Mount Everest is a peak in the Himalaya mountain range. It is located between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China. At 8,850 meters (29,035 feet), it is considered the tallest point on Earth. In the nineteenth century, the mountain was named after George Everest, a former Surveyor General of India. The Tibetan name is Chomolungma, which means “Mother Goddess of the World.” The Nepali name is Sagarmatha, which has various meanings. The first ever recorded people to climb Everest were Edmund Hillary (a mountaineer from New Zealand) and his Tibetan guide Tenzing Norgay. They climbed the mountain in 1953 and hold the record together. The first records of Everest’s height came much earlier, in 1856. British surveyors recorded that Everest was the tallest peak in the world in their Great Trigonometrical Survey of the Indian subcontinent. The Himalayan mountains have long been home to indigenous groups living in the valleys. The most famous of these are the Sherpa people. The word “Sherpa” is often used to mean mountain guide, though it actually refers to an ethnic group. The Sherpa have valuable experience in mountain climbing, which they can provide to other climbers. Most climbs of Everest would be impossible without the Sherpas’ logistical help and knowledge. However, their way of life extends beyond helping Everest climbers. Traditionally, their lifestyle has consisted of farming, herding, and trade. And, because they live at such a high altitude year round, they are accustomed to the low oxygen levels. Climbing Mount Everest has become a popular expedition for mountain climbers. However, it is a dangerous undertaking. Climbing Everest requires a lot of experience mountaineering elsewhere, as well as a certificate of good health, equipment, and a trained Nepalese guide. The snow and ice on the mountain create deadly hazards like avalanches, and there is only a limited climbing season due to bad weather conditions. But perhaps the biggest danger is the altitude. Most climbers are not accustomed to the high altitude and low oxygen levels and rely on bottled oxygen they bring along. This is why the area above 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) elevation on Everest is called the “death zone.” Climbers who spend long periods in this region can develop altitude sickness and even brain swelling. Mount Everest’s climbing industry has become controversial. As popularity of the climb has increased, there have been more “traffic jams” as climbers spend too much time in the death zone waiting for their chance to go to the summit. With more people has also come more pollution up near the summit as climbers often discard unwanted items all along the mountain. Additionally, the Sherpa people have been exploited by climbers, and their traditional way of life has been disrupted by foreign climbers. Sherpa guides are faced with some of the highest death rates of any field of employment, for comparatively little pay. Most disturbingly, because many climbers have died along the way, and their bodies are impossible to retrieve, climbers must frequently travel past corpses as they make their way up the mountain. Mount Everest is the highest of the Himalayan mountains, and—at 8,850 meters (29,035 feet)—is considered the highest point on Earth. Photograph by Barry Bishop, courtesy of the National Geographic image collection
Related Resources Landforms and Landscapes Search through these resources to discover more about unique landforms and landscapes around the world. Landforms are natural and distinctive features. Explore how they show up in various landscapes. These resources can be used to teach middle schoolers more about the natural world, its distinctive features, and landscapes. View Collection Mount Everest Mount Everest has long been a destination for climbers and adventure-seekers. But more than a bucket-list checkoff, the highest point in the world is hugely important to scientists studying climate change. Scientists with the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition are researching climate change, weather, water resources, and changes to plant, insect, and wildlife populations. View Collection The Evolution of Climbing Everest Students explore the changes in climbing Mount Everest over time. They identify changes to equipment, especially considering changes that have evolved due to the popularity of mountaineering. Students then consider how changes in popularity have guided governmental regulation. They analyze how the changes may positively and negatively affect the impact climbing Everest has on the environment and safety of climbers. View Activity Trash and Overcrowding at the Top of the World With more and more people visiting it each year, Mount Everest has grown increasingly polluted. This has led to the contamination of the local watershed, which threatens the health of local people. View Article The Costs of the Climb Students explore the history of climbing Mount Everest. Then, they unpack what it takes to summit Everest today, including the types of costs. Finally, students consider what happens to waste, both organic and non-organic, and how waste has impacted the mountain over time. This lesson is part of the Mount Everest: What Goes Up Should Come Down unit. View Lesson
Mount Everest is a peak in the Himalaya mountain range. It is located between Nepal and Tibet, an autonomous region of China. At 8,850 meters (29,035 feet), it is considered the tallest point on Earth. In the nineteenth century, the mountain was named after George Everest, a former Surveyor General of India. The Tibetan name is Chomolungma, which means “Mother Goddess of the World.” The Nepali name is Sagarmatha, which has various meanings. The first ever recorded people to climb Everest were Edmund Hillary (a mountaineer from New Zealand) and his Tibetan guide Tenzing Norgay. They climbed the mountain in 1953 and hold the record together. The first records of Everest’s height came much earlier, in 1856. British surveyors recorded that Everest was the tallest peak in the world in their Great Trigonometrical Survey of the Indian subcontinent. The Himalayan mountains have long been home to indigenous groups living in the valleys. The most famous of these are the Sherpa people. The word “Sherpa” is often used to mean mountain guide, though it actually refers to an ethnic group. The Sherpa have valuable experience in mountain climbing, which they can provide to other climbers. Most climbs of Everest would be impossible without the Sherpas’ logistical help and knowledge. However, their way of life extends beyond helping Everest climbers. Traditionally, their lifestyle has consisted of farming, herding, and trade. And, because they live at such a high altitude year round, they are accustomed to the low oxygen levels. Climbing Mount Everest has become a popular expedition for mountain climbers. However, it is a dangerous undertaking. Climbing Everest requires a lot of experience mountaineering elsewhere, as well as a certificate of good health, equipment, and a trained Nepalese guide. The snow and ice on the mountain create deadly hazards like avalanches, and there is only a limited climbing season due to bad weather conditions. But perhaps the biggest danger is the altitude. Most climbers are not accustomed to the high altitude and low oxygen levels and rely on bottled oxygen they bring along. This is why the area above 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) elevation on Everest is called the “death zone.” Climbers who spend long periods in this region can develop altitude sickness and even brain swelling. Mount Everest’s climbing industry has become controversial. As popularity of the climb has increased, there have been more “traffic jams” as climbers spend too much time in the death zone waiting for their chance to go to the summit. With more people has also come more pollution up near the summit as climbers often discard unwanted items all along the mountain. Additionally, the Sherpa people have been exploited by climbers, and their traditional way of life has been disrupted by foreign climbers. Sherpa guides are faced with some of the highest death rates of any field of employment, for comparatively little pay. Most disturbingly, because many climbers have died along the way, and their bodies are impossible to retrieve, climbers must frequently travel past corpses as they make their way up the mountain.
