Mount Everest

Mount Everest (Tibetan: ཇོ་མོ་གླང་མ, Chomolungma456 or Qomolangma /ˈtʃoʊmoʊˌlɑːŋmə/ choh-moh-lahng-mə,76 "Holy Mother"; Chinese: 珠穆朗玛峰; pinyin: Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng; Nepali: सगरमाथा, Sagarmāthā8) is the earth's accomplished mountain, with a aiguille at 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) aloft sea level. Located in the Mahalangur area of the Himalayas, the all-embracing abuttals runs beyond the absolute acme point. Its massif includes adjoining peaks Lhotse (8516 m), Nuptse (7855 m) and Changtse (7580 m).

In 1856, the Great Trigonometric Survey of British India accustomed the aboriginal appear acme of Everest, again accepted as Aiguille XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m). In 1865, Everest was accustomed its official English name by

the

Royal Geographical Society aloft a advocacy by Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India. Waugh alleged the abundance afterwards his antecedent in the post, Sir George Everest. Although Tibetans had alleged Everest "Chomolungma" for centuries, Waugh was blind of this because Nepal and Tibet were bankrupt to foreigners.

The accomplished abundance on the apple attracts abounding well-experienced mountaineers as able-bodied as able climbers accommodating to appoint able guides. While not assuming abundant abstruse aggressive challenges on the accepted route, Everest presents dangers such as distance sickness, acclimate and wind.

Identifying the highest mountain

In 1808, the British began the Abundant Trigonometric Analysis of India to actuate the area and names of the world's accomplished mountains. Starting in southern India, the analysis teams confused arctic application behemothic 500 kg (1,100 lb) theodolites (each acute 12 men to carry) to admeasurement heights as accurately as possible. They accomplished the Himalayan foothills by the 1830s, but Nepal was afraid to acquiesce the British to access the country because of suspicions of political assailment and accessible annexation. Several requests by the surveyors to access Nepal were angry down.9



The British were affected to abide their observations from Terai, a arena south of Nepal which is alongside to the Himalayas. Conditions in Terai were difficult attributable to

torrential

rains and malaria—three analysis admiral died from malaria while two others had to retire attributable to declining health.9

Nonetheless, in 1847, the British apprenticed on and began abundant observations of the Himalayan peaks from ascertainment stations up to 240 km (150 mi) away. Weather belted assignment to the aftermost three months of the year. In November 1847, Andrew Waugh, the British Surveyor General of India fabricated several observations from Sawajpore base amid in the eastern end of the Himalayas. Kangchenjunga was again advised the accomplished aiguille in the world, and with absorption he acclaimed a aiguille above it, some 230 km (140 mi) away. John Armstrong, one of Waugh's officials, additionally saw the aiguille from a area further west and alleged it aiguille 'b'. Waugh would after address that the observations adumbrated that aiguille 'b' was college than Kangchenjunga, but accustomed the abundant ambit of the observations, afterpiece observations were appropriate for verification. The afterward year, Waugh beatific a analysis official aback to Terai to accomplish afterpiece observations of aiguille 'b', but clouds baffled all attempts.9

Naming

With the acme now established, what to name the aiguille was acutely the abutting challenge. While the analysis was afraid to bottle bounded names if accessible (e.g. Kangchenjunga and Dhaulagiri), Waugh argued that he could not acquisition any frequently acclimated

bounded name. Waugh's chase for a bounded name was bedfast by Nepal and Tibet's exclusion of foreigners. Abounding bounded names existed, including "Deodungha" ("Holy Mountain") in Darjeeling12 and the Tibetan "Chomolungma", which appeared on a 1733 map appear in Paris by the French geographer D'Anville. In the backward 19th century, abounding European cartographers added believed (incorrectly) that a built-in name for the abundance was "Gaurisankar",13. (Gauri Sankar is a abundance amid Kathmandu and Everest.)

Waugh argued that with the deluge of bounded names, it would be difficult to favour one name over all others. So, he absitively that Aiguille XV should be called afterwards George Everest, his antecedent as Surveyor General of India.914 He wrote

:

I was accomplished by my admired arch and predecessor, Colonel Sir George Everest to accredit to every bounded article its accurate bounded or built-in appellation. But actuality is a mountain, best apparently the accomplished in the world, after any bounded name that we can discover, whose built-in appellation, if it has any, will not actual acceptable be absolute afore we are accustomed to access into Nepal. In the concurrently the advantage as able-bodied as the

duty devolves on me to assign...a name whereby it may be accepted amid citizens and geographers and become a

domiciliary chat amid affable nations.15

Comparisons

The acme of Everest is the point at which the Earth's apparent alcove the greatest ambit aloft sea level. Several added mountains are sometimes claimed as another "tallest mountains on Earth". Mauna Kea in Hawaii is tallest back abstinent from its base;29 it rises over 10,200 m (6.3 mi) back abstinent from its abject on the mid-ocean floor, but alone attains 4,205 m (13,796 ft) aloft sea level.

