Why Everest and not Chomolungma? The highest mountain on earth is Everest. Description and information The highest peak in the world, Chomolungma

The most high point in the world (Mount Qomolungma - also known as Everest) is located in Asia, in the Himalaya mountain system, on the border of China, Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region (Chinese Autonomous Region). The mountain has always been and will be a peak that hundreds of thousands of people strive to conquer. Any self-respecting climber and mountaineer will set the conquest of the largest mountain on Earth as his final point of development.

Geographical location of Mount Everest

Chomolungma is a mountain that is part of the Himalaya mountain range (the mountain range is called Mahalangur Himal). Everest is located in Nepal, Tibet, China National Republic. It is adjacent to mountains such as Lhotse, South and North Col, Changtse.

Mountain chain The Himalayas are located on the territory of several Asian countries:

Attempts to calculate the height of the mountain

Since ancient times, people have tried to describe the height of this amazing mountain. The first person to suggest that the mountain has a height of more than 8 thousand kilometers and is the highest point in the world was the Indian mathematician and geometrician Radhanath Sikdar, who, based only on trigonometric calculations, proved the approximate height of this monumental natural structure. Being 240 kilometers from the place where Everest is located, he was able to prove the approximate height of the mountain above sea level, which allowed the British Indian Geodetic Survey to assemble an expedition and measure the height of the mountain. In 1856, based on the first official measurement of the height of Qomolungma, a figure was announced at 29,000 feet, which is equivalent to 8,839 meters. However, such a figure would seem insufficiently authoritative, since its round value could indicate inaccuracy of measurement, so the figure of 29,002 feet was nevertheless published.

Then, in 1950, an official expedition from China made more accurate measurements of the height and a value of 8 thousand 848 meters appeared, which is still recognized as correct. Of course, after this expedition there were other attempts to describe the height. Thus, in 1998, the Americans, using GPS, announced an altitude of 8,850 meters, which is 2 meters higher than the official altitude. Further, around the same time, the Italian geodesist Ardito Desio, studying the peak using modern radio equipment, proved the height to be 8,872 meters, which is 11 meters higher than usual. Despite the scientific validity of such studies, the results were still not officially accepted and, as of 2014, the official height of the mountain is 8,848 meters above sea level.

Mount Everest's status as the world's highest point would be more piquant if the mountain were located somewhere closer to Europe or America. In this case, the contrast would be visible and it would be possible to visually appreciate the greatness of Chomolungma in comparison with the nearby hills. But the mountain is located in the Himalaya mountain range where there are other points, and without looking closely it will be difficult to distinguish where Everest is and where Lhotse is, whose height is 8,516 meters.

In order to better imagine the scale of Everest, mention should be made of the highest point Caucasus Mountains– Elbrus and Mountain Altai- Belukha. The height of the first mountain (Elbrus), located in the Caucasus, is 5,642 meters, the height of Belukha is 4,506 meters. Comparing the heights of these peaks with a couple of the highest points of the Himalayas and Tibet, one can imagine the greatness of the latter and the inaccessibility of their conquest.

If you have had rock climbing experience (and in many cities this type of extreme recreation is gaining popularity) then you have an idea of ​​what kind of work it takes to conquer new and new peaks. But it’s one thing when you climb in a heated room, with mats on the floor and an instructor nearby, and quite another when, at a 4,000-meter altitude, fighting your fears, overcoming gusts of wind, throw the climber into the abyss, crawl up, literally biting into every centimeter of height . And only after overcoming this can you say with confidence that you are truly a climber.

Other points whose height exceeds 8 thousand meters include Chogori (8,611 meters), Kanchenjunga (8,586 meters), Manaslu (8,156 meters).

It is not surprising that the highest point in the world will attract extreme sports enthusiasts from all over the world. Hundreds of people arrive in Nepal with the goal of conquering greatest peak world - the city of Everest. But only a few of them actually achieve their goal. Locals are wary of most visitors to their country, but still welcome the flow of tourists as it allows them to earn money and increase their capital.

