Forming Mount EverestRoughly pyramid shaped, and covered by glaciers, Mount Everest is part of the Himalayan mountain range, which runs along the border of Nepal and Tibet.The Himalayas are fold mountains formed millions of years ago by continental drift. At one time, the Tethys Sea separated the Indian subcontinent from the Asian continent. Over time, the Indian subcontinent drifted into the mainland and the sea was pushed upwards to form a series of parallel ridges, or folds. Incredibly, the tallest mountains in the world were once ocean bottoms and still contain marine fossils.

The Quest for Everest In 1590, a Spanish missionary to the court

of the Mughal emperor Akbar undertook the work of mapping the Himalayas for the first time ever. However, it was only in the middle of the 19th century that the heights of the Himalayan peaks were measured correctly. In 1856, a British mapping team established Peak XV at 8,848 m (29,028 ft) as the highest point on earth. Mt Everest was given its name in 1865 in honor of surveyor Sir George Everest, who was the surveyor general of India from 1830 to 1843.

Everest is an extremely inhospitable place. Temperatures at the top are typically around 33 degrees F below zero in the winter and can drop as low as 76 degrees F below. Temperatures only rise to an average of 0 degrees F during the warmest part of the summer and monsoon storms make Everest insurmountable during this period. The jet stream buffets the top of Everest with hurricane force winds for much of the year. During April and May, the jet stream shifts somewhat, offering relatively calm weather and this is when most climbs occur.

At 29,028 feet (8,848 meters), Mount Everest is the tallest mountain of the world. Known as Sagarmatha, or Goddess of the sky, in Nepal, Mount Everest has a mystical appeal that attracts thousands of hopeful climbers every year. It's impossible to say how many people have reached Everest's summit at any given time, since the number changes every year. As of the 2011 climbing season, 5,584 have climbed Everest and 3,448 different climbers from twenty different countries had reached the summit.

Because of the extreme conditions experienced on Mount Everest, fatalities are commonplace. By the end of 2010, 219 people had died trying to reach the summit. Most of these fatalities happened before 1990. In the last ten years, advances in climbing equipment and more experienced guides have resulted in a steep drop in fatality statistics: from 37% in 1990 to 4.4% in 2004.

Mt. Everest Facts

Mt. Everest Facts

Today, more people than ever are attempting to climb Mount Everest, but only about one in four will succeed. There are an estimated 120 bodies still on Everest; while many have been respectfully relocated, it is too difficult and dangerous to attempt to remove all of them.

Climbing Mt. Everest One of the first Everest expeditions

included British nationals George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Irvine. Their 1924 expedition was Mallory's third trip to mountain. In a 1922 attempt, climbers reached record altitudes before deteriorating weather conditions forced them to turn back.

Why climb Everest? "Because it's there", was the classic answer of George Mallory who became legendary due to his exploits on the highest peak of the world. British expeditions attempted Everest again in the following years, and Mallory arrived in 1924, in what was to be his last attempt on Everest.

Climbing Mt. Everest

In a final attempt for the summit, Mallory was accompanied by the young Oxford University student Andrew Irvine. They were attempting the Northeast Ridge to the summit of Everest. The two mountaineers were climbing with the help of bottled oxygen and were spotted by Noel Odell towards 1 p.m. on their summit day, on a rocky outcrop on the ridge. In Odell's words they were 'going strong for the top'. But, they disappeared into the clouds and were never seen again. It is a famous mountaineering debate whether Mallory and Irvine might have actually reached the top before the men who finally climbed Mt Everest in 1953. It will forever remain one of the greatest mysteries in the history of mountaineering.

Climbing Mt. Everest

When Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay climbed to the summit in 1953, they did so with the aid of bottled oxygen. In 1963, James Whittaker became the first American to reach the summit of Everest. In 1975, a Japanese woman named Junko Tabei became the first woman to summit. In a truly incredible first, American Erik Weihenmayer became the first blind person to scale Everest in 2001. In 2010, Jordan Romero , became the youngest to reach the summit at 13 years old.In 2008, a Japanese climber, Min Bahadur Sherchan , became the oldest person (76 years old) to reach the summit.

In 2005 Mona Mulepati and Pem Dorje, Sherpa. They were the first couple to get married on top of Mount Everest.

Total economic contribution from Mt. Everest Expedition teams in one climbing season of Spring 2011 $90,15,978.

Climbing Mt. Everest

Climbing EverestFrom home and back again, most trips to the top over Everest take about two and a half months. For a southern approach, climbers typically fly into Katmandu and spend several days there buying supplies and arranging travel visas. From Katmandu, they fly to Lukla and make their way overland to Base Camp, where they prepare for their Everest climb. Even the Base Camp is located at high altitude, so the journey there must progress gradually, usually taking one to two weeks.

Training to Climb Mount Everest

Prospective Everest climbers train in a variety of ways. Swimming, running, biking, weight lifting climbing are all excellent ways to improve physical condition. Endurance, stamina, and strength are all necessary. In anticipation of weight loss on Everest, most prospective climbers try to gain a little weight before their trip.

Training to Climb Mount Everest

Take mountaineering courses that teach you about technique, equipment, routes and survival. Then begin a minimum of two to three years of regular practice climbs in high alpine terrain, including steep faces, rough rocks, night climbs, ice falls and snow climbs.

Training to Climb Mount EverestRaise the cash. You'll need plenty, even a low-budget trip will cost $25,000, with guided package trips soaring to as much as $60,000. Realize that $10,000 goes to permits alone; then add travel, food, equipment, oxygen, insurance and Sherpa (a member of the Himalayan people living in Nepal and Tibet who are famous for their skill as mountaineers) fees. Some climbers approach corporations for sponsorship deals to cover their expenses.

Training to Climb Mount EverestPlan a May expedition. The weather is most cooperative then (when it isn't a whiteout, blowing 100-mph winds, and 50 degrees below zero). Six months in advance, you'll need to file for permits and send copies of passports and climbing letters of recommendation for your team to the Nepal Ministry and Administration, as well as to a trekking agency to help you with transporting your gear.

Training to Climb Mount Everest

Pack out all of your empty oxygen bottles and trash to get back your $4,000 environmental deposit and leave the mountain with good karma.

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