By the aforementioned admeasurement of abject to summit, Mount McKinley, in Alaska, is additionally taller than Everest.29 Despite its acme aloft sea akin of alone 6,193.6 m (20,320 ft), Mount McKinley sits aloft a angled apparent with

elevations from 300 m (980 ft) to 900 m (3,000 ft), acquiescent a acme aloft abject in the ambit of 5,300 to 5,900 m (17,400 to 19,400 ft); a frequently quoted amount is 5,600 m (18,400 ft).30 By comparison, reasonable abject elevations for Everest ambit from 4,200 m (13,800 ft) on the south ancillary to 5,200 m (17,100 ft) on the Tibetan Plateau, acquiescent a acme aloft abject in the ambit of 3,650 to 4,650 m (11,980 to 15,260 ft).25

Climbing routes

Mt. Everest has two capital aggressive routes, the southeast backbone from Nepal and the northeast backbone from Tibet, as able-bodied as abounding added beneath frequently climbed routes.32 Of the two capital routes, the southeast backbone is technically easier and is the added frequently acclimated route. It was the avenue acclimated by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 and the aboriginal accustomed of fifteen routes to the top by 1996.32 This was, however, a avenue accommodation dictated added by backroom than by architecture as the Chinese bound was bankrupt to the western apple in the 1950s afterwards the People's Republic of China invaded Tibet.33



Most attempts are fabricated during May afore the summertime cloudburst season. As the cloudburst division approaches, a change in the jet beck at this time pushes it northward, thereby abbreviation the boilerplate wind speeds aerial on the mountain.3435 While attempts are sometimes fabricated afterwards the monsoons in September and October, back the jet beck is afresh briefly pushed northward, the added snow deposited by the monsoons and the beneath abiding acclimate patterns (tail end of the monsoon) makes aggressive acutely difficult

.

Southeast ridge

The ascendance via the southeast backbone begins with a campaign to Base Camp at 5,380 m (17,700 ft) on the south ancillary of Everest in Nepal. Expeditions usually fly into Lukla (2,860 m) from Kathmandu and canyon through Namche Bazaar. Climbers again backpack to Base Camp, which usually takes six to eight days, acceptance for able distance acclimatization in adjustment to anticipate distance sickness.36 Climbing accessories and food are agitated by yaks, dzopkyos (yak-cow hybrids) and animal porters to Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier. Back Hillary and Tenzing climbed Everest in 1953, the British campaign that they were allotment of (over 400 climbers, porters and sherpas at that point) started from the

Kathmandu Valley, as there were no anchorage added east at that time.

Climbers will absorb a brace of weeks in Base Camp, acclimatizing to the altitude. During that time, Sherpas and some campaign climbers will set up ropes and ladders in the betraying Khumbu Icefall. Seracs, crevasses and alive blocks of ice accomplish the icefall one of the most

dangerous

sections of the route. Many climbers and Sherpas accept been dead in this section. To abate the hazard, climbers will usually activate their ascendance able-bodied afore dawn, back the freezing temperatures cement ice blocks in place. Above the icefall is Camp I at 6,065 metres (19,900 ft).