History of climbing Everest

The first attempt to climb to a height of more than 8 thousand meters was made in 1950 by a group of French climbers. That year they were able to conquer Mount Annapurna, but never reached Everest. This was the first conquest of a height of more than 8 thousand meters. Before him, there were attempts to conquer such a height (these were studies of the Himalaya and Karakoram mountain ranges), but they only allowed him to reach the 7-thousandth mark.

As for Chomolungma itself, the history of attempts to conquer it has thousands of stories. The most striking of them are the stories about the first ascent to a height of 8320 meters using oxygen by an American expedition; the story of Maurice Wilson, who died at an altitude of more than 7 thousand meters (he was notable for the fact that he had no special training and intended to reach the top only using supernatural powers).

And yet, the first ascent to the height of the mountain occurred in 1953, when New Zealand citizen Edmund Hillary, together with Nepalese resident Tenzing Norgay, conquered the height, also using oxygen cylinders. More than 30 Sherpas took part in that expedition, whose skill and experience made it possible to conquer this height.

The Soviet expedition was able to conquer Everest only in 1982, but it did it in a special way. Firstly, the conquest took place along a slope previously considered impassable, and two ascents of the mountain took place at night. It was also surprising that one of the climbers, Vladimir Balyberdin, climbed without an oxygen apparatus.

From this link you can see Everest in real time(open from 6-00 to 18-00 Moscow time)

Everest from the plane (shrimpo1967 / flickr.com) Everest (Neil Young / flickr.com) Mount Everest from Base Camp (Rupert Taylor-Price / flickr.com) Mount Everest, Base Camp and Rongbuk (Göran Höglund (Kartläsarn) / flickr. com) Top of Qomolungma (jo cool / flickr.com) View of Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com) cksom / flickr.com Mahatma4711 / flickr.com McKay Savage / flickr.com ilker ender / flickr.com Fred Postles / flickr. com Jeff P / flickr.com Everest in the clouds (Jean-François Gornet / flickr.com) utpala ॐ / flickr.com View of Everest from an airplane (Xiquinho Silva / flickr.com) Rick McCharles / flickr.com Climbing Everest (Rick McCharles / flickr.com) Everest Base Camp - Gorak Shep - Nepal (lampertron / flickr.com) akunamatata / flickr.com Summit of Mount Qomolungma (Everest) (TausP. / flickr.com) Denn Ukoloff / flickr.com Mount Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com) Returning from Everest Base Camp (valcker / flickr.com) Everest and Nuptse (smallufo / flickr.com) Stefanos Nikologianis / flickr.com

Everest or Chomolungma is the highest mountain peak in the world. It is located in the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and Tibet. autonomous region China. Geographical coordinates Mount Everest: 27°59′17″ north latitude and 86°55′31″ east longitude.

The height of Chomolungma is 8848 meters above sea level. For comparison, the height of Elbrus, the highest point in Russia, is only 5642 meters above sea level, i.e. at 3206 m below Chomolungma.

The first ascent of Everest was made on May 29, 1953 by New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay.

The mountain is best known throughout the world as "Everest". The peak was named after George Everest, who was the chief surveyor of British India in the 1830s and 40s.

Mount Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com)

Interestingly, the mountain was so named during Everest’s lifetime, about a year before his death. The name was suggested by a student of a scientist who calculated the exact height of the peak and thereby proved that it is the highest on Earth. Before this, the peak was also known as "Peak XV".

The traditional Tibetan name for the peak is Chomolungma, which can be translated as “mistress of the winds.” This name is widely used in Russian cartography, but in Western countries it is not very well known, as it is considered quite difficult to pronounce.

On maps published in our country, the peak is usually signed as “Qomolungma”, and the name “Everest” is indicated in brackets. The traditional Nepalese name for the mountain is also Sagarmatha.

Where is Mount Everest (Qomolungma)?

Almost every child knows where Everest is today. If you look at the geographical map, you can see that it is located in the highest mountain system on Earth - the Himalayas, on the border of Nepal and China.

Everest coordinates: 27°59′17″ N and 86°55′31″ E. Mount Everest is part of the Mahalangur Himal range; the Nepalese part is located within the Sagarmatha Park.

