Mount Everest, also called Sagarmatha (Nepali: सगरमाथा) is the highest mountain on Earth, as measured by the height of its summit above sea level.
The mountain is
located on the border between Nepal and Tibet, China. By the end of the
2006 climbing season there had been 3,050 ascents to the summit by 2,062
individuals, and at least 630 more ascents in 2007.
There have been more than 200 deaths on the mountain where conditions are so difficult that most corpses have been left where they fell, some of them visible from standard climbing routes.
There have been more than 200 deaths on the mountain where conditions are so difficult that most corpses have been left where they fell, some of them visible from standard climbing routes.
Climbers range from
experienced mountaineers to relative novices who count on their paid
guides to get them to the top. This means climbers are a significant
source of tourist revenue for Nepal, whose government also requires all
prospective climbers to obtain an expensive permit, often costing more
than $25,000 (USD) per person.
It was only in the year 1955 that this figure was slightly adjusted. The adjusted height was merely 26 feet adrift of the 1852 figure. The adjusted figure stands at 29,028 feet (8,848 m). The mountain received its official name in 1865 in honor of Sir George Everest, the British Surveyor General from 1830-1843 who had mapped the Indian subcontinent. He had some reservations about having his name bestowed on the peak, arguing that the mountain should retain its local appellation; a standard policy of the then geographical societies.
Although Everest
had commanded attraction for many years, it was as late as 1852 that
this giant was first measured. Though some sporadic efforts for its
measurement were done earlier too but all of them were abandoned in the
middle. In the year 1852, The British Trigonometrical Survey of India
measured Everest's elevation as 29,002 feet above the sea level. How
could, with such limited means and such primitive instruments, anyone
find the actual height of the Everest? But surprisingly, that figure was
extremely close to the actual height. This remarkably accurate figure
remained the officially accepted height for more than one hundred years.
It was only in the year 1955 that this figure was slightly adjusted. The adjusted height was merely 26 feet adrift of the 1852 figure. The adjusted figure stands at 29,028 feet (8,848 m). The mountain received its official name in 1865 in honor of Sir George Everest, the British Surveyor General from 1830-1843 who had mapped the Indian subcontinent. He had some reservations about having his name bestowed on the peak, arguing that the mountain should retain its local appellation; a standard policy of the then geographical societies.
Sagarmatha National Park (UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site)
- Activities: Trekking, mountaineering, experience of Sherpa culture
- Accommodation: Resort hotels, lodges, tea houses, camping
- Access: Fly to Lukla which is 30 minutes by air from Kathmandu and then trek onward
- Wildlife: Himalayan tahr, ghoral, musk deer, pika (mouse hare), weasel, jackal, black bear, wolf, lynx and snow leopard
- Birds: 193 species of birds including impeyan pheasant (Danphe), blood pheasant, red-billed chough, yellow-billed chough, snow cock, snow pigeon, Himalayan griffon and lammergeier
- Vegetation: Pine and hemlock forests at lower altitudes, while above 3,500 m, forests are dominated by silver fir, birch, rhododendron and juniper trees
- Best Season: October-November and March-May; December-February (snow, daytime temperature 5 degrees Celsius) June-September (rainy)
- Park Headquarters: Mendalphu, Namche Bazaar
- Entrance Fee: Nepali - Rs. 25 per person per entry, SAARC nationals - Rs. 1,500 per person per entry, foreigners - Rs. 3,000 per person per entry
Top 10 Mountains of The World
For photos and more on these and other mountains see our special section Nepal Himalayas
Rank
|
Mountain
|
Height meter (feet)
|
Location
|
| 1. | Mount Everest | 8848m (29029ft) | Nepal |
| 2. | Qogir (K2) | 8611m (28250ft) | India |
| 3. | Kangchenjunga | 8598m (28208ft) | Nepal |
| 4. | Makalu I | 8481m (27824ft) | Nepal |
| 5. | Dhaulagiri | 8172m (26810ft) | Nepal |
| 6. | Manaslu I | 8156m (26760ft) | Nepal |
| 7. | Cho Oyu | 8189m (26750ft) | Nepal |
| 8. | Nanga Parbat | 8126m (26660ft) | India |
| 9. | Annapurna I | 8078m (26504ft) | Nepal |
| 10. | Gasherbrum | 8068m (26470ft) | India |
