The uniqueness of the Indian Himalayas. The height of the Himalayan mountains. Himalayas - the highest mountains Travel to the Himalayas

The Himalayas are replete with a huge number of rocky, almost vertical slopes that are very difficult to climb; you have to use all sorts of technical devices in the form of driven hooks, ropes, special ladders and other climbing equipment. Often rocky ledges alternate with deep cracks, and so much snow settles on the mountain slopes that over time it is compressed and turns into glaciers that close these cracks, which makes walking through these places deadly. It is not uncommon for snow and ice to descend, which, rushing down, turn into huge avalanches, demolishing everything in their path and capable of crushing climbers in seconds.

The air temperature in the Himalayas, when rising in altitude, decreases by about 6 degrees for every 1000 meters. So if at the foot of the mountain in summer the temperature is +25, then at an altitude of 5000 meters it will be about -5.

At altitude, the movements of air masses are usually intensified, often turning into hurricane winds, which makes movement very difficult, and sometimes makes it impossible, especially on the narrow ridges of mountain ranges.

Starting at an altitude of 5,000 meters, the atmosphere contains approximately half the oxygen at sea level to which the human body is accustomed. Lack of oxygen has a detrimental effect on the human body, sharply reduces its physical capabilities and leads to the development of so-called mountain sickness - shortness of breath, dizziness, chills and interruptions in heart function. Therefore, at this altitude, the human body usually needs time to acclimatize.

At an altitude of 6000 meters, the atmosphere is so thin and oxygen-poor that complete acclimatization is no longer possible. No matter what kind of physical activity a person experiences, he begins to slowly suffocate. Climbing to an altitude of 7000 meters is already mortally dangerous for many; at such a height the consciousness begins to become confused and even thinking becomes difficult. The height of 8000 meters is called the “death zone”. Here, even the strongest climbers can survive for only a few days at best. Therefore, all high-altitude ascents are carried out using oxygen breathing apparatus.

But representatives of the Nepalese Sherpa tribe, who permanently live in the Himalayas, feel quite comfortable at altitude and therefore, as soon as the Europeans began to “master” the mountain peaks of the Himalayas, the men of this tribe began to work as guides and porters on expeditions, receiving payment for this. Over time, this became their main profession. By the way, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, together with Edmund Hillary, were the first to climb the top of the Himalayas - Everest, the highest mountain in the world.

But these sometimes deadly dangers did not stop mountaineering enthusiasts. It took more than one decade for all these peaks to be conquered. Here is a brief chorology of climbing the highest mountains on our planet.

1950, June 3 - Annapurna

French climbers Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal climbed Annapurna Peak, which is 8091 meters high. Anapurna is considered the seventh highest mountain in the world. Located in Nepal, in the Himalayas east of the Gandaki River, which flows through the deepest gorge in the world. The gorge separates Annapurna and another eight-thousander, Dhaulagiri.

Climbing Anapurna is considered one of the most difficult climbs in the world. Moreover, this is the only conquest of an eight-thousander that was accomplished the first time, and moreover, without oxygen apparatus. However, their feat came at a high price. Since they were wearing only leather boots, Herzog froze all his toes and, due to the onset of gangrene, the expedition doctor was forced to amputate them. Over the entire period, only 191 people successfully climbed Annapurna, which is less than any other eight-thousanders. Climbing Annapurna is considered the most dangerous, with a mortality rate of 32 percent, like no other eight-thousander.

1953, May 29 - Everest "Qomolungma"

Members of the English expedition, New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Norgay Tenzing were the first to conquer Everest, a peak 8848 m high. In Tibetan, this mountain is called Qomolungma, which means “Goddess Mother of Snow.” Her Nepalese name is “Sagarmatha”, that is, “Mother of the Universe”. This is the highest mountain in the world. on the border of Nepal and China.

Everest is a triangular pyramid with three sides and ridges that extend to the northeast, southeast and northwest. The southeastern ridge is gentler and is the most widely used climbing route. It was this route to the top through the Khumbu glacier, the valley of silence, from the foot of Lhotse through the South Col that Hillary and Tenzing blazed for their first ascent. The British first attempted to climb Everest back in 1921. They then could not go from the south side, due to the ban of the Nepalese authorities, and tried to climb from the north, from Tibet. To do this, they had to go around the entire Chomolungma mountain range, traveling more than 400 kilometers to get to the top from China. But the time to go around was lost and the onset of the monsoons did not make it possible to climb. After them, a second attempt along the same route was made in 1924 by British climbers George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Irwin, which was also unsuccessful, ending in the death of both at an altitude of 8500 meters.

Despite its reputation as an extremely dangerous mountain, commercialized climbing of Everest has made it a very popular tourist attraction over the past few decades. According to the latest data, 5,656 successful ascents of Everest have been made, while 223 people have died. The mortality rate was about 4 percent.

1953, July 3 - Nanga Parbat

The peak is located in the north of Pakistan in the western part of the Himalayas. This is the ninth highest eight-thousander, 8126 meters. This peak has such steep slopes that even snow cannot stand on its top. In Urdu, Nangaparbat means "Bare Mountain". The first to climb the peak was the Austrian climber Hermann Buhl, a member of the German-Austrian Himalayan expedition. I made the ascent alone, without an oxygen apparatus. The ascent time to the top was 17 hours, and the descent time was 41 hours. This was the first successful ascent in 20 years of attempts; 31 climbers had already died there before.

According to the latest data, a total of 335 successful ascents have been made to Nanga Parbat. 68 climbers died. The mortality rate is about 20 percent, making it the third most dangerous eight-thousander.

1954, July 31 - Chogori, "K2", "Dapsang"

The first to summit K2, the second highest peak in the world, were Italian climbers Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni. Although attempts to conquer K2 began back in 1902.

Chogori Peak or Dapsang Peak is 8611 meters high, located on the Baltoro Muztagh ridge in the Karakoram mountain range, on the border of Pakistan and China. This mountain received the unusual name K2 in the 19th century, when a British expedition measured the heights of the peaks of the Himalayas and Karakoram. Each newly measured peak was given a serial number. K2 was the second mountain they stumbled upon and since then this name has been attached to it for a long time. Locals call this Lamba Pahar, which means “High Mountain”. Despite the fact that K2 is lower than Everest, it turned out to be more difficult to climb. Over the entire period, there have been only 306 successful ascents on K2. 81 people died while attempting to climb. The mortality rate is about 29 percent. K2 is often called the killer mountain

1954, October 19 - Cho Oyu

The first to climb the peak were members of the Austrian expedition: Herbert Tichy, Joseph Joechler and Sherpa Pazang Dawa Lama. The peak of Cho Oyu is located in the Himalayas, on the border of China and Nepal, in the Mahalangur Himal mountain range of the Qomolangma mountain range, approximately 20 km west of Mount Everest.

Cho Oyu means "Goddess of Turquoise" in Tibetan. It has a height of 8201 meters, it is the sixth highest eight-thousander. A few kilometers west of Cho Oyu is the Nangpa La pass with an altitude of 5716 m. This pass is the passage from Nepal to Tibet, paved by the Sherpas as the only trade route. Because of this pass, many climbers consider Cho Oyu to be the easiest eight-thousander. This is partly true, because all ascents are made from Tibet. But on the Nepal side, the southern wall is so difficult that only a few managed to conquer it.

In total, 3,138 people climbed Cho Oyu safely, more than any other peak except Everest. Mortality is 1%, less than any other. It is considered the safest eight-thousander.