Summit of Everest

The top of Mount Chomolungma looks like a pyramid with three almost flat sides. The southern slope is steeper, snow and ice hardly even linger on it, the northern slope is somewhat flatter.

The relative height of the mountain is approximately 3550 m. The South Col Pass, whose height reaches 7906 meters above sea level, connects Everest with Mount Lhotse (8516 m), and the North Col Pass (7020 m) with Mount Changtse (7553 m). Most mountaineering routes pass through these two passes.

Geographical characteristics

The Khumbu Glacier is located in the basin between the peaks of Chomolungma and Lhotse. Below it turns into the icefall of the same name, which is considered the most dangerous section when climbing through the South Wing.

View of Everest (Christopher Michel / flickr.com)

This can be explained by the fact that the icefall is almost constantly in motion. To pass this place, climbers use various ladders and railings.

Below the icefall, the glacier continues again and ends only at an altitude of 4600 meters. Its total length is 22 km.

Another notable feature of the local topography is the Kangshung Wall. This is the eastern wall of the summit of Mount Qomolungma, whose height is 3350 meters and the base width is about 3000 meters.

At the foot of the wall there is a glacier of the same name. Climbing to the top along the Kangshung Wall is significantly more dangerous compared to standard routes.

Everest in the clouds (Jean-François Gornet / flickr.com)

Climate - what time of year is suitable for conquering Everest?

The summit of Everest is characterized by extremely unfavorable climatic conditions. There are often very strong winds here, blowing at speeds of more than 50 meters per second.

The temperature at the top never goes above 0 degrees. The average July temperature is minus 19 degrees, and average temperature January - 36 degrees below zero. On winter nights, temperatures can drop to 50-60 degrees below zero.

What period of the year is best suited to conquer the peak? Based on climatic conditions, the most favorable time for climbing is the beginning of May. At this time, the winds here are usually the least strong.

How was Everest formed?

The history of the formation of Everest is closely connected with the history of the formation of the Himalayas, which dates back many millions of years ago and stems from global geological processes.

Top of Chomolungma (jo cool / flickr.com)

About 90 million years ago, the Indian Plate broke away from the giant continent of Gondwana and began to move north quite quickly.

The speed of movement reached twenty centimeters per year, which is significantly greater than the speed of movement of any other plate of the earth's crust. About 50-55 million years ago, the Indian Plate began to collide with the Eurasian Plate.

As a result of this collision, the Eurasian plate was greatly deformed - a vast mountain belt was formed, the highest part of which is the Himalayas.

At the same time, the sedimentary rocks that previously made up the bottom of the ancient ocean were crushed into huge folds and often ended up at enormous heights. This explains the fact that the top of Everest is composed of sedimentary rocks.

Everest Education Scheme

Today, the Indian plate continues its movement in a northeast direction, deforming the Eurasian plate. In this regard, mountain-building processes in the Himalayas continue.

The height of the mountain system in general and individual peaks in particular continues to slowly increase by several millimeters per year.

During large earthquakes, changes in the height of an area can occur almost instantly and be much more significant.

Ecology: garbage left by climbers, bodies of the dead

The environmental situation on Mount Chomolungma leaves much to be desired. During the ascents, a huge amount of garbage accumulated on its slopes.

As of 2007, the Tibetan section of the mountain alone contains about 120 tons of various debris left by climbers. It is not entirely clear how to remove garbage from the slopes.

In the last few years, attempts have been made to collect waste, but this was clearly not enough. Another problem is the evacuation and burial of the bodies of deceased climbers.

• A rather interesting fact is that the water on the highest peak in the world boils at a temperature of only +68 °C. You'll probably ask: why? This is because the atmospheric pressure here is only a third of the normal pressure at sea level.
• Another interesting fact– this is the gradual growth of the mountain. Indeed, the height of Chomolungma increases every year by 3 to 6 millimeters. The same trend is characteristic of all the Himalayas, which is explained by the ongoing processes of mountain building and the associated rise of the territory.
• I would also like to mention this curious fact that Everest is the highest point in the world only if we take into account the height from the level of the world's oceans. Thus, the Mauna Kea volcano on the island of Hawaii rises 10,203 meters relative to the ocean floor, while its height above sea level is only 4,205 meters.

