All about Mount Everest. The highest mountain in the world is Everest (Jomalangma). Description and photos of Mount Chomolungma: the etymology of the name

Mount Everest (Nepal) - detailed description, location, reviews, photos and videos.

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The highest peak of the planet Everest calmly looks at the world from a height of 8848 meters. Conquering Everest or, as the locals call it, Chomolungma (“mistress of the winds”) is an honor for any climber, a dream that in most cases remains unfulfilled. However, in our age of commerce and any tourist routes the impossible becomes less and less: at least 35,000 USD and two months of free time in reserve (plus excellent health) - and you soar above the clouds, standing on a 20-meter platform at the top of the world. And if you do not have such impressive reserves on your current account, but still want to join the beautiful, you can limit the route to parking at the Base or Advanced Base Camps of Everest. Prices on the page are for October 2018.

A bit of history and geography

Everest is the highest point on the planet, height - 8848 meters. The mountain is part of the Himalayas and lies exactly on the border between China (northern slope) and Nepal (southern slope), so you can climb from two countries at once, to choose from.

The appearance of Everest is a trihedral pyramid with two passes - the North and South saddles and two child peaks - Lhotse (South) and Changze (North). On the eastern side of the pyramid there is a wall inaccessible for climbing. Everest is covered with glaciers from a 5-kilometer height to the very top.

In the English version, the mountain is called Everest in honor of the head of the surveying service of British India in the mid-19th century, Sir George Everest. Well, the first person to rise to the "throne of God" was the New Zealander Edmund Hillary - it happened on May 29, 1953.

To date, more than 4,000 climbers have visited the highest peak in the world, and the lion's share of them falls on the recent years of the development of mountaineering on Everest and the commercialization of ascents. Every year more than 500 people storm the summit, but not all reach it.

Climbing Everest

Everest climbs are held in spring and autumn; during the rest of the year, monsoons rage here, in winter the temperature drops to -50 ° C, strong winds blow. Tours are organized by several agencies, including Russian ones. The main requirements for a potential conqueror of Everest: firstly, a round sum in reserve (at least 35,000 USD; the optimal package is 55,000 USD), and secondly, two months of free time (required for acclimatization, gradual ascent, training exits, etc. .), and thirdly, good health, allowing successful acclimatization at an altitude of almost 9 km.

The ascent program is built as follows. Arrival in Kathmandu, further flight to Lhasa, two transfers to villages closer to Everest, acclimatization day and transfer to Everest Base Camp at an altitude of 5300 meters. From the Base Camp - a cycle of training ascents and a transition to the Advanced Base Camp (6400 m). The actual ascent (at the top you stand no more than 20 minutes) and the return descent, then the route in the reverse order.

The main problem awaiting the conquerors of Everest is the inability to acclimatize. Otherwise, the route is designed for wealthy tourists who have already been everywhere with not the most outstanding level of physical training.

If you are not ready to part with such an impressive amount, you can limit yourself to climbing to the Everest Base Camp and spending here from one to one and a half months. At the same time, the cost will significantly decrease - up to 6000-8000 USD.

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.

Everyone who studied geography at school will easily remember the name of the highest peak on the planet. Everest has long attracted climbers, extreme sportsmen and admirers of everything mysterious. Its height has been repeatedly measured in Lately. 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 given by measurements 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 parties concerned agreed to conditionally consider the height equal to 8848 meters in 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 - "Goddess Mother 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 given to it by the British.

Dali in honor of a man who never climbed to its top and did not even come close to it.

George Everest Born July 4, 1790 in Wales, in the town of Gvernvale, in 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 excellently, especially pleasing his mathematics teachers with his successes. Everest finished 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 are solving 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 on which other states have now been formed, first of all, about Pakistan.

Theodolite - a measuring instrument used by George Everest

FEATURES OF FLORA AND FAUNA OF EVEREST

During the year, the climatic conditions on Everest are considered to be 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 fall 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 the spring and winter, the Chomolungme has a characteristic westerly wind.