1955, May 15 - Makalu

For the first time, the Frenchmen Jean Cousy and Lionel Terre climbed to the top of Makalu. The ascent to Makalu became the only one in the entire history of conquest of eight-thousanders, when all nine members of the expedition reached the summit, including the senior group of Sherpa guides. This happened not because Makalu is such an easy mountain, but because the weather was extremely good and nothing prevented the climbers from achieving this triumph.

At 8,485 meters, Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world, is located just 20 kilometers southeast of Everest. In Tibetan, Makalu means "Big Black". This unusual name was given to this mountain because its slopes are very steep and the snow simply does not hold on them, so it remains bare most of the year.

Defeating Makalu turned out to be quite difficult. In 1954, an American team led by Edmund Hillary, the first person to climb Everest, tried to do this, but they failed. And only the French, after a lot of preparatory work and well-coordinated team work, were able to accomplish this. In total, 361 people successfully climbed Makalu over the entire period, while 31 people died while attempting to climb. The mortality rate for climbing Makalu is about 9 percent.

1955, May 25 - Kanchenjunga

British climbers George Band and Joe Brown were the first to successfully climb Kanchenjunga. Before the ascent, local residents warned the climbers that the Sikkimese god lives on the top of this mountain and should not be disturbed. They refused to accompany the expedition and the British went to the ascent on their own. But either due to superstition, or for some other reason, having climbed to the top, they did not reach the very top a few feet, considering that the peak had been conquered.

Kanchenjunga is located on the Nepal-India border, approximately 120 kilometers south of Everest. The name "Kanchenjunga" translated from Tibetan means "Treasury of the Five Great Snows". Until 1852, Kanchenjunga was considered the highest mountain in the world. But after Everest and other eight-thousanders were measured, it turned out that it is the third highest peak in the world, its height is 8586 meters.

Another legend existing in Nepal says that Kanchenjunga is a woman mountain. And women are not allowed to attend on pain of death. Of course, climbers are not superstitious people, but nevertheless, only one female climber, Englishwoman Ginette Harrison, has ever climbed to its peak. All would be well, but a year and a half later, Ginette Harrison died while climbing Dhaulagiri. Over the entire period, 283 climbers successfully climbed Kanchenjunga. Of those who tried to rise, 40 people died. The lethality of the climb is about 15 percent.

1956, May 9 - Manaslu

The mountain is 8163 meters high, the eighth highest eight-thousander. There have been several attempts to climb this peak. For the first time in 1952, when, in addition to the British, the Swiss and French teams took the lead in conquering Everest, the Japanese decided to first conquer the Manaslu peak, located in Nepal about 35 kilometers east of Annapurna. They scouted out all the approaches and mapped out the route. The following year, 1953, we began the ascent. But the blizzard broke all their plans and they were forced to retreat.

When they returned in 1954, the local Nepalese took up arms against them, citing the fact that the Japanese had desecrated the gods and aroused their anger, because after the departure of the previous expedition, misfortune befell their village: there was an epidemic, a crop failure, a temple collapsed and three priests died. Armed with sticks and stones, they drove the Japanese away from the mountain. To settle matters with the local residents, a special delegation arrived from Japan in 1955. And only the following 1956, having paid 7,000 rupees for damages and 4,000 rupees for the construction of a new temple and having organized a big holiday for the village population, the Japanese received permission to climb. Thanks to beautiful weather, Japanese climber Toshio Imanishi and Sirdar Sherpa Gyaltsen Norbu climbed the peak on May 9. Manaslu remains one of the most dangerous eight-thousanders. In total there were 661 successful ascents of Manaslu, sixty-five climbers died during the ascent. The lethality of ascents is about 10 percent.

1956, May 18 - Lhotse

Fritz Luchsinger and Ernst Reiss, members of a Swiss team, became the first people to climb the 8,516-metre Lhotse peak, the fourth highest peak in the world.

Lhotse Peak is located on the border of Nepal and China, a few kilometers south of Everest. These two peaks are connected by a vertical ridge, the so-called South Col, whose entire height is above 8000 meters. Typically, ascents are carried out along the western, gentler slope. But in 1990, the Soviet Union team climbed the southern side, previously considered completely inaccessible, since it is a 3,300-meter almost vertical wall. A total of 461 successful ascents have been made on Lhotse. Over the entire period, 13 climbers died there, the mortality rate is about 3 percent.

1956 July 8 - Gasherbrum II

The peak is 8034 meters high, the thirteenth highest mountain in the world. For the first time, Austrian climbers Fritz Moravec, Josef Larch and Hans Willenpart climbed Gasherbrum II. They climbed to the summit along the south side along the southwest ridge. Before ascending to the peak itself, rising to a height of 7,500 meters, they set up a temporary camp for the night, and then launched an assault early in the morning. This was a completely new, untested approach to rock climbing, which was subsequently used by climbers from many countries.

Gasherbrum II is the second of four Gasherbrum peaks in the Karakoram on the Pakistan-China border, approximately 10 kilometers southeast of K2. The Baltoro Muztagh ridge, which includes Gasherbrum II, is known for the longest glacier of the Karakoram, more than 62 kilometers long. This was the reason that many climbers descended almost from the very top of Gasherbrum II on skis, snowboards and even with a parachute. Gasherbrum II is considered one of the safest and easiest eight-thousanders. 930 climbers successfully climbed Gasherbrum II and only 21 people died in unsuccessful attempts to climb. The mortality rate of ascents is about 2 percent.

1957, June 9 - Broad Peak

The mountain is 8051 meters high, the twelfth highest eight-thousander. The Germans first tried to climb Broad Peak in 1954, but due to low temperatures and stormy winds, their efforts were unsuccessful. The first to climb the peak were Austrian climbers Fritz Wintersteller, Markus Schmuck and Kurt Dimberger. The ascent was carried out along the southwestern side. The expedition did not use the services of porters and all the property was lifted by the participants themselves, which was quite difficult.

Broad Peak or "Jangiyang" is located on the border between China and Pakistan, a few kilometers southeast of K2. This area is still little studied and geographers hope that over time it can gain sufficient popularity. Over the entire period, there have been 404 successful ascents of Broad Peak. They were unsuccessful for 21 climbers who died while attempting to climb. The lethality of ascents is about 5 percent.

1958, July 5 - Gasherbrum I "Hidden Peak"

Mountain 8080 meters high. The peak belongs to the Gasherbrum-Karakorum mountain range. Attempts to climb Hidden Peak began a long time ago. In 1934, members of an international expedition were only able to rise to a height of 6300 meters. In 1936, French climbers reached the 6,900-meter mark. And only two years later, Americans Andrew Kaufman and Pete Schoening climb to the top of Hidden Peak.

Gasherbrum I or Hidden Peak, the eleventh highest eight-thousander in the world, one of the seven peaks of the Gasherbrum massif, is located in Kashmir in the Pakistan-controlled Northern Region on the border with China. Gasherbrum is translated from the local language as “Polished Wall”, and it fully corresponds to this name. Due to its steep, almost polished, rocky slopes, climbing it was rejected by many. A total of 334 people successfully summited the peak, while 29 climbers died while attempting the summit. Climbing mortality rate is about 9 percent.

1960, May 13 - Dhaulagiri I

“White Mountain” is 8167 meters high, the seventh highest of the eight-thousanders. The first to reach the summit were members of the European team: Dimberger, Shelbert, Diener, Forer and Sherpas Nyima and Nawang. For the first time, an airplane was used to transport expedition members and equipment. The “White Mountain” was noticed back in 1950 by the French, participants in the 1950 expedition. But then it seemed inaccessible to them and they switched to Annapurna.