A place with a view of Everest

Thanks to the efforts of the www.AirPano.com team, the opportunity to take a virtual walk on Everest has become possible. AirPano specializes in virtual tours, filmed in high resolution bird's-eye. Below is a panorama overlooking Everest.

Coordinates: 27.988056 , 86.925278  /  (G) First ascent: May 29, by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary

Etymology

“Chomolungma” means “Divine” in Tibetan. The Nepali name of Chomolungma is “Sagarmatha” - meaning “Mother of the Gods”.

English name "Everest" Mount Everest) named after Sir George Everest George Everest, 1790-1866), head of the geodetic survey of British India in 1830-1843. This name was proposed in 1856 by J. Everest's successor, Andrew Waugh. Andrew Waugh, 1810-1878), simultaneously with the publication of the results of his collaborator R. Sikdar, who in 1852 first measured the height of “Peak XV” and showed that it was the highest in the region and probably in the whole world.

Climbing history

The highest peaks in the Chomolungma region

The first ascent was made on May 29, 1953 by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary.

Until 1950, about 50 expeditions were carried out to the Himalayas and Karakoram (to Chomolungma, Chogori, Kanchenjunga, Nanga Parbat and other peaks). Their participants managed to conquer several seven-thousand-meter peaks in these mountainous regions, but not a single attempt to storm the peaks of eight-thousand-meter giants was successful. The greatest results were achieved by English climbers when attempting to climb Chomolungma: in 1924, Norton reached a height of 8565 m, and George Mallory and Andrew Irwin (as estimated by N. Odell) - more than 8600 m (there is a lot of evidence that they died during the descent from the top, the debate about whether they reached the top or not continues today), in 1933 by P. Wyn-Harris, L. Wager and F. Smith - 8565 m.

The first “eight-thousander” conquered by man was Annapurna I. In 1950, French climbers M. Herzog and L. Lachenal climbed it.

The victory over the first eight-thousander shattered the myth about the inaccessibility of a peak of such a height and was a signal for climbers in many countries to “not be late” in making their first ascents of eight-thousanders. Over the next five years, six giants were conquered: Chomolungma (climbers of England), Nanga Parbat (Herman Buhl, Austria), Chogori (climbers of Italy), Cho Oyu (climbers of Austria), Kanchenjunga (climbers of England) and Makalu (climbers of France). In subsequent years, this desire grew. The traditional expeditions of such countries with developed mountaineering as Austria, England, Germany, France and Switzerland were supplemented by climbers from the USA, Italy, Japan, Argentina, China, India, and later - Czechoslovakia, Poland, Yugoslavia, South Korea and finally the USSR, Russia, Kazakhstan and Ukraine.

The first woman to climb Chomolungma was Japanese climber Junko Tabei;).

Literature

• Yonghusband Francis. The fight for Everest, M-L., Gosizdat, 1930.
• John Hunt. Climbing Everest (magazine version), 1956. (About Hillary's 1953 expedition)
• Wilfrid Noyce. "South Col" (Everest). M., Mysl, 1975
• Reinhold Messner. Everest: Expedition to the Ultimate (Everest: Expedition to the Ultimate), New York/London, 1979.
• Reinhold Messner. Everest Solo (English edition of The Crystal Horizon: Everest - The First Solo Ascent, 1980).
• Messner Reinhold. Crystal Horizon, M., 1990. (About the first solo ascent Everest without oxygen and during the monsoon).
• Everest-82. (The ascent of Soviet climbers to the highest peak of the world), M, FiS, 1984.
• Everest, southwest face: First owl. expedition to Everest - 8848 m., Himalayas-82 / Comp. L.M. Zamyatnin. - L.: Lenizdat, 1984. - 222 p.
• Fritz Rudolf. “Chomolungma and her children”, M, Raduga, 1983. (About Everest and a good hundred peaks of the Himalayas).
• Kononov Y. Victory over Everest (First Soviet expedition to Everest), Kyiv, 1985.
• Kielkowski Jan, Mount Everest massif, EXPLO, 2000. (Vicinities of Everest).

