Mount Everest, also known in
Nepal as Sagarmāthā and in
Tibet as
Chomolungma, is
Earth's highest mountain. It is located in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas. Its peak is 8,848 metres (29,029 ft) above sea level and is the 5th furthest summit from the center of Earth.
The international border between
China and Nepal runs across the precise summit
point. Its massif includes neighboring peaks Lhotse, 8,516 m (27,940 ft); Nuptse, 7,855 m (25,771 ft) and Changtse, 7,580 m (24,870 ft).
In 1856, the
Great Trigonometrical Survey of India established the first published height of
Everest, then known as
Peak XV, at 29,002 ft (8,840 m). The current official height of 8,848 m (29,029 ft) as recognized by China and Nepal was established by a
1955 Indian survey and subsequently confirmed by a
Chinese survey in
1975. In 1865, Everest was given its official
English name by the
Royal Geographical Society upon a recommendation by
Andrew Waugh, the
British Surveyor General of India. Waugh named the mountain after his predecessor in the post,
Sir George Everest, arguing that there were many local names, against the opinion of Everest.
Mount Everest attracts many highly experienced mountaineers as well as capable climbers willing to hire professional guides. There are two main climbing routes, one approaching the summit from the southeast in Nepal (known as the standard route) and the other from the north in Tibet. While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather, wind as well as significant objective hazards from avalanches and the
Khumbu Icefall.
The first recorded efforts to reach Everest's summit were made by British mountaineers. With Nepal not allowing foreigners into the country at the time, the British made several attempts on the north ridge route from the
Tibetan side. After the first reconnaissance expedition by the British in
1921 reached 7,
000 m (22,970 ft) on the
North Col, the
1922 expedition pushed the North ridge route up to 8,320 m (27,
300 ft) marking the first time a human had climbed above 8,000 m (26,247 ft).
Tragedy struck on the descent from the North col when seven porters were killed in an avalanche. The 1924 expedition resulted in the greatest mystery on Everest to this day:
George Mallory and
Andrew Irvine made a final summit attempt on June 8 but never returned, sparking debate as to whether they were the first to reach the top. They had been spotted high on the mountain that day but disappeared in the clouds, never to be seen again until
Mallory's body was found in
1999 at 8,155 m (26,755 ft) on the
North face.
Tenzing Norgay and
Edmund Hillary made the first official ascent of Everest in
1953 using the southeast ridge route.
Tenzing had reached 8,
595 m (28,199 ft) the previous year as a member of the
1952 Swiss expedition.
The 8,848 m (29,029 ft) height given is officially recognised by Nepal and China, although Nepal is planning a new survey.
In 1856, Andrew Waugh announced Everest (then known as Peak XV) as 29,002 ft (8,840 m) high, after several years of calculations based on observations made by the
Great Trigonometric Survey.
The elevation of 8,848 m (29,029 ft) was first determined by an Indian survey in 1955, made closer to the mountain, also using theodolites.[citation needed] It was subsequently reaffirmed by a 1975
Chinese measurement 8,848.13 m (29,029
.30 ft). In both cases the snow cap, not the rock head, was measured. In May 1999 an
American Everest
Expedition, directed by
Bradford Washburn, anchored a
GPS unit into the highest bedrock. A rock head elevation of 8,850 m (29,035 ft), and a snow/ice elevation 1 m (3 ft) higher, were obtained via this device. Although it has not been officially recognized by Nepal, this figure is widely quoted. Geoid uncertainty casts doubt upon the accuracy claimed by both the 1999 and
2005 surveys.
A detailed photogrammetric map (at a scale of 1:50,000) of the
Khumbu region, including the south side of Mount Everest, was made by
Erwin Schneider as part of the 1955
International Himalayan Expedition, which also attempted Lhotse. An even more detailed topographic map of the Everest area was made in the late
1980s under the direction of Bradford Washburn, using extensive aerial photography.
More information: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Everest
- published: 28 May 2015
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