Extreme conditions can withstand only a small part of plants and animals. In 1924, scientists made an amazing discovery, as it turned out, at an altitude of about 6700 meters, a jumping spider belonging to the araneomorphic genus was found. In order to survive, the little spider has to prey on 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 region of 5600 meters, scientists discovered a mountain goose. Only a few species of birds can withstand the pressure at the summit, 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 mowed down by a serious illness, which forced him to return to England.

In Britain, however, Everest continued to deal with the issues of the geodetic service of India - he ensured the supply of new instruments, solved 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, the mountain peaks of the Himalayas were also recorded, but 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, with the rank of colonel, retired and returned to England. Despite his considerable age, the honored surveyor decided to do what he had no time for 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.

Having worked 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. Waugh's measurements showed that "Peak XV" is not only the highest mountain in 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 put forward this idea in 1856, and over the next nine years, the community of English scientists came to the conclusion that Sir Everest deserved 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, became known as "Everest".

The sir is dead but the name lives on

The memory of the merits of the scientist-surveyor remained only in special literature and in encyclopedias, but the name given to the peak was so firmly fixed 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 opposing sides, offer this option: the entire mountain range is called Chomolungma, and the peak takes on 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. Painfully suitable for the highest peak of the planet was the name of the sir-surveyor.

It's funny that John Everest himself was of Welsh origin and called himself Ivrist. But the mountain in English transcription immediately began to be called Everist. For the whole world, who does not speak English well, she 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 in 1857 took part in a meeting about the names and spoke out against the use of his name. In his opinion, the name does not correspond well to local languages ​​and cannot be assimilated by the natives.

FIRST ASCENT OF JOMOLUNGMA

On May 26, 1953, for the first time, an attempt was made to climb impregnable Everest, but Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon, members of the British expedition, did not reach the top of 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 impregnable mountain. At the top, the climbers did not stay 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 impregnable slopes of Chomolungma. Thanks to many years of experience of professionals, there is a large set of safe routes. There are two most popular routes: following the North Ridge from Tibet and following the South East Ridge from Nepal. The latter is considered technically easier, so it is also recognized as the most popular among beginners.

Or Everest or Sagarmatha - the most high mountain peace. Yes, Chomolungma and Everest are one and the same.

Do not know, where is Chomolungma located? We inform you The mountain is part of the Mahalangur-Himal range in the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and Tibet. However, its peak itself is located in China. Near Everest there are several more mountains above 7 kilometers -, Changze, including another eight-thousander - Lhotse.

Mount Chomolungma (Everest) - height and facts

The height of Everest is 8848 meters, and the last 4 meters are solid ice. Chomolungma was "built" by nature in the form of a trihedral pyramid, the southern slope is steeper. Glaciers flow from the massif in all directions, ending at an altitude of about 5 km. Mount Chomolungma partly part of the Nepalese national park Sagarmatha. At the top of the Chomolungma, there are strong winds blowing at speeds up to 200 km / h.

Never rises above zero. The average norm in January is -36 ° C, but can drop to -60 at night. In July, the air warms up to -19.

But where is Chomolungma on the map.

Mount Chomolungma: the history of the name

Translated from Tibetan, "Chomolungma" means "Divine (qomo) Mother (ma) of life (lung - wind or life force)", named after the Bon goddess Sherab Chzhamma.

From the Nepalese name of the peak "Sagarmatha" means "Mother of the Gods".

English name given to Chomolungma - Everest(Mount Everest) was awarded in honor of Sir George Everest, the head of the Survey of British India in 1830-1843. This name was proposed in 1856 by George Everest's successor Andrew Waugh, at the same time as the publication of the results of his collaborator Radhanath Sikdar, who in 1852 first measured the height of "Peak XV" and showed that it is the highest in the whole world.

Everest: history of ascents

The first ascent of Chomolungma was made on May 29, 1953 by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary through the South Col. They used oxygen devices.

In subsequent years, climbers from different countries world - China, USA, India, Japan, Italy.

Spring 1975 Chomolungma, photo which you look further, is stormed for the first time by a women's expedition. The first woman to conquer Chomolungma was the Japanese climber Junko Tabei (1976). The first Polish woman and the first European to reach the summit was Wanda Rutkiewicz (1978). The first Russian woman to reach the summit was Ekaterina Ivanova (1990).