see also

Sources

Links

• Climbing routes to Everest (English), when you click on the number appears brief information and route statistics

Coordinates: 27°59′17″ n. w. 86°55′31″ E d. /  27.988056° s. w. 86.925278° E. d.(G)27.988056 , 86.925278

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

The highest peaks in the Chomolungma region

Qomolungma is located in the Himalaya mountain system, namely in the Mahalangur-Himal range, which is located on the border of the Republic of Nepal and the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic 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 on Earth, of which there are 117 (all of them are concentrated in the region of Central and South Asia). South peak just below, 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 ridges from the south are so steep that snow and glaciers cannot be held on them. The rock wall also has no snow cover. The remaining ribs, starting from about 5 km altitude, are covered by glaciers.

The part of Everest located on the Nepal side is part of national park"Sagarmatha". This is exactly what Sagarmatha is called the highest peak of the world in Nepali (translated as “Heavenly Peak”). On this side it is obscured by the Nuptse (7879 m) and Lhotse (8516 m) mountains. Beautiful views It is overlooked from the surrounding mountains of Kala Patthar and Gokyo Ri.

Chomolungma - this name is translated from Tibetan as “Mistress 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 target for climbers around the world.

Everest panorama

How was the height of Everest calculated?

It is noteworthy that until 1852 the highest point on the planet was considered multi-peaked. mountain range Dhaulagiri, also located in the Himalayas. The first topographical studies, carried out from 1823 to 1843, did not refute this statement.

After some time, doubts began to arise, and the first to express them was the Indian mathematician Radhanath Sikdar. 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 Chomolungma often changed: according to popular assumptions of that time, it was approximately 8872 meters. However, the English aristocrat and geodesist George Everest, who headed the geodetic survey of British India from 1830 to 1843, was the first to determine not only exact location 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 these courageous pioneers?

Climbing Everest

Organizing ascents to the “roof of the world” and conducting scientific research there were difficult not only because of the high cost of such events. Nepal and then-independent Tibet remained closed to foreigners for a long time. Only in 1921 did the Tibetan authorities give the go-ahead and the first expedition began exploring possible routes to climb Everest along northern slope. In 1922, monsoons and snowfalls prevented researchers from reaching the top, climbers used oxygen cylinders for the first time, and reached 8320 meters.

On the way to the top, every now and then you come across Buddhist shrines and memorials

Englishman George Herbert Leigh Mallory, a 38-year-old assistant professor from Cambridge and a famous mountaineer with extensive experience, was obsessed with the idea of ​​​​conquering 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 inaccessible height. Subsequently, he made two more ascent attempts, in 1922 and 1924. The third of them turned out to be the last and... fatal. On June 8, they, along with their teammate, 22-year-old student Andrew Irwin, went missing. From the ground they were last seen through binoculars at an altitude of approximately 8,500 meters. And then - that’s it: the fearless explorers suddenly disappeared from sight...

Mallory's fate became clear only 75 years later. 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 “J. Mallory,” as well as a letter from his wife found in his breast pocket. The corpse itself lay face down with outstretched arms, as if trying to embrace the mountain. When they turned him over, his eyes were closed, which meant only one thing: death did not come suddenly. Further examination of the remains of Chomolungma’s first victim showed that the legendary explorer suffered fractures of the tibia and fibula.

Thus, two versions were refuted at once: about death from a fall from a great height, 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 he was blown away by a strong wind into the nearest abyss, the depth of which is at least 2 km.

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

Between 1921 and 1952, about 11 unsuccessful ascent attempts were made. In 1952, an expedition from Switzerland tried twice to conquer the peak. But the high-altitude climbers returned with nothing.

Edmund Hillary in 1953

In 1953, New Zealand climbers joined the English 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 ascend to the “roof of the world.” They spent only 15 minutes there: due to insufficient oxygen, they simply could not do any more. Norgay symbolically buried cookies and sweets in the snow as an offering to the gods. It's funny that he couldn't photograph a New Zealander; he only managed to capture a Nepalese at the top.