Northeast ridge

The northeast backbone avenue begins from the arctic ancillary of Everest in Tibet. Expeditions expedition to the Rongbuk Glacier, ambience up abject affected at 5,180 m (16,990 ft) on a alluvium apparent aloof beneath the glacier. To ability Affected II, climbers arise the centermost backbone of the east Rongbuk Berg up to the abject of Changtse at about 6,100 m (20,000 ft). Affected III (ABC – Advanced Abject Camp) is anchored beneath the Arctic Col at 6,500 m (21,300 ft). To ability Affected IV on the arctic col, climbers arise the berg to the bottom of the col area anchored ropes are acclimated to ability the Arctic Col at 7,010 m (23,000 ft). From the Arctic Col, climbers arise the bouldered arctic backbone to set up Affected V at about 7,775 m (25,500 ft). The avenue crosses the Arctic Face in a askew ascend to the abject of the Yellow Band extensive the armpit of Affected VI at 8,230 m (27,000 ft). From Affected VI, climbers will accomplish their final acme push. Climbers face a betraying bisect from the abject of the First Step: 27,890 anxiety (8,500 m) – 28,000 anxiety (8,500 m), to the body of the climb, the Second Step: 28,140 anxiety (8,580 m) – 28,300 feet. (The Second Step includes a aggressive aid alleged the "Chinese ladder", a metal ladder placed semi-permanently in 1975 by a affair of Chinese climbers. It has been about continuously in abode since, and ladders accept been acclimated by around all climbers on the route.) Once aloft the Second Step the inconsequential Third Step is clambered over: 28,510 anxiety (8,690 m) – 28,870 anxiety (8,800 m). Once aloft these steps, the acme pyramid is climbed by a snow abruptness of 50 degrees, to the final acme backbone forth which the top is reached.38

Early expeditions

In 1885, Clinton Thomas Dent, admiral of the Alpine Club, appropriate that aggressive Mount Everest was accessible in his book Above the Snow Line.39



The arctic access to the abundance was apparent by George Mallory on the aboriginal campaign in 1921. It was an basic campaign not able for a austere attack to ascend the mountain. With Mallory arch (and

thus acceptable the aboriginal European to set bottom on Everest's flanks) they climbed the North Col 7,007 metres (22,989

ft). From there, Mallory espied a avenue to the top, but the affair was extemporaneous for the abundant assignment of aggressive any added and descended.

The British alternate for a 1922 expedition. George Finch ("The added George") climbed application oxygen for the aboriginal time. He ascended at a arresting speed—950 anxiety (290 m) per hour, and accomplished an distance of 8,320 m (27,300 ft), the first

time

a animal climbed college than 8,000m. This accomplishment was absolutely absent on the British aggressive establishment—except for its "unsporting" nature. Mallory and Col. Felix Norton fabricated a additional bootless attempt. Mallory was faulted for arch a accumulation bottomward from the North Col which got bent in an avalanche. Mallory was pulled bottomward too, but seven built-in porters were killed.

First successful ascent by Tenzing and Hillary

In 1953, a ninth British expedition, led by John Hunt, alternate to Nepal. Hunt called two aggressive pairs to attack to ability the summit. The aboriginal brace (Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans) came aural 100 m (300 feet) of the acme on 26 May 1953, but angry aback afterwards active into oxygen problems. As planned, their assignment in avenue award and breaking aisle and their caches of added oxygen were of abundant aid to the afterward pair. Two canicule later, the campaign fabricated its additional and final advance on the acme with its additional aggressive pair, the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali sherpa climber from Darjeeling, India. They accomplished the acme at 11:30 a.m. bounded time on 29 May 1953 via the South Col Route. At the time, both accustomed it as a aggregation accomplishment by the accomplished expedition, but Tenzing appear a few years after that Hillary had put his bottom on the acme first.46 They paused at the acme to booty photographs and active a few sweets and a baby cantankerous in the snow afore descending.

Thefts and other crimes

Some climbers accept appear life-threatening thefts from accumulation caches. Vitor Negrete, the

aboriginal Brazilian to ascend Everest after oxygen and allotment of David Sharp's party, died during his descent, and annexation from his high-altitude affected may accept contributed.97



In accession to theft, the 2008 book High Crimes by Michael Kodas describes bent guides and Sherpas, corruption and bank at the Tibet Base Camp, artifice accompanying to the auction of oxygen bottles, and climbers accession donations beneath the pretense of removing debris from the mountain.9899

Flora and fauna

Euophrys omnisuperstes, a minute atramentous jumping spider, has been begin at elevations as aerial as 6,700 metres (22,000 ft), possibly authoritative it the accomplished accepted non-microscopic abiding citizen on Earth. It lurks in crevices and may augment on arctic insects that accept been absolute there by the wind. It should be acclaimed that there is a aerial likelihood of diminutive activity at alike college altitudes.100 Birds, such as the Bar-headed Goose, accept been apparent aerial at the college altitudes of the mountain, while others, such as the Chough, accept been spotted as aerial as the South Col at 7,920 metres (25,980 ft)101 scavenging on food, or alike corpses, larboard by above-mentioned aggressive expeditions. There is a moss that grows at 6,480 metres (21,260 ft) on Mount Everest.102 It may be the accomplished distance bulb species.102