Dhaulagiri I is located in Nepal, 13 kilometers from Annapurna, and the Argentines tried to climb to its peak back in 1954. But due to a strong snowstorm, we didn’t reach the top by only 170 meters. Although Dhaulagiri is only the sixth highest by Himalayan standards, it is quite a tough nut to crack. So in 1969, while attempting to climb, the Americans left seven of their comrades on the southeastern ridge. In total, 448 people successfully climbed to the top of Dhaulagiri I, but 69 climbers died in unsuccessful attempts. The lethality of ascents is about 16 percent.

1964, May 2 - Shishabangma

The peak with a height of 8027 meters. Eight Chinese climbers were the first to conquer Shishabangma: Xiu Jing, Zhang Zhongyan, Wang Fuzhou, Zhen San, Zheng Tianliang, Wu Zongyue, Sodnam Dozhi, Migmar Trashi, Dozhi, Yonten. For a long time, climbing this peak was prohibited by the Chinese authorities. And only after the Chinese themselves climbed to its peak, did it become possible for foreign climbers to participate in the ascents.

The Shishabangma mountain range, in Chinese “Geosenzhanfeng”, in Indian “Gosaintan”, is located in China in the Tibet Autonomous Region, a few kilometers from the Nepalese border. It consists of three peaks, two of which are higher than 8 kilometers. Shishabangma Main 8027 meters and Shishabangma Central 8008 meters. The ascent to the main peak is included in the “All 14 Eight-Thousanders of the World” program. In total there were 302 successful ascents of Shishabangu. Twenty-five people died trying to reach the summit. The mortality rate of ascents is about 8 percent.

As can be seen from the chronology of ascents to the highest peaks of the Himalayas, it took more than 40 years to conquer them. Moreover, according to the analysis of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, the most dangerous of all are: Annapurna, K2, and Nanga Parbat. On the ascents of these three peaks, the Himalayas took the life of every fourth person who encroached on their inaccessibility.

And yet, despite all these mortal dangers, there are people who have conquered all eight-thousanders. The first of them was Reinhold Messner, an Italian climber, a German by nationality from South Tyrol. And although already during the first ascent of Nanga Parbat in 1970, his brother Gunther died, and he himself lost seven toes; During the second ascent of Manaslu in 1972, his teammate died, this did not stop him. From 1970 to 1986, he climbed all 14 of Zamli's highest peaks one after another. Moreover, he climbed Everest twice, in 1978, together with Peter Habeler, along the classic route through the South Col, and in 1980, alone, along the northern route, and during the monsoon season. Both ascents did not use oxygen apparatus.

In total, there are now 32 people in the world who have conquered all 14 eight-thousanders, and these are probably not the last people who are waiting for the Himalayas.

The Himalayas are a world whose name, translated from Sanskrit, literally means “the place where snow lives.” Located in South Asia, this mountain range divides the Indo-Gangetic Plain and is home to most of the closest points to the sky on planet Earth, including Everest, the highest point (the Himalayas are not called the “roof of the world” for nothing). It is also known under another name - Chomolungma.

Mountain ecology

The Himalayan mountains have a wide variety of landscape shapes. The Himalayas lie on the territory of five countries: India, Nepal, Bhutan, China and Pakistan. Three large and powerful rivers - the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra - originate in the mountains. The flora and fauna of the Himalayas is directly dependent on climate, rainfall, mountain height and soil conditions.

The area around the base of the mountains is characterized by a tropical climate, while the tops are covered with perpetual ice and snow. Annual precipitation increases from west to east. The unique natural heritage and height of the Himalayan mountains are subject to modification due to various climatic processes.

Geological features

The Himalayas are mountains consisting primarily of sedimentary and mixed rocks. A distinctive feature of the mountain slopes is their steepness and peaks in the form of a peak or ridge, covered with eternal ice and snow and occupying an area of ​​​​about 33 thousand km². The Himalayas, whose height in some places reaches almost nine kilometers, are relatively young compared to other, more ancient mountain systems on Earth.

As it did 70 million years ago, the Indian plate is still moving and moving up to 67 millimeters per year, and over the next 10 million years it will move 1.5 km in an Asian direction. What also makes the peaks active from a geological point of view is that the height of the Himalayan mountains is increasing, gradually rising by approximately 5 mm per year. Such seemingly insignificant processes over time have a powerful influence in geological terms; in addition, the area is unstable from a seismic point of view, and earthquakes sometimes occur.

Himalayan river system

The Himalayas have the third largest deposits of ice and snow in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic. There are approximately 15 thousand glaciers in the mountains, which contain about 12 thousand cubic kilometers of fresh water. The highest areas are covered with snow all year round. The Indus, which has its origins in Tibet, is the largest and deepest river, into which many smaller ones flow. It flows in a southwesterly direction through India, Pakistan and flows into the Arabian Sea.

The Himalayas, whose height reaches almost 9 kilometers at its highest point, are characterized by great river diversity. The main water sources of the Ganges-Brahmaputra basin are the Ganges, Brahmaputra and Yamuna rivers. The Brahmaputra joins the Ganges in Bangladesh and together they flow into the Bay of Bengal.

Mountain lakes

The highest Himalayan lake, Gurudongmar in Sikkim (India), is at an altitude of about 5 kilometers. In the vicinity of the Himalayas there are a huge number of picturesque lakes, most of which are located at an altitude of less than 5 kilometers above sea level. Some lakes are considered sacred in India. Nepal's Lake Tilicho, in the vicinity of the Annapurna mountain landscape, is one of the highest on the planet.

The Great Himalayan mountain ranges contain hundreds of beautiful lakes throughout India and neighboring Tibet and Nepal. The Himalayan lakes add special appeal to the magnificent mountain landscapes; many of them are steeped in ancient legends and interesting stories.

Impact on climate

The Himalayas have a great influence on climate formation. They prevent the flow of cold, dry winds in a southerly direction, which allows a warm climate to reign in South Asia. A natural barrier is formed for the monsoons (causing heavy rainfall), preventing their movement in a northerly direction. The mountain range plays a certain role in the formation of the Taklamakan and Gobi deserts.

The main part of the Himalayan mountains is influenced by subequatorial factors. In the summer and spring season it is quite hot here: the average air temperature reaches 35 °C. At this time of year, the monsoons bring with them large amounts of precipitation from the Indian Ocean, which then falls on the southern mountain slopes.

People and culture of the Himalayas

Due to climatic conditions, the Himalayas (mountains in Asia) are a fairly sparsely populated region. Most people live in the lowlands. Some of them make a living as guides for tourists and escorts for climbers who come to conquer some mountain peaks. The mountains have been a natural barrier for many thousands of years. They stopped the assimilation of the interior of Asia with the Indian peoples.

Some tribes are based in the Himalayan mountain range, namely in Northeast India, Sikkim, Nepal, Bhutan, parts of West Bengal and others. Arunachal Pradesh itself is home to more than 80 tribes. The Himalayan mountains are one of the largest places in the world with a large number of endangered animal species as hunting is a very popular activity in the vicinity of the Himalayas. The main religions are Buddhism, Islam and Hinduism. A famous Himalayan myth is the story of Bigfoot, who lives somewhere in the mountains.