Mount Everest (Qomolungma)

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

How did they feel, citizen of the distant island state V Pacific Ocean and a native of the mountainous Himalayan kingdom, who became the first conquerors of the top of the world? They hugged each other and patted each other on the back with feeling. It is probably impossible to convey the whole gamut of these emotions in words.

Everest at sunset

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 and the expedition crossed Antarctica a few years later. The British Queen Elizabeth II, who is also the monarch of New Zealand, knighted him. The New Zealand climber also 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 were sent to the “roof of the world.” The first American to set foot on the top of 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 had ever set foot before.

Since 1975 on the assault highest peak the planets moved the representatives of the fairer sex. The first woman to conquer Everest was a climber from the Country rising sun Junko Tabei, and Polish citizen Wanda Rutkiewicz, is the first European in this capacity. In 1990, the first Russian woman reached the top, it was Ekaterina Ivanova.

Desperate summit conquerors

More than 4 thousand people have already been to the top of Chomolungma. Many more than once. For example, Nepalese climber Apa Sherpa conquered it 21 times. Scientists say that mountain dwellers find it easier to stay at such a height. Still, the record set by a local resident of Chhurim, who climbed to the top twice in a week, is surprising.

Everest exploration is primarily a test of the limits 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 conquer the peak during the monsoon period, walked without the help of porters, and mastered the new route in record time. When you study the biographies of such desperate daredevils, you understand that the desire to conquer peaks is like a passion or a disease.

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

How the blind American Erich Weihenmayer (2001) and Mark Inglis with amputated legs (2006) were able to reach the top is known only to them. The goal of the daredevils was to show people all over the world that achieving their goal is a reality. And they did it!

Extreme cases

In the history of the conquest of Everest, human courage often borders on madness. Man is tireless in his desire to set new records and achievements, especially of this kind, with the prospect of going down in history.

First attempt to get down from it alpine skiing undertaken by the Japanese Miura, who only miraculously did not fall into the abyss. French snowboarder Marco Siffredi was less fortunate. For the first time, the descent from the summit along the Norton Couloir ended safely. In 2001, the brave athlete wanted 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 Cyril Desremo was the first to descend from the summit on a snowboard. Back in 1933, the Marquess of Clydesdale and David McIntyre flew over the top of the mountain in a biplane (an airplane with two wings located on top of each other).

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

Climbing today

About 500 people a year decide to conquer Everest (Chomolungma). This is a very expensive pleasure. A rise is possible from both Nepal and China. Departure from the former will cost more, while from Chinese territory it is cheaper, but technically more difficult. Commercial firms that specialize in escorting you to the top of the highest mountain on the planet ask for between 40 and 80 thousand dollars. The amount includes the cost of modern equipment and payment for porters. The Nepal government permit alone can cost between $10,000 and $25,000. The rise itself lasts up to two months.

Namche Bazar is a village on the way to Everest, which has an expanded tourist infrastructure where travelers can gain strength and prepare for the ascent

It is naive to think that without good health and proper physical training one can take on such a difficult and serious undertaking. Climbers expect the most difficult ascent, inhuman loads, cutting down steps in the ice, laying bridges over cracks in the harshest natural conditions. A person spends about 10,000 kilocalories per day 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 themselves, on the level of their training. A sudden hurricane or landslide can knock you off your feet and carry you into the abyss, and an avalanche can crush you like a small insect. Nevertheless, more and more daredevils decide to climb.

The capital of Nepal, Kathmandu, is reached by plane. The journey to 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 thin air and 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 driven into the rock.

Above 7500 meters the so-called “death zone” begins. There is 30% less oxygen in the air than under normal conditions. Blinding sun, knocking wind (up to 200 km per hour). Not everyone can withstand such realities, which one of the researchers compared with those on Mars.

A mild cold can result in pulmonary or cerebral edema. The cardiovascular system is working at its limit. Frostbite, fractures and dislocations during climbing are not uncommon. But you also need to go back 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 covered 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. Temperatures often drop 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 meager. However, it is here that the highest-living representative of the earth's fauna lives - the Himalayan jumping spider. Its individuals were discovered at an altitude of 6,700 meters, which seems simply unthinkable for the existence of life.