In May 1982, 11 members of the Soviet expedition of climbers conquered Everest, climbing the southwestern slope that was previously considered impassable, and 2 ascents were made at night. Prior to this, none of the climbers who were part of the expedition had climbed above 7.6 km.

In subsequent years, climbers from Great Britain, Nepal, the USA again climb Everest along the classical path of pioneers. South Korea, Austria and other countries.

As a rule, it is conquered by climbers in oxygen masks. At an altitude of 8 km, the air is rarefied, and it is very difficult to breathe. The first to reach the summit without oxygen were the Italian Reinhold Messner and the German Peter Habeler in 1978.

Flying over Everest

In 2001, a French couple, Bertrand and Claire Bernier, flew down from the summit in a tandem glider.

In May 2004, the Italian Angelo D'Arrigo for the first time in the history of aeronautics made a hang glider flight over the top of the highest mountain in the world.

On May 14, 2005, test pilot Didier Delsalle successfully landed a Eurocopter AS 350 Ecureuil helicopter on top of the mountain. It was the first such landing.

In 2008, 3 skydivers landed on the summit by jumping from an airplane flying at an altitude of just under 9 km (142 m above the highest point of the mountain).

Chomolungma and ski slopes

The first attempt to descend from the summit through alpine skiing was made in 1969 by the Japanese Miura. It didn't end the way he planned; Miura almost fell into the abyss, but miraculously managed to escape and survived.

In 1992, a French skier, Pierre Tardevel, skied down the slope of Everest. He left the southern peak, located at an altitude of 8571 m, and covered 3 km in 3 hours.

After 4 years, the Italian skier Hans Kammerlander descended from a height of 6400 m along the northern slope.

In 1998, the Frenchman Cyril Desremo made the first descent from the summit on a snowboard.

In 2000, the Slovenian Davo Karnichar moved from Chomolungma to skiing.

Climbing Everest: cemetery and corpses on the mountain

Since the first ascent to the summit in 1953, it has become a cemetery for more than 200 people. The bodies of the dead often remain on the slopes of the mountain due to the difficulties associated with their evacuation. Some of them serve as a guide for climbers. The most common causes of death: lack of oxygen, heart failure, frostbite, avalanches.

Even the most expensive and modern equipment does not always guarantee a successful ascent to the highest peak in the world. However, every year about 500 people try to conquer Chomolungma. The total number exceeded 3000 people.

Climbing to the top takes about 2 months - with acclimatization and setting up camps. Weight loss after climbing - an average of 10-15 kilograms. The main season for climbing Everest is spring and autumn, as there are no monsoons at this time. The most suitable season for climbing the southern and northern slopes is spring. In autumn you can climb only from the south.

At present, a significant part of ascents is organized by specialized firms and performed as part of commercial groups. The clients of these firms pay for the services of guides who provide the necessary training, equipment and, as far as possible, ensure safety along the way.

The cost of an all-inclusive climb (equipment, transport, guides, porters, etc.) averages from 40 to 80 thousand US dollars, and the climbing permit alone issued by the government of Nepal costs from 10 to 25 thousand dollars per person (depending on group size). The cheapest way to conquer Chomolungma is from Tibet.

A significant proportion of travelers reaching the summit are now wealthy tourists with minimal mountaineering experience.

According to experts, the success of the expedition directly depends on the weather and equipment. Climbing Everest continues to be a serious challenge for everyone, regardless of their level of preparation.

An essential role is played by acclimatization before climbing Everest. A typical expedition from the south side spends up to two weeks climbing from Kathmandu to Chomolungma Base Camp at 5364 meters and another month acclimatizing to the altitude before the first summit attempt is made.

The most difficult part of climbing Everest is the last 300 meters, nicknamed by climbers "the longest mile on Earth." Successful passage of this section requires overcoming a steep, smooth stone slope covered with powdered snow. no less difficult is the conquest of Chogori.

Chomolungma (Everest) and ecology

The number of tourists visiting the mountain (not the summit) from Nepal and Tibet over the past ten years has been in the hundreds of thousands. The volume of garbage accumulated on the slopes of the mountain is so great that Chomolungma (Everest) is "the highest mountain dump in the world." According to ecologists, after the conquerors, an average of 3 kg of garbage remains for each.

