History of the mountain
Mount Everest, known in Chinese as Chomolungma(the Goddess Mother of Mountains), is the tallest mountain in the world. For over a hundred years, people from all over the world have undertaken the challenge to climb a mile into the air to see the top of the world. Over the years, the mountain has become a hot spot for thrill-seekers and adventurists. Young and old, men and women, most who venture to Mount Everest seek to conquer the 29,000 foot peak(It's as tall as 20 Empire State Buildings!).
Due to its popularity, however, Mount Everest has its fair share of problems. Due to the remoteness of the Himalayan mountains, where Mount Everest is found, getting trash and those who fail in their attempt to summit out is a struggle. The trail up the mountain is lined with forgotten equipment, oxygen tanks(most people need extra oxygen to climb), and even dead bodies. From altitude sickness to avalanches, from the Khumbu Ice Fall up to the Hillary Step, the climb is not easy. For those who accept the challenge, they will spend two months at Mount Everest, preparing their body and mind to reach the summit in below-freezing temperatures with winds that can reach 200 miles an hour. Many turn back. Some die. In all, nearly 8,000 people have attempted to summit Mount Everest. Only 660 of those conquered the mountain. Nearly 250 who have attempted to climb the mountain have perished in the attempt.
Due to its popularity, however, Mount Everest has its fair share of problems. Due to the remoteness of the Himalayan mountains, where Mount Everest is found, getting trash and those who fail in their attempt to summit out is a struggle. The trail up the mountain is lined with forgotten equipment, oxygen tanks(most people need extra oxygen to climb), and even dead bodies. From altitude sickness to avalanches, from the Khumbu Ice Fall up to the Hillary Step, the climb is not easy. For those who accept the challenge, they will spend two months at Mount Everest, preparing their body and mind to reach the summit in below-freezing temperatures with winds that can reach 200 miles an hour. Many turn back. Some die. In all, nearly 8,000 people have attempted to summit Mount Everest. Only 660 of those conquered the mountain. Nearly 250 who have attempted to climb the mountain have perished in the attempt.
Important people and dates
1953--First successful attempt at the climb by Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zeland and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal
1963--First Americans reach the summit
1996--11 climbers die in one night
2001--First person to snowboard from the summit
2001--First blind person summits
2010--Youngest climber--Jordan Romero of America
2013--Oldest Climber--80-year old Miura Yiuchiro of Japan
2016--Climbers summit for the first time in three years due to avalanches on the mountain
1963--First Americans reach the summit
1996--11 climbers die in one night
2001--First person to snowboard from the summit
2001--First blind person summits
2010--Youngest climber--Jordan Romero of America
2013--Oldest Climber--80-year old Miura Yiuchiro of Japan
2016--Climbers summit for the first time in three years due to avalanches on the mountain
Cool views!
This is a quick video showing a Google Earth route to the summit.
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This video from National Geographic follows one busy summit day on Mount Everest.
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Further Reading
To get more information:
Non-fiction Articles
Non-fiction Articles
- "The Graveyard in the Sky"-BBC News
- "Climbers Near Everest Summit for First Time in Three Years"-Reuters News--after avalanches closed the mountain in 2014 and 2015, Mt. Everest opened to climbers again in 2016.
- Non-fiction:
- No Summit Out of Sight--by Jordan Romero. After being the youngest person (13) to summit Mt. Everest, Jordan went on to climb the tallest mountain on all seven continents by the time he was 15.
- Fiction
- The Contest by Gordon Korman--Four kids compete to be the youngest kid to summit Mt. Everest.
- Peak by Roland Smith--After being arrested in New York, Peak has two choices: go to a detention home, or climb Mount Everest.
Who to follow
Facebook
- Alex Txikon is trying to summit Mt. Everest in winter (not the normal spring ascent)
- Brian Dickinson summitted Mt. Everest blind!
- Tim Mosedale is attempting to climb Mt. Everest during the 2017 season.
- Tim Mosedale-Here you'll find information on the 2017 expedition as well as gear reviews and photos of the summit.