Height of the Himalayan mountains

The Himalayas rise almost 9 kilometers above sea level. They extend over a distance of about 2.4 thousand kilometers from the Indus Valley in the west to the Brahmaputra Valley in the east. Some mountain peaks are considered sacred among the local population, and many Hindus and Buddhists make pilgrimages to these places.

On average, the height of the Himalayan mountains in meters together with glaciers reaches 3.2 thousand. Mountain climbing, which gained popularity at the end of the 19th century, has become the main activity of extreme tourists. In 1953, New Zealander and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first to conquer Everest (the highest point).

Everest: mountain height (Himalayas)

Everest, also known as Chomolungma, is the highest point on the planet. What is the height of the mountain? Known for its inaccessible peaks, the Himalayas attract thousands of travelers, but their main destination is the 8,848-kilometer-high Qomolangma. This place is simply a paradise for tourists who cannot imagine their life without risk and extreme sports.

The height of the Himalayan mountains attracts a large number of climbers from all over the globe. As a rule, there are no significant technical difficulties with climbing certain routes, but Everest is fraught with many other dangerous factors, such as fear of heights, sudden changes in weather conditions, lack of oxygen and very strong gusty winds.

Scientists have accurately determined the height of every mountain system on Earth. This was made possible through the use of NASA's satellite observation system. Having measured the height of each mountain, we came to the conclusion that 10 of the 14 highest on the planet are in the Himalayas. Each of these mountains belongs to a special list of “eight-thousanders”. Conquering all these peaks is considered the peak of a mountaineer's skill.

Natural features of the Himalayas at different levels

The Himalayan swampy jungles located at the foot of the mountains are called "Terai" and are characterized by a wide variety of vegetation. Here you can find 5-meter thickets of grass, palm trees with coconuts, ferns and bamboo thickets. At an altitude of 400 meters to 1.5 kilometers there is a strip of rainforest. In addition to numerous species of trees, magnolias, citrus fruits and camphor laurel grow here.

At a higher level (up to 2.5 km), the mountain space is filled with evergreen subtropical and deciduous forests; here you can find mimosa, maple, bird cherry, chestnut, oak, wild cherry, and alpine mosses. Coniferous forests extend up to a height of 4 km. At this height, there are fewer and fewer trees, they are replaced by field vegetation in the form of grass and shrubs.

Starting 4.5 km above sea level, the Himalayas are a zone of eternal glaciers and snow cover. The fauna is also diverse. In different parts of the mountainous surroundings you can encounter bears, elephants, antelopes, rhinoceroses, monkeys, goats and many other mammals. There are many snakes and reptiles here, which pose a great danger to people.

The Himalayas are the highest mountain system on Earth. To date, the peak of Chomolungma (Everest) has been conquered about 1200 times. Among them, a 60-year-old man and a thirteen-year-old teenager managed to climb to the very peak, and in 1998 the first person with disabilities reached the peak.

The Himalayas are the highest and most powerful mountain system on the entire globe. It is assumed that tens of millions of years ago, the rocks that make up the Himalayan mountains formed the bottom of the ancient Tethys proto-ocean. The peaks began to gradually rise above the water as a result of the collision of the Indian tectonic plate with the Asian continent. The process of growth of the Himalayas took many millions of years, and not a single mountain system in the world can compare with them in the number of peaks - “seven thousand meters” and “eight thousand meters”.

Story

Researchers who studied the history of the origin of this in many respects unusual mountain system came to the conclusion that the formation of the Himalayas occurred in several stages, according to which the regions of the Shivalik Mountains (Pre-Himalayas), Lesser Himalayas and Greater Himalayas are distinguished. The first to break through the water surface were the Great Himalayas, whose hypothetical age is approximately 38 million years. After about 12 million years, the gradual formation of the Lesser Himalayas began. Finally, relatively recently, “only” seven million years ago, the “younger” Shivalik mountains saw the seeds.

Interestingly, people have been climbing the Himalayas since ancient times. First of all, because these mountains have long been endowed with magical properties. According to ancient Buddhist and Hindu legends, many mythological creatures lived here. In classical Hinduism, it is generally accepted that Shiva and his wife once lived in the Himalayas. Shiva is the god of creative destruction, one of the three most revered gods in Hinduism. If Shiva is a kind of reformer, in modern terms, then Buddha - who achieved enlightenment (bodhi) - was born, according to legend, at the southern foothills of the Himalayas.
Already in the 7th century, the first trade routes connecting China and India appeared in the rugged Himalayas. Some of these routes still play an important role in trade between the two countries (of course, these days we are not talking about multi-day treks on foot, but about road transport). In the 30s of the XX century. There was an idea to make transport links more convenient, for which it was necessary to build a railway through the Himalayas, but the project was never brought to life.
However, serious exploration of the Himalayan mountains began only in the period of the 18th-19th centuries. The work was extremely difficult, and the results left much to be desired: for a long time, topographers were unable to determine the height of the main peaks or draw up accurate topographic maps. But difficult trials only fueled the interest and enthusiasm of European scientists and researchers.
In the mid-19th century, attempts were made to conquer the highest peak in the world - (Chomolungma). But the great mountain, towering 8848 m above the ground, could give victory only to the strongest. After countless unsuccessful expeditions, on May 29, 1953, man finally managed to reach the top of Everest: the first to overcome the most difficult route was New Zealander Edmund Hillary, accompanied by Sherpa Norgay Tenzing.

The Himalayas are one of the centers of pilgrimage in the world, especially for adherents of Buddhism and Hinduism. In most cases, temples are located in holy Himalayan places in honor of the deities with whose deeds this or that place is associated. Thus, the temple of Sri Kedarnath Mandir is dedicated to the god Shiva, and in the south of the Himalayas, at the source of the Jamuna River, in the 19th century. A temple was built in honor of the goddess Yamuna (Jamuna).

Nature

Many people are attracted to the Himalayas by the diversity and uniqueness of their natural features. With the exception of the gloomy and cold northern slopes, the Himalayan mountains are covered with dense forests. The vegetation of the southern part of the Himalayas is especially rich, where the humidity level is extremely high and the average rainfall can reach 5500 mm per year. Here, like layers of a pie, zones of swampy jungle (the so-called terai), tropical thickets, and stripes of evergreen and coniferous plants replace each other.
Many areas in the Himalayan Mountains are under state protection. One of the most important and at the same time the most difficult to pass is Sagarmatha National Park. Everest is located on its territory. In the western region of the Himalayas lies the domain of the Nanda Devi Nature Reserve, which since 2005 has included the Valley of Flowers, which enchants with its natural palette of colors and shades. It is preserved by vast meadows full of delicate alpine flowers. Among this splendor, far from human eyes, live rare species of predators, including snow leopards (no more than 7,500 individuals of these animals remain in the wild), Himalayan and brown bears.

Tourism

The Western Himalayas are famous for their high-class Indian mountain resorts (Shimla, Darjeeling, Shillong). Here, in an atmosphere of complete peace and detachment from the bustle, you can not only enjoy breathtaking mountain views and air, but also play golf or go skiing (although most of the Himalayan routes are classified as “for experts”, on the western slopes there are routes for beginners).
Not only lovers of outdoor recreation and exotic things come to the Himalayas, but also seekers of real, unprogrammed adventures. Since the world became aware of the first ever successful ascent of the slopes of Everest, thousands of climbers of all ages and levels of training began to come to the Himalayas every year to test their strength and skills. Of course, not everyone achieves their cherished goal; some travelers pay for their courage with their lives. Even with an experienced guide and good equipment, traveling to the top of Chomolungma can be a difficult ordeal: in some areas the temperature drops to -60ºС, and the icy wind speed can reach 200 m/s. Those who dare to make such a difficult trek have to endure the vagaries of mountain weather and hardships for more than one week: guests of Chomolungma have every chance to spend about two months in the mountains.

general information

The highest mountain system in the world. Located between the Tibetan Plateau and the Indo-Gangetic Plain.