Mount Chomolungma photo:

Chomolungma is located in the Himalayas, namely in the Mahalangur-Himal range, which is located on the border of the Republic of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of China.

The height of its northern peak, located in China and considered the main one, is 8848 meters. This is an absolute record among the highest mountains of the Earth, of which there are 117 (all of them are concentrated in the region of Central and South Asia). The southern peak is slightly lower, 8760 meters, and it can be called "international": it is located on the border of two countries.

The mountain looks like a three-sided pyramid. The slope and ribs from the south are so steep that snow and glaciers do not hold on to them. Has no snow cover and rocky wall. The rest of the ribs, starting from about 5 km height, are covered with glaciers.

Part of Everest, located on the Nepalese side, is part of the Sagarmatha National Park. That is exactly what - Sagarmatha - is called the highest peak of the world in the Nepalese language (in translation - "Heavenly peak"). From this side, it is screened by the Nuptse (7879 m) and Lhotse (8516 m) mountains. Beautiful views of it open from the surrounding mountains of Kala Pathar and Gokyo Ri.

Chomolungma - this name is translated from Tibetan as "Lady of the Winds" - one of the ten mountain peaks, the so-called eight-thousanders, located in the Himalayas (there are only 14 of them in the world). Undoubtedly, it remains the most attractive destination for climbers around the world.

How Everest's Height Was Calculated

It is noteworthy that until 1852 the most high point The planet was considered to be the multi-peak mountain range Dhaulagiri, also located in the Himalayas. The first topographic surveys, carried out from 1823 to 1843, by no means refuted this assertion.

After some time, however, doubts began to arise, and the Indian mathematician Radhanat Sikdar became their first carrier. In 1852, being at a distance of 240 km from the mountain, he, using trigonometric calculations, made the assumption that Chomolungma or, as it was then called, Peak XV, was the highest peak in the world. Only four years later, more accurate practical calculations confirmed this.

Data on the height of the Chomolungma often changed: according to common assumptions of that time, it was approximately 8872 meters. However, the English aristocrat and geodetic scientist George Everest, who headed the British India Survey from 1830 to 1843, was the first to determine not only the exact location of the Himalayan peak, but also its height. In 1856, Chomolungma was given a new name in honor of Sir Everest. But China and Nepal did not agree with this renaming, although the merits of the outstanding surveyor were beyond doubt.

Today, according to officially confirmed data, Everest is located at an altitude of 8 km 848 m above sea level, of which the last four meters are solid glaciers.

Who are they, courageous pioneers?

The organization of ascents to the "roof of the world" and the conduct of scientific research there were difficult not only because of the high cost of such events. Nepal and then still independent Tibet remained closed to foreigners for a long time. Only in 1921, the Tibetan authorities gave the go-ahead and the first expedition began reconnaissance of possible routes to climb Everest along the northern slope. In 1922, monsoons and snowfalls prevented explorers from reaching the summit, climbers used oxygen tanks for the first time, and reached the mark of 8320 meters.

Englishman George Herbert Lee Mallory, a 38-year-old assistant professor from Cambridge and a famous mountaineer with extensive experience, was obsessed with the idea of ​​\u200b\u200bconquering Everest. In 1921, a group under his leadership reached a height of 8170 meters and set up camp, and he himself went down in history as the person who first set out to conquer this proud and impregnable height. Subsequently, he made two more attempts to climb, in 1922 and 1924. The third of them was the last and ... fatal. On June 8, they, along with their teammate, 22-year-old student Andrew Irwin, went missing. From their land to last time seen through binoculars at an altitude of about 8500 meters. And then - everything: the fearless explorers suddenly disappeared from sight ...

The fate of Mallory became clear only after 75 years. On May 1, 1999, an American search expedition discovered the remains of a brave climber at an altitude of 8230 meters. There was no doubt that it was him: he was identified by the patch on his clothes “J. Mallory," as well as a letter from his wife found in her breast pocket. The corpse itself lay face down with outstretched arms, as if trying to embrace the mountain. When he was turned over, his eyes were closed, which meant only one thing: death did not come suddenly. Further examination of the remains of the first victim of Chomolungma showed that the legendary explorer received fractures of the tibia and fibula.

