Mt. Everest

“I’ve always hated the danger part of climbing, and it’s great to come down again because it’s safe . . . but there is something about building up a comradeship—that I  still believe is the greatest of all feats—and sharing in the dangers with your company of peers. It’s the intense effort, the giving of everything you’ve got. It’s really a very pleasant sensation.”

—Sir Edmund Hillary quoted in “Sir Edmund Hillary, A Pioneering Conquerer of Everest, dies at 88,” New York Times (January 10, 2008)

Mount Everest Fast Facts

1.   Mount Everest is the tallest mountain on earth.
2.   Mount Everest lies on the border of China and Nepal in the heart of the Himalayan mountain chain.
3.   Sherpas inhabit the Khumbu valley, which lies on the south side of Mount Everest, and have played a crucial role in the success of almost all Everest expeditions.
4.   Mount Everest is the only of the Seven Summits that is directly affected by the jetstream winds because of its immense height.

Altitude: 29,035 feet (8850m)

Summit GPS Waypoints: n2759.28677,  e8655.51464

Elevation Gain: (base camp to summit) South ridge route: 11,560 feet (3523m), plus 8980 feet (2737m) on trekking approach (total 20,540 feet, 6260m) Northeast ridge route: 11,445feet(3489m)

Distance: (base camp to summit) South ridge route:  12.5miles (20km), plus 50miles  (80km) on trekking approach (total 62.5miles, 100km) Northeast ridge route: 22.75miles (36.5km)

Difficulty Ratings: Technical: 4, Physical: 5

Time: (door to door) South ridge route: 57 days; Northeast ridge route: 58days

Season: April 1–June 1, September–October

 

Introduction:

Mount Everest is one of the most iconic symbols in the world. Whether you are a climber or not, you will undoubtedly have heard of Mount Everest and the climbing lore and reputation that goes with it. Mount Everest has pervaded popular culture, and the recent climbing boom has made Everest a household name. Mount Everest is certainly the most well known of the Seven Summits and the crowning achievement of the quest to climb them all. Mount Everest lies on the border between China and Nepal, which marks the crest of the Himalayan mountain chain that stretches from Pakistan in the west some 1800 miles (3000 km) east to Bhutan and China. The world’s largest mountain chain, it is still growing. The word Himalaya comes from the Sanskrit words him, meaning “snow,” and alaya, meaning “abode.” Other names for the mountain include Chomolungma (Tibetan) and Sagarmatha (Sanskrit).

The Nepalese part of the Himalayan chain includes eight of the fourteen 26,000-foot (8000 m) peaks. Mount Everest isn’t alone in dominating this great chain of mountains. Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Kangchenjunga, the world’s fourth, sixth, fifth, and third-tallest mountains, all lie within the immediate vicinity.