Countries: India, China, Nepal, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Bhutan.
Largest cities:, Patan (Nepal), (Tibet), Thimphu, Punakha (Bhutan), Srinagar (India).
Largest rivers: Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganges.

Largest airport: Kathmandu International Airport.

Numbers

Length: more than 2400 km.
Width: 180-350 km.

Area: about 650,000 km2.

Average altitude: 6000 m.

Highest point: Mount Everest (Chomolungma), 8848 m.

Economy

Agriculture: tea and rice plantations, growing corn, grains; livestock farming

Service sector: tourism (mountaineering, climatic resorts).
Minerals: gold, copper, chromite, sapphires.

Climate and weather

Varies greatly.

Average summer temperature: in the east (in the valleys) +35ºС, in the west +18ºС.

Average winter temperature: down to -28ºС (above 5000-6000 m temperatures are negative all year round, they can reach -60ºС).
Average precipitation: 1000-5500 mm.

Attractions

Kathmandu

Temple complexes of Budanilkantha, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, National Museum of Nepal;

Lhasa

Potala Palace, Barkor Square, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery

Thimphu

Bhutan Textile Museum, Thimphu Chorten, Tashicho Dzong;

■ Temple complexes of the Himalayas(including Shri Kedarnath Mandir, Yamunotri);
■ Buddhist stupas(memorial or reliquary structures);
■ Sagarmatha National Park(Everest);
■ National parks Nanda Devi and the Valley of Flowers.

Curious facts

About five or six centuries ago, a people called the Sherpas moved to the Himalayas. They know how to provide themselves with everything necessary for life in the highlands, but, in addition, they are practically a monopoly in the profession of guides. Because they are truly the best; the most knowledgeable and the most resilient.

Among the conquerors of Everest there are also “originals”. On May 25, 2008, the oldest climber in the history of climbing, a native of Nepal, Min Bahadur Shirchan, who was 76 years old at that time, overcame the path to the summit. There have been cases when very young travelers took part in expeditions. The latest record was broken by Jordan Romero from California, who climbed in May 2010 at the age of thirteen (before him, fifteen-year-old Tembu Tsheri Sherpa was considered the youngest guest of Chomolungma).

The development of tourism does not benefit the nature of the Himalayas: even here there is no escape from the garbage left by people. Moreover, in the future there may be severe pollution of the rivers that originate here. The main problem is that these rivers provide millions of people with drinking water.

Shambhala is a mythical country in Tibet, about which many ancient texts tell. Buddha's followers believe in its existence unconditionally. It captivates the minds of not only lovers of all kinds of secret knowledge, but also serious scientists and philosophers. In particular, the most prominent Russian ethnologist L.N. had no doubt about the reality of Shambhala. Gumilev. However, there is still no irrefutable evidence of its existence. Or they are irretrievably lost. For the sake of objectivity, it should be said: many believe that Shambhala is not located in the Himalayas at all. But in the very interest of people in the legends about her lies proof that we all really need the belief that somewhere there is a key to the evolution of humanity, which is owned by bright and wise forces. Even if this key is not a guide on how to become happy, but just an idea. Not yet open...

general information

The Himalaya mountain system at the junction of Central and South Asia is over 2,900 km long and about 350 km wide. The area is about 650 thousand km². The average height of the ridges is about 6 km, the maximum 8848 m is Mount Chomolungma (Everest). There are 10 eight-thousanders - peaks over 8000 m above sea level. In the northwest of the western chain of the Himalayas there is another highest mountain system - the Karakoram.

The population is mainly engaged in agriculture, although the climate allows for the cultivation of only a few types of cereals, potatoes and some other vegetables. The fields are located on sloping terraces.

Name

The name of the mountains comes from ancient Indian Sanskrit. "Himalaya" means "Abode of Snow" or "Kingdom of Snows".

Geography

The entire Himalayan mountain range consists of three distinctive steps:

• The first - the Pre-Himalayas (locally called the Shivalik Range) - is the lowest of all, the mountain peaks of which do not rise more than 2000 meters.
• The second stage - the Dhaoladhar, Pir Panjal and several other smaller ranges - is called the Lesser Himalayas. The name is quite arbitrary, since the peaks already rise to respectable heights - up to 4 kilometers.
• Behind them are several fertile valleys (Kashmir, Kathmandu and others), serving as a transition to the highest points of the planet - the Great Himalayas. The two great South Asian rivers - the Brahmaputra from the east and the Indus from the west - seem to embrace this majestic mountain range, originating on its slopes. In addition, the Himalayas give life to the sacred Indian river - the Ganges.

Records of the Himalayas

The Himalayas are a place of pilgrimage for the strongest climbers in the world, for whom conquering their peaks is a cherished goal in life. Chomolungma did not conquer immediately - since the beginning of the last century, many attempts have been made to climb to the “roof of the world.” The first to achieve this goal was the New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary in 1953, accompanied by a local guide, Sherpa Norgay Tenzing. The first successful Soviet expedition took place in 1982. In total, Everest has been conquered about 3,700 times.

Unfortunately, the Himalayas also set sad records - 572 climbers died trying to conquer their eight-kilometer heights. But the number of brave athletes does not decrease, because “taking” all 14 “eight-thousanders” and receiving the “Crown of the Earth” is the cherished dream of each of them. The total number of “crowned” winners to date is 30 people, including 3 women.

Minerals

The Himalayas are rich in mineral resources. In the axial crystalline zone there are deposits of copper ore, placer gold, arsenic and chromium ores. The foothills and intermountain basins contain oil, flammable gases, brown coal, potassium and rock salts.

Climatic conditions

The Himalayas are the largest climate division in Asia. To the north of them, continental air of temperate latitudes predominates, to the south - tropical air masses. The summer equatorial monsoon penetrates all the way to the southern slope of the Himalayas. The winds reach such strength there that they make it difficult to climb the highest peaks, so Chomolungma can only be climbed in the spring, during the short period of calm before the onset of the summer monsoon. On the northern slope, winds from the northern or western directions blow throughout the year, coming from the continent, which is supercooled in winter or very warm in summer, but is always dry. From northwest to southeast, the Himalayas extend approximately between 35 and 28° N, and the summer monsoon almost does not penetrate into the northwestern sector of the mountain system. All this creates large climatic differences within the Himalayas.

The most precipitation falls in the eastern part of the southern slope (from 2000 to 3000 mm). In the west, their annual amounts do not exceed 1000 mm. Less than 1000 mm falls in the zone of internal tectonic basins and in internal river valleys. On the northern slope, especially in the valleys, the amount of precipitation decreases sharply. In some places, annual amounts are less than 100 mm. Above 1800 m, winter precipitation falls in the form of snow, and above 4500 m snow occurs throughout the year.

On the southern slopes up to an altitude of 2000 m, the average temperature in January is 6...7 °C, in July 18...19 °C; up to an altitude of 3000 m, the average temperature of the winter months does not fall below 0 ° C, and only above 4500 m the average July temperature becomes negative. The snow line in the eastern part of the Himalayas passes at an altitude of 4500 m, in the western, less humidified part - 5100-5300 m. On the northern slopes, the height of the nival belt is 700-1000 m higher than on the southern ones.

