Mount Everest
Mouth Everest is the Earth's tallest mountain in the Himalayan sub-range. Presently it is located between two countries. The vast mountain can be witnessed from Nepal and Tibet equally. In Nepal, the people call the mountain "Sagarmāthā," and the Tibetans call it "Chomolungma." Both countries respect the mountain as a symbol of something holy. The names also translate to "goddess of the blue sky" and "holy mother of the sky."
The Geography behind Mount Everest
Fifty million years ago, the Earth's Indian plate drifted north and bumped into the bigger Eurasian plate. Thus the crust crumpled, creating a huge uplift. Mount Everest lies at the center of this action, the edge of the Indian and Eurasian collision zone. The balance between the uplift and the erosion of hundreds of years gave the mountain the shape that is seen today. The cataclysmic continental clash from the erosion made the mountain so huge. Secondly, the mountain lies near the tropics of the geographical zone, which makes the snowline higher as the wind moves up. Mount Everest is in a perfect zone for continuous storming conditions. The multiple storms also play a huge role in its height and stature.
The Official Entitlement of the mountain
In 1849, a British survey was held to find records of locals and their respect towards Mount Everest. Many Nepalese locals were immigrating at the time, and the Tibetans had their battles. After a difficult exploration, many local names for Mount Everest were recorded. The people who ruled each region before left down many of those names. However, Andrew Waugh, a geographic researcher, named the official name. Andrew and the Royal Geographic Society officially named the mountain "Mount Everest" in 1865. The name was after the British Surveyor, Sir George Everest, a senior surveyor, and former researcher.
In 1852, Radhanath Sikhdar, a brilliant mathematician from India, calculated a trigonometrical survey and concluded that Mount Everest could be the highest summit in the World. Countries like China and England performed additional surveys to determine the mountain's actual height. In 2020, China and Nepal declared that the peak's approximate height was 8849 meters.
The Beginning of Expedition and its Dangers
In 1953, two people reached the peak of the highest point on Earth and made history. One of them was a man from New Zealand named Edmund Hillary. The other was a mountain climber originating from Nepal named Tenzing Norgay. On May 29th, at exactly 11.30 A.M, the two men stepped onto the peak of Mount Everest.
Since then, many climbers have decided to sign up for the same adventure. Every year, hundreds of mountain climbers aspire to reach the top of the peak of Mount Everest. As there was the admiration of people, there was danger of death too. Recording back from 1921, during the British Reconnaissance Expedition, many people died due to snow avalanches and storms. The records still pile up when a mountain fails to reach the top and gets attacked by snow storms and avalanches.
Among the many dangers of the snow, multiple hunting animals reside in the Himalayan range. Some of the dangerous ones are Snow Leopards, Himalayan black bears, Wild Yaks, and Euophrys omnisuperstes: a small and very toxic spider. Many climbers end up in danger and lose their lives because of the ferocious animals on Mount Everest. Most animals are adapted to survive in harsh cold weather and can easily target humans during snow storms and isolate them.
Although, one of the most dangerous animals would be the Euophrys omnisuperstes. The toxic spider is known to be one of the oldest creatures in the World. It is strong enough to survive even at the peak of the mountain. Many climbers do not realize when they get bitten by the Euophrys omnisuperstes spider. The spiders are so small that they can hide in the boots and release toxin chemicals without any pain. Many exhibitioners and adventurers die before reaching the top summit because of poisoning.
Hundreds of adventure-seekers dream of climbing Mount Everest in a safe environment. They form base camps and hunker for months to get used to the weather and the pathway to the top of the mountain to become sturdy to scale on. It takes around three months to prepare for the journey. And after finding a suitable place for the base camp, it takes about 19 to 20 days to walk the trekking path and return to the base safely. Altogether it takes around 40 days to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return to the base camp if the weather does not hinder it.
However, climbers often get stuck on the trek's path due to snow storms and slides. The best thing is to keep waiting instead of getting lost and buried under a pile of snow. Mountain climbers always prepare small snacks for trek climbing. The harsh weather and the trekking consume more than 70 % of their energy. The most common food items are granola bars, nuts, canned meats, fruits, and protein bars. If they are lucky enough to return, the base camps are also used for cooking for mountain climbers.
The mountain's highest peak is called the "Death Zone." It is known to be the riskiest region of Mount Everest. The harsh winds and lack of oxygen lead to losing consciousness for many climbers. Many climbers choose to take extra oxygen for safety. However, it is advised not to stay at the summit for more than 15 hours. Climbers often lose track of time admiring the beauty of the highest place on the Earth and stay long enough to witness the sunrise. It is also necessary to rest before climbing down the treks as returning is more complex than climbing up. Till now, about 4000 people have climbed the top of Mount Everest. Many old climbers come back again, and the new climbers keep passing on the legacy.