Thus, two versions were refuted at once: about death from a fall from high altitude, and about death during the descent. As for Irwin, his body has not yet been found, although it is obvious to everyone that he also died then. And, most likely, then it was blown away by a strong wind into the nearest abyss, the depth of which is at least 2 km.

Another famous conqueror of the Chomolungma was the British officer and climber Edward Felix Norton, who in 1924 reached 8565 meters, which became absolute record, which held for the next thirty years.

In the period from 1921 to 1952, about 11 unsuccessful attempts were made to climb. In 1952, an expedition from Switzerland made two attempts to reach the summit. But the climbers returned with nothing.

In 1953, New Zealand climbers joined the British expedition. On May 29, 1953, 34-year-old New Zealander Edmund Hillary and 39-year-old Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people on Earth to climb the "roof of the world." They spent only 15 minutes there: due to insufficient oxygen, they simply could not do it anymore. Norgay symbolically buried cookies and sweets in the snow as an offering to the gods. It's funny that he could not photograph the New Zealander, at the top he managed to capture only the Nepalese.

Tenzing Norgay tried seven times with other expeditions to climb the top of Chomolungma. Each time he did it with a special philosophy of the representative of the mountain people. As the Sherpa later recalled in his book Tiger of the Snows, there was no bitterness in him. He felt like a child climbing into his mother's lap.

How did they feel, a citizen of a distant island nation in the Pacific Ocean and a native of a mountainous Himalayan kingdom, who became the first conquerors of the world's summit? They hugged and patted each other on the back. Probably, the whole gamut of these emotions cannot be expressed in words.

The world learned about the conquest of Everest only three days later. It is difficult to overestimate the significance of this event. The restless Hillary, together with the expedition, crossed Antarctica a few years later. The British Queen Elizabeth II, who is also the monarch of New Zealand, made him a knight. Also, the New Zealand climber became an honorary citizen of Nepal. In 1990, Hillary's son Peter climbed to the top.

After 1953, expeditions from the United States, India, Italy, and Japan went to the "roof of the world". The first American to set foot on the top of the Chomolungma was Jim Whittaker. This happened on May 1, 1963. After some three weeks, the world was waiting for a sensation akin to its first conquest - American climbers crossed the Western Ridge, where no human foot had ever set foot before.

Since 1975, representatives of the weaker sex have moved to storm the highest peak of the planet. The first woman to conquer Everest was Junko Tabei, a climber from the Land of the Rising Sun, and Wanda Rutkiewicz, a citizen of Poland, was the first European in this capacity. In 1990, the first Russian woman reached the summit, it was Ekaterina Ivanova.

Desperate climbers

More than 4 thousand people have already visited the top of the Chomolungma. Many more than once. For example, the Nepalese climber Apa Sherpa conquered it 21 times. Scientists say that the inhabitants of the mountains are easier to stay at such a height. And yet, the record set by a local resident of Chkhurim, who climbed to the top twice in a week, is surprising.

Everest exploration is, first of all, a test of the limit of human capabilities. The Italian R. Messner and the German P. Habeler climbed the mountain in May 1978 without oxygen masks. Messner subsequently climbed alone more than once and set a series of records. He was the first to overcome the summit during the monsoon period, passed without the help of porters, in record time mastered new route. When you study the biographies of such desperate daredevils, you understand that the desire to conquer the peaks is like passion or illness.

In 1982, the Soviet expedition climbed Chomolungma for the first time along a difficult route from the southwestern wall. The choice of athletes was similar to the selection of astronauts. 11 people made the ascent, one climber was without an oxygen mask, one conquered the summit at night. The photographs show that beauty with such a natural observation deck opens extraordinary. Words cannot express what a beautiful sight it is at night, under the light of the stars.

How the blind American Erich Weihenmeier (2001) and Mark Inglis with amputated legs (2006) managed to get to the top is known only to them. The goal of the daredevils was to show people around the world that achieving the goal is a reality. And they did it!

extreme cases

In the history of conquering Everest, human courage often borders on insanity. A person is tireless in striving to set new records and achievements, especially of this kind, with the prospect of going down in history.

