir Balyberdin and Eduard Myslovsky.

Since then, many ascents of Everest have been made by humanity, including people of different generations and nationalities. At the end of 2017, the total number of people peaked at 8,306.

Video story

Useful information and interesting facts

1. The highest peak in the world was named after the scientist George Everest, who was the first to determine the location and height of the mountain range. The second name “Chomolungma” was given by local residents, which means “Mother Goddess of the Earth”.
2. The height of Everest increases by about 4 millimeters every year.
3. The ascent takes approximately 2 months, taking into account the time for adaptation and acclimatization.
4. In 2004, a couple from Nepal became husband and wife on the summit of Everest.
5. Climbing is an expensive pleasure, the price is at least 50-60 thousand dollars.
6. Due to the large amount of garbage that climbers leave on the slopes, the Nepalese government obliges each expedition member to collect at least 8 kg of garbage or pay 4 thousand dollars.
7. The oldest conqueror of Everest is 80-year-old Japanese Yuichiro Miura.
8. The youngest is Jordan Romero, he was 13 years old.
9. Statistics say that for every 10 successful ascents there is 1 death.
10. The frozen bodies of climbers are not evacuated from the slopes of Everest. Moreover, human corpses serve as identification marks of a certain place or height.

No matter how attractive Everest is, there is a downside, sometimes scary and cruel. Every step with every hundred meters is given with great difficulty. And no one is immune from altitude sickness and death from hypoxia, pulmonary edema or frostbite, even the most trained athletes. But there are still extreme sports enthusiasts who put their lives on the line to conquer Everest and, feeling euphoric, enjoy the beauty of the world from its highest point.