Natural waters

High altitude and heavy precipitation contribute to the formation of powerful glaciers and a dense river network. Glaciers and snow cover all the high peaks of the Himalayas, but the ends of the glacial tongues have a significant absolute height. Most of the Himalayan glaciers belong to the valley type and reach no more than 5 km in length. But the further east you go and the more precipitation there is, the longer and lower the glaciers go down the slopes. The most powerful glaciation is on Chomolungma and Kanchenjunga, and the largest glaciers of the Himalayas are formed. These are dendritic type glaciers with several feeding areas and one main trunk. The Zemu glacier on Kanchenjunga reaches 25 km in length and ends at an altitude of about 4000 m. The Rongbuk glacier, 19 km long, slides down from Qomolungma and ends at an altitude of 5000 m. The Gangotri glacier in the Kumaon Himalayas reaches 26 km; one of the sources of the Ganges originates from it.

Especially many rivers flow from the southern slope of the mountains. They begin in the glaciers of the Greater Himalayas and, crossing the Lesser Himalayas and the foothills, reach the plain. Some large rivers originate from the northern slope and, heading towards the Indo-Gangetic Plain, cut through the Himalayas with deep through valleys. These are the Indus, its tributary the Sutlej and the Brahmaputra (Tsangpo).

The Himalayan rivers are fed by rain, glaciers and snow, so the main maximum flow occurs in the summer. In the eastern part, the role of monsoon rains in nutrition is great, in the west - snow and ice of the high mountain zone. The narrow gorges or canyon-like valleys of the Himalayas are replete with waterfalls and rapids. From May, when the most rapid melting of snow begins, until October, when the summer monsoon ends, rivers rush down from the mountains in rapid streams, carrying away masses of debris that they deposit when leaving the Himalayan foothills. Monsoon rains often cause severe floods on mountain rivers, during which bridges are washed away, roads are destroyed and landslides occur.

There are many lakes in the Himalayas, but among them there are none that can be compared in size and beauty with the Alpine ones. Some lakes, for example in the Kashmir Basin, occupy only part of those tectonic depressions that were previously filled entirely. The Pir Panjal range is known for numerous glacial lakes formed in ancient cirques or in river valleys as a result of their damming by moraine.

Vegetation

On the abundantly moistened southern slope of the Himalayas, altitudinal zones from tropical forests to high-mountain tundras are exceptionally pronounced. At the same time, the southern slope is characterized by significant differences in the vegetation cover of the humid and hot eastern part and the drier and colder western part. Along the foot of the mountains from their eastern extremity to the course of the Jamna River stretches a peculiar swampy strip with black silty soils, called the Terai. The Terai are characterized by jungles - dense thickets of trees and shrubs, almost impenetrable in places due to vines and consisting of soap trees, mimosa, bananas, low-growing palm trees, and bamboos. Among the terai there are cleared and drained areas that are used for the cultivation of various tropical crops.

Above the terai, on the damp slopes of the mountains and along river valleys up to an altitude of 1000-1200 m, evergreen tropical forests grow of tall palms, laurels, tree ferns and gigantic bamboos, with many vines (including the rattan palm) and epiphytes. Drier areas are dominated by thinner forests of salwood, which loses its leaves during the dry season, with rich undergrowth and grass cover.

At altitudes above 1000 m, subtropical species of evergreen and deciduous trees begin to mix with the heat-loving forms of the tropical forest: pines, evergreen oaks, magnolias, maples, chestnuts. At an altitude of 2000 m, subtropical forests give way to temperate forests of deciduous and coniferous trees, among which only occasionally are representatives of subtropical flora, for example, magnificently flowering magnolias found. The upper border of the forest is dominated by conifers, including silver fir, larch, and juniper. The undergrowth is formed by dense thickets of tree-like rhododendrons. There are many mosses and lichens covering the soil and tree trunks. The subalpine belt replacing forests consists of tall grass meadows and thickets of shrubs, the vegetation of which gradually becomes lower and sparse as it moves to the alpine belt.

The high-altitude meadow vegetation of the Himalayas is unusually rich in species, including primroses, anemones, poppies and other brightly flowering perennial herbs. The upper limit of the alpine belt in the east reaches an altitude of about 5000 m, but individual plants are found much higher. When climbing Chomolungma, plants were discovered at an altitude of 6218 m.

In the western part of the southern slope of the Himalayas, due to lower humidity, there is no such richness and diversity of vegetation; the flora is much poorer than in the east. There is a complete absence of the Terai strip, the lower parts of the mountain slopes are covered with sparse xerophytic forests and bushes, higher up there are some subtropical Mediterranean species like evergreen holm oak and golden olive, and even higher up coniferous forests of pine trees and magnificent Himalayan cedar (Cedrus deodara) predominate. The shrub undergrowth in these forests is poorer than in the east, but the meadow alpine vegetation is more diverse.

The landscapes of the northern ranges of the Himalayas, facing Tibet, are approaching the desert mountain landscapes of Central Asia. The change in vegetation with height is less pronounced than on the southern slopes. From the bottoms of large river valleys up to the snow-covered peaks, sparse thickets of dry grasses and xerophytic shrubs spread. Woody vegetation is found only in some river valleys in the form of thickets of low-growing poplars.

Animal world

The landscape differences of the Himalayas are also reflected in the composition of the wild fauna. The diverse and rich fauna of the southern slopes has a distinct tropical character. Many large mammals, reptiles, and insects are common in the forests of the lower slopes and in the terai. Elephants, rhinoceroses, buffalos, wild boars, and antelopes are still found there. The jungle is literally teeming with various monkeys. Particularly characteristic are macaques and thin-bodied animals. Of the predators, the most dangerous to the population are tigers and leopards - spotted and black (black panthers). Among the birds, peacocks, pheasants, parrots, and wild chickens stand out for their beauty and brightness of plumage.

In the upper mountain belt and on the northern slopes, the fauna is close in composition to that of Tibet. The black Himalayan bear, wild goats and sheep, and yaks live there. Especially a lot of rodents.

Population and environmental issues

Most of the population is concentrated in the middle zone of the southern slope and in intramountain tectonic basins. There is a lot of cultivated land there. Rice is sown on the irrigated flat bottoms of the basins; tea bushes, citrus fruits, and grapevines are grown on the terraced slopes. Alpine pastures are used for grazing sheep, yaks and other livestock.

Due to the high altitude of the passes in the Himalayas, communication between the countries of the northern and southern slopes is significantly complicated. Some passes are crossed by dirt roads or caravan trails; there are very few highways in the Himalayas. The passes are accessible only in summer. In winter they are covered with snow and completely impassable.

The inaccessibility of the territory has played a favorable role in preserving the unique mountain landscapes of the Himalayas. Despite the significant agricultural development of low mountains and basins, intensive grazing of livestock on mountain slopes and the ever-increasing influx of climbers from around the world, the Himalayas remain a refuge for valuable species of plants and animals. The real “treasures” are the national parks of India and Nepal - Nandadevi, Sagarmatha and Chitwan - included in the World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

Attractions

• Kathmandu: temple complexes of Budanilkantha, Boudhanath and Swayambhunath, National Museum of Nepal;
• Lhasa: Potala Palace, Barkor Square, Jokhang Temple, Drepung Monastery;
• Thimphu: Bhutan Textile Museum, Thimphu Chorten, Tashicho Dzong;
• Temple complexes of the Himalayas (including Sri Kedarnath Mandir, Yamunotri);
• Buddhist stupas (memorial or reliquary structures);
• Sagarmatha National Park (Everest);
• National parks Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers.