The first attempt to ski down from it was made by the Japanese Miura, who only miraculously did not fall into the abyss. Less fortunate was the French snowboarder Marco Siffredi. For the first time, the descent from the summit along the Norton couloir ended successfully. In 2001, the brave athlete wished to take a different route, along the Hornbein couloir - and went missing.

The speed of skiers can be judged by the descent of the Frenchman Pierre Tardevel. From a height of 8571 meters, he traveled 3 km in 3 hours. In 1998, Frenchman Kiril Desremo was the first to descend from the summit on a snowboard. Back in 1933, the Marquis of Clydesdale and David McIntyre flew over the top of the mountain in a biplane (an airplane with two wings located one above the other).

Pilot Didier Delsalle first landed a helicopter on top of the mountain in 2005. They flew over Everest on hang gliders and paragliders, jumped off the plane on parachutes.

Climbing today

About 500 people a year decide to conquer Everest (Chomolungma). This is a very expensive pleasure. It is possible to rise from both Nepal and China. Departure from the first one will cost more, while from Chinese territory it will be cheaper, but technically more difficult. Commercial firms that specialize in escorting to the top of the highest mountain in the world ask from 40 to 80 thousand dollars. The amount includes the cost of modern equipment, payment for the services of porters. Only the permission of the government of Nepal can cost from 10 to 25 thousand dollars. The ascent itself lasts up to two months.

It would be naive to think that without heroic health and proper physical fitness one can aim at such a difficult and serious event. Climbers expect the most difficult ascent, inhuman loads, cutting steps in the ice, building bridges through cracks in the most severe natural conditions. About 10,000 kilocalories per day a person spends when climbing Everest (instead of the usual 3 thousand). During the ascent, climbers lose up to 15 kg of weight. And not everything depends on them, on the level of their training. A sudden hurricane or a collapse can knock you down and carry you into the abyss, and an avalanche will crush you like a small insect. Nevertheless, more and more daredevils decide to climb.

The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, is reached by plane. The road to the base camp takes about two weeks. It is located at an altitude of 5364 meters. The path here is not very difficult, the difficulties begin further. During adaptation to the extreme conditions of Everest, ascents alternate with descents to the camp. The body gets used to the rarefied air, cold. In preparation for the ascent, every detail is carefully checked. When a person is over an abyss, his life often depends on the strength of the cable and the steel carabiner hammered into the rock.

Above 7500 meters, the so-called "death zone" begins. Oxygen in the air is 30% less than under normal conditions. Blinding sun, knocking down wind (up to 200 km per hour). Not everyone can withstand such realities, which one of the researchers compared with Martian ones.

A mild cold can result in swelling of the lungs or brain. The cardiovascular system is at its limit. Frostbite, fractures and dislocations during climbing are not uncommon. And you also need to go down, which is no less difficult.

“The longest mile on earth” is what climbers call the last 300 meters, the most difficult section. It is a steep, very smooth slope, powdered with snow. And here it is - the "roof of the world" ...

Climatic conditions, flora and fauna

In summer, the temperature on Everest during the day does not rise above -19 degrees, and at night it drops to minus 50. The coldest month is January. Often the temperature drops to 60 degrees below zero.

Of course, in such extreme conditions, the animal and vegetable world cannot be rich and varied. On the contrary, it is very poor. However, it is here that the highest living representative of the terrestrial fauna lives - the Himalayan jumping spider. Its individuals were found at an altitude of 6700 meters, which seems simply unthinkable for the existence of life.

A little lower, at a level of 5500 meters, a perennial herbaceous plant grows - yellow gentian. Even higher, at an altitude of 8100 meters, the researchers observed the mountain jackdaw or chough, a representative of the corvidae family, a close relative of the alpine jackdaw.

Ecological situation

Recently, scientists have been sounding the alarm and calling for closing access to the most high peak peace. The reason is the catastrophic level of pollution of Everest and its environs.

Everyone who comes here leaves behind about 3 kg of garbage. According to preliminary estimates, more than 50 tons of waste have accumulated on the mountain. Teams of volunteers have been organized to clean the slopes from traces of human activity.