Somewhat lower, at a level of 5500 meters, a perennial herbaceous plant grows - yellow gentian. Even higher, at an altitude of 8,100 meters, the researchers observed the mountain jackdaw or chough, a member of the corvid family, a close relative of the alpine jackdaw.

Ecological situation

Recently, scientists have been sounding the alarm and calling for access to the highest peak in the world to be closed. The reason is the catastrophic level of pollution of Everest and its surroundings.

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 clear the slopes of traces of human activity.

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

Every inhabitant of the planet who has studied at least a little geography knows that the highest peak on Earth is Mount Everest. Few people know that many legends and mystical stories are associated with it. Due to complex weather conditions conquering the peak becomes a difficult mission for many climbers. Read on to find out where the legendary hill is located, the history of its origin and climate features.

Chomolungma is the highest peak on the planet, located in the Himalayas. Translated from Tibetan, “Chomolungma” means “Divine Mother of Life.” The mountain has two more names - Sagarmatha and Everest. The latter was named after the head of the Indian Geodetic Survey, George Everest, in 1856. He devoted 37 years to exploring this territory. This is what George Everest's successor, Andrew Waugh, suggested to name the mountain. In 1852, Radhanath Sikdar measured its height and proved that Everest is the highest high mountain in the world.

In 1950, a Chinese expedition measured the height of the mountain, which is how the figure of 8,848 meters appeared. These indicators are considered officially recognized. Then there were more attempts to measure the height of Everest. Italian scientist Ardito Desio measured the height of Chomolungma using radio equipment. He proved that its height is 8,872 meters, which is 11 meters more than official data.

Already in 1999, American scientists measured the exact height using GPS navigators; it was 8,850 meters above sea level. Due to the movement of the earth's plates, the height of Everest increases by several millimeters every year. As of 2014, the official height of the peak was 8,848 meters.

Where is Everest

Qomolungma is part of the Himalayan mountain range, part of the Khumbu Himal and part of Nepal's Sagarmatha National Park. The mountain has the shape of a triangular pyramid. There are two peaks in it. The highest is the northern one, which belongs to the territory of China. The southern peak is 8760 meters, located on the China-Nepal border. For a long time there were disputes about which country this miracle of nature belongs to. Since 1959, it has been generally accepted that Chomolungma is a national treasure of Nepal and China.

The southern slope of the mountain is steeper, as a result of which it remains without snow cover. On the last four meters of the peak there are glaciers. Glacial waters flow down all slopes, ending at an altitude of five km. System Himalayan mountains extends for 3000 km, and their width is 350 km.

Everest is adjacent to the Lhotse, South and North Col and Changtse mountains. In the east is the indescribable mountain wall Kangashug. The mountain range is located in China, India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Myanmar and Nepal.

How Everest came to be

Chomolungma is more than 60 million years old. As a result of the noticeable movement of two tectonic plates (Asian and Indian), the Himalayas were formed, above which Everest towered majestically. This region considered seismically active, so the height of the peak gradually increased. This is a scientific version of the origin of the highest elevation of the world.

Tibetans think completely differently. They support the theory that the mountain emerged from the sea. This is evidenced by archaeological finds in the form of fossilized remains of prehistoric fish and shells. In their opinion, a five-headed monster rose from the sea, which animals and birds were afraid of. Fairies began to protect nature, then they turned into five snowy hills. One of them was Chomolungma.

Chomolungma - the sacred mountain of the Sherpas

Among the local residents of Nepal you can meet Sherpas who live near Chomolungma. They are an ethnic group that migrated from China five centuries ago to the southern side of the Himalaya range. For several decades now, they have been serving as guides and accompanying teams of climbers to Everest. Centuries of living at high altitudes have made the Sherpas immune to data climatic conditions, so their experience is especially valued by many tourists.

Sherpas believe Everest sacred mountain, because, in their opinion, gods, demons and spirits live in it. There is a legend among the locals that once the Indian preacher Padmasabhavu (the founder of Tibetan Buddhism) came up with the idea of ​​organizing a competition to see who could conquer the peak of Chomolungma the fastest. His opponent was one of the lamas of the official Bon religion. The elder delivered a sunbeam to the top so that the enemy would lose. As a sign of his defeat, he left a drum on the mountain. Since then, when an avalanche of snow descends from the slopes of the mountain, the Sherpas have been beating drums in order to scare away evil spirits.