Share Everest Region Reach the highest point on earth or choose to live out your dream by standing at the foot of Mt. Everest (8,848 m). The Everest region in Nepal is more than just climbing and trekking, it is a life changing experience and some see it as a journey close to achieving Nirvana. Located in the north eastern province of Nepal, this region is in a world of its own with vast glaciers, icefalls, the highest mountains, deep valleys, precarious settlements, and hardy people challenging the harshest conditions thrown at them by nature in the thin air of high altitude. Passing through legendary Sherpa villages, the trek is a mix of deeply cultural and spiritual experiences and physical challenges that test your strength and endurance. Buddhist lamas, monks and nuns led by Rinpoches (reincarnate at mas) serve the predominantly Sherpa communities from their gompas (monasteries). The journey to Everest or Everest Base Camp, begins with a dramatic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, after which you hike up the Everest region to reach your destination in the Himalayas. However, for die-hard lovers of trekking, there is another switchback starting from Jiri through the mid-hills of Solu, an ethnically diverse section of the trek rich in flora. Taking a flight is a time-saver, while trekking from Jiri gives you the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Tenzing and Hillary before their conquest of Everest. With more time to interact with the charming people along the route, you get to see the rich flora and fauna on the long trail. You get the added benefit of natural acclimatization as you go up and down the cliffs and valleys. The option from Jiri will roughly add 10 days to your trip to the famous Sherpa village, Namche Bazaar (3,500m). The Sagarmatha National Park in which Mt. Everest lies is one of the few places on earth with the rarest bio-diversity and the highest mountains in the world. For those with sufficient time, a 10-12 day trek through Solu to the Khumbu and the Sagarmatha National Park is an excellent itinerary both in terms of acclimatization and to observe the changing customs, traditions, and lifestyles as you go from the lower altitude settlements to those in the higher altitudes. A part of the Himalayan ecological zone, the park was added to the list of UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites in 1979. The park has three of the world's highest mountains: Everest, Lhotse, and Cho Oyu besides countless other peaks that rise above 6,000 meters from sea level. Climbers and trekkers continue to trek to Everest Base Camp and not surprisingly the "Roof of the World" continues to be the world' top attraction for hardened mountaineers, a haven for alpine enthusiasts and is in the bucket list of adventurers from around the world. The Everest region has been valued as the key to evolutionary history of the Earth, and is also a habitat for some rare and endangered species like the snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear, musk deer and Himalayan wolves.
Everest Region Reach the highest point on earth or choose to live out your dream by standing at the foot of Mt. Everest (8,848 m). The Everest region in Nepal is more than just climbing and trekking, it is a life changing experience and some see it as a journey close to achieving Nirvana. Located in the north eastern province of Nepal, this region is in a world of its own with vast glaciers, icefalls, the highest mountains, deep valleys, precarious settlements, and hardy people challenging the harshest conditions thrown at them by nature in the thin air of high altitude. Passing through legendary Sherpa villages, the trek is a mix of deeply cultural and spiritual experiences and physical challenges that test your strength and endurance. Buddhist lamas, monks and nuns led by Rinpoches (reincarnate at mas) serve the predominantly Sherpa communities from their gompas (monasteries). The journey to Everest or Everest Base Camp, begins with a dramatic flight from Kathmandu to Lukla, after which you hike up the Everest region to reach your destination in the Himalayas. However, for die-hard lovers of trekking, there is another switchback starting from Jiri through the mid-hills of Solu, an ethnically diverse section of the trek rich in flora. Taking a flight is a time-saver, while trekking from Jiri gives you the opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Tenzing and Hillary before their conquest of Everest. With more time to interact with the charming people along the route, you get to see the rich flora and fauna on the long trail. You get the added benefit of natural acclimatization as you go up and down the cliffs and valleys. The option from Jiri will roughly add 10 days to your trip to the famous Sherpa village, Namche Bazaar (3,500m). The Sagarmatha National Park in which Mt. Everest lies is one of the few places on earth with the rarest bio-diversity and the highest mountains in the world. For those with sufficient time, a 10-12 day trek through Solu to the Khumbu and the Sagarmatha National Park is an excellent itinerary both in terms of acclimatization and to observe the changing customs, traditions, and lifestyles as you go from the lower altitude settlements to those in the higher altitudes. A part of the Himalayan ecological zone, the park was added to the list of UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites in 1979. The park has three of the world's highest mountains: Everest, Lhotse, and Cho Oyu besides countless other peaks that rise above 6,000 meters from sea level. Climbers and trekkers continue to trek to Everest Base Camp and not surprisingly the "Roof of the World" continues to be the world' top attraction for hardened mountaineers, a haven for alpine enthusiasts and is in the bucket list of adventurers from around the world. The Everest region has been valued as the key to evolutionary history of the Earth, and is also a habitat for some rare and endangered species like the snow leopard, red panda, Himalayan black bear, musk deer and Himalayan wolves.
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