Spiritual and health tourism

Spiritual principles and the cult of a healthy body are so closely intertwined in various directions of Indian philosophical schools that it is impossible to draw any visible division between them. Every year, thousands of tourists come to the Indian Himalayas precisely to get acquainted with the Vedic sciences, the ancient postulates of the teachings of Yoga, and to improve the health of their body according to the Ayurvedic canons of Panchakarma.

The pilgrims' program necessarily includes visiting caves for deep meditation, waterfalls, ancient temples, and bathing in the Ganges, a river sacred to Hindus. Those suffering can have conversations with spiritual mentors, receive from them parting words and recommendations for spiritual and physical cleansing. However, this topic is so broad and versatile that it requires a separate detailed presentation.

The natural grandeur and highly spiritual atmosphere of the Himalayas captivate the human imagination. Anyone who has at least once come into contact with the splendor of these places will always be obsessed with the dream of returning here at least once more.

• About five or six centuries ago, a people called the Sherpas moved to the Himalayas. They know how to provide themselves with everything necessary for life in the highlands, but, in addition, they are practically a monopoly in the profession of guides. Because they are truly the best; the most knowledgeable and the most resilient.
• Among the conquerors of Everest there are also “originals”. On May 25, 2008, the oldest climber in the history of climbing, a native of Nepal, Min Bahadur Shirchan, who was 76 years old at that time, overcame the path to the summit. There have been cases when very young travelers took part in expeditions. The latest record was broken by Jordan Romero from California, who climbed in May 2010 at the age of thirteen (before him, fifteen-year-old Tembu Tsheri Sherpa was considered the youngest guest of Chomolungma).
• The development of tourism does not benefit the nature of the Himalayas: even here there is no escape from the garbage left by people. Moreover, in the future there may be severe pollution of the rivers that originate here. The main problem is that these rivers provide millions of people with drinking water.
• Shambhala is a mythical country in Tibet, about which many ancient texts tell. Buddha's followers believe in its existence unconditionally. It captivates the minds of not only lovers of all kinds of secret knowledge, but also serious scientists and philosophers. In particular, the most prominent Russian ethnologist L.N. had no doubt about the reality of Shambhala. Gumilev. However, there is still no irrefutable evidence of its existence. Or they are irretrievably lost. For the sake of objectivity, it should be said: many believe that Shambhala is not located in the Himalayas at all. But in the very interest of people in the legends about her lies proof that we all really need the belief that somewhere there is a key to the evolution of humanity, which is owned by bright and wise forces. Even if this key is not a guide on how to become happy, but just an idea. Not yet open...

The Himalayas in art, literature and cinema

• Kim is a novel written by Joseph Kipling. It tells the story of a boy who admires British imperialism while surviving the Great Game.
• Shangri-La is a fictional country located in the Himalayas, described in the novel Lost Horizon by James Hilton.
• Tintin in Tibet is one of the albums of the Belgian writer and illustrator Hergé. Journalist Tintin investigates a plane crash in the Himalayas.
• The film "Vertical Limit" describes the events taking place on Mount Chogori.
• Several levels in Tomb Raider II and one level in Tomb Raider: Legend are located in the Himalayas.
• The film "Black Narcissus" tells the story of an order of nuns who founded a monastery in the Himalayas.
• The Kingdom of the Golden Dragons is a novel by Isabel Allenda. Most of the events take place in the Forbidden Kingdom, a fictional state in the Himalayas.
• Drachenreiter is a book by German writer Cornelia Funke about Brownie and a dragon traveling to the "Edge of Heaven" - a place in the Himalayas where dragons live.
• Expedition Everest is a themed roller coaster at Walt Disney World Resort.
• Seven Years in Tibet is a film based on the autobiographical book of the same name by Heinrich Harrer, which describes the story of the adventures of an Austrian mountaineer in Tibet during the Second World War.
• G.I. Joe: The Movie is an animated film that tells the story of the Cobra-La civilization, which survived the Ice Age in the Himalayas.
• Far Cry 4 is a first-person shooter story that tells about the fictional region of the Himalayas, dominated by a self-proclaimed king.

Solarshakti / flickr.com View of the snow-capped Himalayas (Saurabh Kumar_ / flickr.com) The Great Himalayas - view on the way to Leh from Delhi (Karunakar Rayker / flickr.com) You will have to cross this bridge if you are going to Everest Base Camp (ilker ender / flickr.com) The Great Himalayas (Christopher Michel / flickr.com) Christopher Michel / flickr.com Christopher Michel / flickr.com Sunset on Everest (旅者河童 / flickr.com) The Himalayas from a plane (Partha S. Sahana / flickr.com) Lukla Airport, Patan, Kathmandu. (Chris Marquardt / flickr.com) Valley of Flowers, Himalayas (Alosh Bennett / flickr.com) Himalayan Landscape (Jan / flickr.com) Bridge over the Ganges (Asis K. Chatterjee / flickr.com) Kanchenjunga, Indian Himalayas (A.Ostrovsky / flickr.com) Climber at sunset, Nepal Himalayas (Dmitry Sumin / flickr.com) Manaslu - 26,758 feet (David Wilkinson / flickr.com) Himalayan wildlife (Chris Walker / flickr.com) Annapurna (Mike Behnken / flickr.com) ) On the border of India and Tibet in Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh (Partha Chowdhury / flickr.com) Beautiful place in Kashmir (Kashmir Pictures / flickr.com) Abhishek Shirali / flickr.com Parfen Rogozhin / flickr.com Koshy Koshy / flickr.com valcker / flickr.com Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal (Matt Zimmerman / flickr.com) Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal (Matt Zimmerman / flickr.com)

Where are the Himalaya mountains, the photos of which are so amazing? For most people, this question is unlikely to cause difficulty, at least they will answer exactly on which continent these mountains stretch.

If you look at a geographical map, you can see that they are located in the northern hemisphere, in South Asia, between the Indo-Gangetic Plain (in the south) and the Tibetan Plateau (in the north).

In the west they pass into the Karakoram and Hindu Kush mountain systems.

The peculiarity of the geographical location of the Himalayas is that they are located on the territory of five countries: India, Nepal, China (Tibet Autonomous Region), Bhutan and Pakistan. The foothills also cross the northern edge of Bangladesh. The name of the mountain system can be translated from Sanskrit as “abode of snow.”

Height of the Himalayas

The Himalayas contain 9 of the 10 highest peaks on our planet, including the highest point in the world - Chomolungma, which reaches an altitude of 8848 m above sea level. Its geographical coordinates: 27°59′17″ north latitude 86°55′31″ east longitude. The average height of the entire mountain system exceeds 6000 meters.

Highest peaks of the Himalayas

Geographical description: 3 main stages

The Himalayas form three main stages: the Siwalik Range, the Lesser Himalayas and the Greater Himalayas, each higher than the previous one.

1. Siwalik Range– the southernmost, lowest and geologically youngest step. It stretches for approximately 1,700 km from the Indus Valley to the Brahmaputra Valley with a width ranging from 10 to 50 km. The height of the ridge does not exceed 2000 m. Siwalik is located mainly in Nepal, as well as in the Indian states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.
2. The next step is the Lesser Himalayas, they run north of the Siwalik ridge, parallel to it. The average height of the ridge is about 2500 m, and in the western part it reaches 4000 m. The Siwalik Range and the Lesser Himalayas are strongly cut by river valleys, breaking up into separate massifs.
3. Greater Himalayas- the northernmost and highest step. The height of individual peaks here exceeds 8000 m, and the height of the passes is more than 4000 m. Glaciers are widely developed. Their total area exceeds 33,000 square kilometers, and their total fresh water reserves are about 12,000 cubic kilometers. One of the largest and most famous glaciers, Gangotri, is the source of the Ganges River.