Before each ascent to Chomolungma, the Sherpas perform a special ritual. It consists of meditation and prayer. In this way they put their soul and thoughts in order. They ask the sacred mountain not to destroy their lives. At the foot of the mountain there is a repository of special items for ritual rituals: stupas, drums and mantras. They also remember all those who died on the mountain. A memorial pyramid was erected in their honor.

Everest climate conditions

Hundreds of climbers strive to conquer the mountain. The harsh climate prevents many from achieving their goals. In autumn and spring, at the top the wind reaches a speed of 300 km per hour. Severe storms can also occur in winter. At night the air temperature can drop to -50 - 60 C°, and during the day to -40 C°. Monsoon winds prevail here, coming from the south and bringing precipitation. Before each expedition, climbers wonder what the air temperature is at the top of the mountain. At any moment you can get caught in a strong storm or find yourself under an avalanche.

Cold air, low atmospheric pressure and lack of oxygen prevent vegetation from existing. At the same time, lower on the slopes you can find tufts of grass, some representatives of conifers and moss. In some places there are legendary shrubs (snow rhododendron), which can grow at a temperature of -23 C°, at an altitude of 5000 meters above sea level. Regarding the animal world, it is as poor as the plant world. It is home to Himalayan spiders and grasshoppers, which are able to survive at an altitude of 6000 meters.

History of climbing Everest

Chomolungma is considered one of the most dangerous places in the world. When it became known that this was the highest point on the planet, many brave men set out to conquer it. About 235 climbers and local residents died while ascending or descending the mountain from oxygen deprivation, low atmospheric pressure, frostbite, gale force winds, altitude sickness and rock falls.

In 1950, French climbers were only able to reach the summit of Annapurna. This is considered the first ascent to a height of more than eight thousand meters. As for the highest peak, the history of conquering the peak goes back to thousands of attempts. The first successful conquest of Everest took place in 1953 by Edmund Hillary and Norgay Tenzing. On their expedition they use oxygen cylinders.

From that moment on, for every climber, climbing this mountain became a lifelong dream. In 1982, a group of Soviet climbers climbed Everest. The route ran along a difficult slope at night. Only one of the expedition members, Vladimir Balyberdin, was able to climb without using an oxygen cylinder.

These are considered the most creepy and mystical stories.

An unusual legend is associated with the death of David Sharp, an English climber. He climbed the mountain without any extra equipment because he didn't have enough money to buy it. At an altitude of 8,000 meters, his oxygen tank failed. The climber lost consciousness and was left to die on the mountainside. Members of the expedition who passed by did not provide first aid to the dying man, as they sought to become the first conquerors of the highest peak on Earth. 100 meters from the summit, one of these climbers suddenly began to feel unwell and died a few hours later. Another experienced climber barely survived after suffering frostbite on his limbs, but was rescued. Local residents believe that the people were punished by mystical forces for their actions.

A similar situation arose with Indian athletes who were caught in an avalanche. The Japanese climbers, who were climbing to the top at that time, saw their helpless colleagues, but passed by. Therefore, before climbing a mountain, you should always rely only on your own strength and financial resources.

In 1994, climbers Irving and Mallory were able to conquer the summit, but died on the way back. What caused their death is not known. Climbers claim that to this day the remains of Mallory’s body can be seen on the mountainside, creating a terrifying sight.

Climbers set off to conquer the top of the mountain not only in groups, but also with their spouses. To local residents I especially remember the story of Sergei Arsentev and his wife Frances. They set a record by climbing to the top of Everest without oxygen, but something went wrong during the descent. The couple were separated due to severe weather conditions. When the climber was the first to reach the camp, he realized that something had happened to his wife. The woman was covered by an avalanche. The Russian athlete’s attempts to save his wife were unsuccessful. Arsentiev died after falling from a slope. Frances is the first woman to conquer Mt. She was called "Sleeping Beauty".