KATHMANDU, Nepal- With the tourism season beginning here after the end of monsoon, tourists visiting Nepal want to reach the world’s highest Mount Everest once. Every one among ten such tourists visiting Nepal desires to see, touch and feel the Everest. But, still, most of them are unaware of the facts about the mountain. All of them want to know the interesting facts associated with Mount Everest and the glorious Mount Everest Expedition. Location, history, climbing risk, and other interesting facts are the most intriguing things that come at first when mountaineers dare to think climbing Mount Everest. Even those trekkers who are only thinking for Everest Base Camp Trek, it is suggestive to know the basic information and facts related with Mount Everest.
Here are some interesting facts about Mount Everest that this reporter has compiled from various sources.
Mount Everest (8,848 meters) stands on the border between Tibet and Nepal in the Himalayan Mountains in Asia. The ever enthralling peak is the tallest mountain in the world. It is also the king of the eight-thousanders in the Himalayas. Himalayas — the tallest mountain range in the world — span across six countries: China, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan and Afghanistan.
Tenzing Norgay Sherpa of Nepal and Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand, were the first to reach the summit on May 29, 1953. During the historic climbing time on Everest by Tenzing and Hillary, China was closed to foreigners and Nepal allowed only one Everest expedition per year.
Because the summit is directly between Tibet and Nepal, Mount Everest can be climbed either from the Tibet (the north ridge) or from the Nepal side (the southeast ridge). Starting in Nepal and climbing from the southeast ridge is generally considered the easiest and so popular.
Most climbers attempt to climb Mount Everest from the southeast side, beginning around 17,700 feet at Everest Base Camp. Located in Nepal, Everest Base Camp is visited by thousands of trekkers each year.
Depending on the climate condition at the top of the peak, climbers must leave almost immediately once they reach the top to escape the thin air and to reach a safe point before dark. No one gets to hang out and enjoy the view.
The deadliest season in the history of Everest attempts was in 1996 when poor weather and other factors caused the deaths of 15 climbers.
In 2012, Apa Sherpa at the age of 52 had reached the summit 21 times. Every year climbers try to create history by summitting the peak by different ways.
80 years old Japanese Yuichiro Miura gained the title of oldest person to summit Everest on 23rd May 2013. Before this Min Bahadur Sherchan of Nepal was the oldest person to climb the mountain. Sherchan had also tried to regain his title after Miura climbed the peak but quit the climbing due to health condition.
British climber Kenton Cool is the first person to conquer all three peaks in Everest Horseshoe without returning to BC. Cool had summited Nuptse on 18th May 2013, Everest on 19th and Lhotse on 20th, in one climb.
Altogether 384,436 mountaineers have successfully scaled Mt. Everest till December 2012 since Tenzing Norgey Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary atop it for the first time in May 29, 1953.
According to the latest version of ‘Mountaineering in Nepal Facts & Figures’ made public by Tourism Industry Division under the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, a total of 35 different types of world record have been made in the highest peak in the world till date. Among 384, 436 successful mountaineer, 220 of them are female.
The legendary trail to Everest Expedition and to Everest Base Camp passes through the landmark of Khumbu region that is Sherpa Culture.