Rivers and lakes of the Himalayas

The three largest rivers of South Asia - the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra - begin in the Himalayas. The rivers of the western tip of the Himalayas belong to the Indus basin, and almost all other rivers belong to the Ganges-Brahmaputra basin. The easternmost edge of the mountain system belongs to the Irrawaddy basin.

There are many lakes in the Himalayas. The largest of them are Lake Bangong Tso (700 km²) and Yamjo-Yumtso (621 km²). Lake Tilicho is located at an absolute elevation of 4919 m, which makes it one of the highest in the world.

Climate

The climate in the Himalayas is quite varied. The southern slopes are strongly influenced by the monsoons. The amount of precipitation here increases from west to east from less than 1000 mm to more than 4000 mm.

On the India-Tibet border in Kinnaur Himachal Pradesh (Partha Chowdhury / flickr.com)

The northern slopes, on the contrary, are in the rain shadow. The climate here is arid and cold.

In the highlands there are severe frosts and winds. In winter, temperatures can drop to minus 40 °C or even lower.

The Himalayas have a strong influence on the climate of the entire region. They act as a barrier to cold, dry winds blowing from the north, making the climate of the Indian subcontinent much warmer than neighboring regions of Asia at the same latitudes. In addition, the Himalayas are a barrier to the monsoons, which blow from the south and bring huge amounts of rainfall.

High mountains prevent these moist air masses from flowing further north, making Tibet's climate very dry.

It is believed that the Himalayas played a significant role in the formation of the deserts of Central Asia, such as the Taklamakan and Gobi, which is also explained by the rain shadow effect.

Origin and geology

Geologically, the Himalayas are one of the youngest mountain systems in the world; refers to the Alpine folding. It is composed mainly of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks, folded and raised to a considerable height.

The Himalayas were formed as a result of the collision of the Indian and Eurasian lithospheric plates, which began approximately 50-55 million years ago. This collision closed the ancient Tethys Ocean and formed an orogenic belt.

Flora and fauna

The flora of the Himalayas is subject to altitudinal zonation. At the foot of the Siwalik range, the vegetation consists of swampy forests and thickets, locally known as “terai”.

Himalayan Landscape (Jan / flickr.com)

Higher up they are replaced by evergreen tropical, deciduous and coniferous forests, and even higher by alpine meadows.

Deciduous forests begin to prevail at absolute elevations of more than 2000 m, and coniferous forests – above 2600 m.

At an altitude of more than 3500 m, shrubby vegetation predominates.

On the northern slopes, where the climate is much drier, the vegetation is much poorer. Mountain deserts and steppes are common here. The height of the snow line varies from 4500 (southern slopes) to 6000 m (northern slopes).

Wildlife of the Himalayas (Chris Walker / flickr.com)

The local fauna is quite diverse and, like vegetation, depends mainly on the altitude above sea level. The fauna of tropical forests on the southern slopes is characteristic of the tropics. Elephants, rhinoceroses, tigers, leopards, and antelopes are still found here in the wild; monkeys are numerous.

Higher up you can find Himalayan bears, mountain goats and sheep, yaks, etc. In the highlands you can also find such a rare animal as the snow leopard.

There are many different protected areas located in the Himalayas. Among them, it is worth noting the Sagarmatha National Park, within which Everest is partially located.

Population

Most of the population of the Himalayas lives in the southern foothills and intermountain basins. The largest basins are Kashmir and Kathmandu; these regions are very densely populated, and almost all the land here is cultivated.

Bridge over the Ganges (Asis K. Chatterjee / flickr.com)

Like many other mountain regions, the Himalayas have great ethnic and linguistic diversity.

This is explained by the inaccessibility of these places, due to which the population of almost every valley or basin lived very separately.

Contacts even with neighboring areas were minimal, since in order to get to them, it is necessary to overcome high mountain passes, which in winter are often covered with snow, and they become completely impassable. In this case, some intermountain basin could be completely isolated until next summer.

Almost the entire population of the region speaks either Indo-Aryan languages, which belong to the Indo-European family, or Tibeto-Burman languages, which belong to the Sino-Tibetan family. Most of the population professes Buddhism or Hinduism.

The most famous people of the Himalayas are the Sherpas, who live in the highlands of Eastern Nepal, including the Everest region. They often work as guides and porters on expeditions to Chomolungma and other peaks.

Annapurna Base Camp, Nepal (Matt Zimmerman / flickr.com)

Sherpas have hereditary altitude adaptation, thanks to which even at very high altitudes they do not suffer from altitude sickness and do not need additional oxygen.

Most of the population of the Himalayas is engaged in agriculture. If there is a sufficiently flat surface and water, people cultivate rice, barley, oats, potatoes, peas, etc.

In the foothills and in some intermountain basins, more heat-loving crops are grown - citrus fruits, apricots, grapes, tea, etc. In the highlands, breeding of goats, sheep and yaks is common. The latter are used as a beast of burden, as well as for meat, milk and wool.

Sights of the Himalayas

The Himalayas are home to a wide variety of attractions. This region has a huge number of Buddhist monasteries and Hindu temples, as well as simply places considered sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism.

Valley of Flowers, Himalayas (Alosh Bennett / flickr.com)

In the foothills of the Himalayas lies the Indian city of Rishikesh, which is sacred to Hindus and is also widely known as the yoga capital of the world.

Another sacred Hindu city is Hardwar, located at the point where the Ganges descends from the Himalayas to the plain. In Hindi, its name can be translated as “gateway to God.”

Among the natural attractions, it is worth mentioning the Valley of Flowers National Park, located in the Western Himalayas, in the Indian state of Uttarkhand.

The valley fully lives up to its name: it is a continuous carpet of flowers, completely different from ordinary alpine meadows. Together with the Nanda Devi National Park, it is a UNESCO heritage site.

Tourism

Mountaineering and mountain hiking are popular in the Himalayas. Of the hiking routes, the best known is the Annapurna Circuit, which runs along the slopes of the mountain range of the same name in north-central Nepal.

Climber at sunset, Nepal Himalayas (Dmitry Sumin / flickr.com)

The length of the route is 211 km, and its altitude varies from 800 to 5416 m.

Sometimes tourists combine this trek with a hike to Lake Tilicho, located at an absolute elevation of 4919 m.

Another popular route is the Manaslu Trek, which runs around the Mansiri Himal mountain range and overlaps with the Annapurna Circuit.

How long it will take to complete these routes depends on the person’s physical fitness, time of year, weather conditions and other factors. In high altitude areas, you should not gain altitude too quickly to avoid symptoms of altitude sickness.

Conquering the Himalayan peaks is quite difficult and dangerous. It requires good preparation, equipment and requires mountaineering experience.

Travel to the Himalayas

The Himalayas attract numerous tourists from Russia and other countries of the world. A trip to the Himalayas can be made at any time of the year, however, it is worth remembering that in winter many passes are covered with snow and some places become extremely inaccessible.

The most favorable time for trekking along the most popular routes is spring and autumn. In summer there is a rainy season, and in winter it is quite cold and there is a high probability of avalanches.