However, modern equipment and paved routes only increase the number of visitors here, traffic jams even occur on the routes. And the flow of tourists to the foot of the Chomolungma is growing every year ...

Perhaps every modern person knows that the highest mountain on earth is Everest. The absolute height of the famous peak is 8848 meters. It is located on the largest mountain system - the Himalayas. The mountain is also called Chomolungma (from Tibetan - "Divine Mother of Life / Holy Mother"), Sagarmatha (from Nepali - "Mother of the Gods") or Shengmu Feng (from Chinese - "Peak of the Holy Mother").

Description

The Himalayas is the highest mountain system in the world, which is located on the territory of Nepal, China (formerly Tibet), India, Pakistan and the Kingdom of Bhutan. Most of the eight-thousanders are also located here, including Everest (coordinates 2759′17′′N 8655′31′′E). Chomolungma has South and North peaks, but climbing is usually carried out on the second, because it is the cherished dream of any climber. The southern borders simultaneously with Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region, its height is 8760 m. The northern (main peak) is in the possession of the Republic of China, its height is 8848 m. Read more about, read the link.

The temperature at the top can reach minus 60 degrees in winter and rise to 0 in summer. The highest mountain on earth, Everest, is accessible for climbing only a few months a year, during other periods there are always strong winds at the top, which can reach 200 km / h and more. The entire mountain system was formed due to the movement of the Indian tectonic plate towards the Asian. Because of their collision, after many centuries, formed mountain ranges, among which Everest appeared.

There have been many attempts to determine the exact height of the mountain, the very first being made by an Indian mathematician who used trigonometric calculations. In 1985, he declared that the peak of Everest is the highest point on the planet. After that, there were many individuals who tried to reveal the true height of the Chomolungma, and each put forward his own theory. At the present time, the highest mountain on earth, Everest, has an officially confirmed height, namely 8848 meters, including glaciers. The height of the solid rock is 8844 m.

The top of the mountain is shaped like a pyramid with three sides. The peak is shaped by erosion and surrounded by huge glaciers. In 1856, the Europeans named the mountain after the geographer and chief surveyor of India, George Everest. George himself was against it. Prior to this, the mountain was called - "Peak XV".

Everest, the highest mountain on earth today

The current situation on the slopes of Chomolungma is not the best from an environmental point of view. A huge number of climbers who have visited the mountain annually leave tons of garbage. After expeditions, used oxygen tanks, masks and other equipment appear on the slopes, which are thrown right on the route. There is also a huge amount of feces, which at such a height does not decompose, but simply freezes.

Recently, a rule has been introduced that forces a deposit of $4,000 to be left. You can take the money back only if the climber brings 8 kilograms of garbage with him from the mountain. According to calculations, approximately this amount is left by each person during the ascent.

In addition to garbage, corpses that lie on the slopes for many years are not rare phenomena. Recently, more and more often special expeditions are carried out in order to remove all the bodies, but some still remain there to this day. You can read more about some of the dead in the article "Victims of Everest".

• A thirteen-year-old child, a dog and even a disabled person have already climbed Chomolungma.
• From the mountain, attempts were made to ski and snowboard, parachute jumps and hang-gliding were also performed.
• More than 4,000 people have already climbed the highest mountain on earth, Everest.
• At an altitude of more than 7500 meters (according to some reports 8000 m) the "Zone of Death" begins. At this level, only 30% of normal oxygen remains in the air. It is believed that a person practically cannot exist normally at such a height. The body does not rest and does not recover, but only spends its internal reserves of strength.
• The first people to successfully climb Everest are Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay in 1953. Read about the victims of Everest here.
• At an altitude of more than 6000 meters, no animals live except for one species of jumping spiders.
• The price for climbers to climb Everest can be more than $ 20,000, the amount is set by the government of Nepal individually for each group of climbers.
• The Himalayan mountain system is growing in height every year, so with each new year, Chomolungma will become higher and higher.

The highest mountain on earth, Everest has always been and remains the most desirable place for most climbers. They are not stopped by the fact that several people die there every year, and sometimes even several dozen. The temptation to climb to the top of this hulk sometimes surpasses common sense. In any case, the mountain bears the proud title of the highest and peak of the world. Nobody can take that away from her.