The dizzying height of Everest. Where is Everest located: interesting facts about the famous mountain The height of the mountain jomolungma everest

Mount Everest - the height of Mount Everest is 8848 meters!

Mount Everest, is the highest mountain on earth. mountain height Everest 8,848 meters above sea level. The mountain is part of the Himalayan range in Asia and is located on the border of the countries: Nepal, Tibet and China. It is called Sagarmatha, Chomolungma. And in Nepal it is called Sagamantha, which means "goddess of the sky" and in Tibet - Chomolungma, which means "mother goddess of the universe."

In 1856, when a great trigonometric study was carried out, the height of Mount Everest was determined to be 8,840 meters, the mountain was known as Peak XV. And in 1865, on the recommendation of the British topographer Andrew Waugh, it was given the official name "Everest". He could not offer a suitable name for the mountain that would suit both Nepalese and Tibetans, so the decision was made to name it "Everest"

Mount Everest attracts climbers of all levels, experienced and inexperienced. These climbers come with money and are willing to pay mountain guides well for a successful ascent to the peak of the mountain. In the mountains, climbers always face various dangers, such as low temperature, altitude sickness, oxygen starvation and wind. Despite such a height, 2436 people stormed its peak of the mountain in the period up to 2007, 3679 ascents were made. This suggests that mountaineering is a very popular sport. And for the Nepalese a significant source of income. The government of Nepal requires you to pay $25,000 per person for a climbing permit. Mount Everest has already killed 210 people, including 8 people during a snow storm in 1996.

History of Mount Everest

Dating Mount Everest, first started in 1808 by the British. This was during the period of the great Trigonometric Survey of India. To determine the location and height of the mountain, they used giant theodolites weighing up to 500kg. They reached the foothills of the Himalayas in 1830. But the conditions were difficult due to weather conditions and diseases. The season of heavy rains and malaria began, but despite this they were forced to continue their observations. Three officers died of malaria, and two others had to retire due to deteriorating health.

And only in 1856 Andrey Waugh measured the height of Mount Everest. According to him, the height of the mountain was 8840 meters. They came to the conclusion that the mountain is the highest point in the world.

Their next task was to decide on the name of the peak, but they wanted to somehow keep the local names: Kanchenjung or Dhaulagiri. But Waugh claimed that he was unable to find any commonly used local name that appealed to both Nepalese and Tibetans. The most famous name of the mountain, which existed for several centuries, was Chomolungma. But Waugh argued that it would be difficult to find a consensus in favor of one particular name, and he proposed to name the peak XV George Everest. But George Everest himself was opposed to such a name for the peak. And another problem arose with the name George Everest. This name in Hindi was translated as "a native of India." However, this name still prevailed, despite all the objections. And in 1865, the name was officially adopted by the Royal Geographical Society as "Everest", the highest mountain in the world.

There are two main climbing routes: to the southeast ridge from Nepal and to the northeast ridge from Tibet. And there were many other routes, because of the huge height of Mount Everest and the complexity of climbing, they are rarely used. In 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first to recognize fifteen routes to the summit of Mount Everest.

History of climbing the height of Mount Everest

In 1885, Clinton Thomas Dent, who was president of the Alpine Club, wrote in his book a description of climbing Mount Everest.

In 1921, the expedition was led by George Mallory. His first expedition was exploratory, not equipped for serious climbing. They were forced to descend the mountain due to their unpreparedness for the ascent.

In 1922, George Finch climbed using active oxygen, which showed the first excellent climbing speed of Everest 290 meters per hour. Then Mallory and Kol-Felix-Nordon made a second attempt to conquer the height. But seven people died on this expedition, they remained under the avalanche.

In 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irwin attempted to climb the Northeast Ridge to the summit, but they never returned. In 1999, Mallory's body was discovered by a research expedition. This expedition achieved its goal, they conquered the height and climbed to the top of Everest.

In 1953, the ninth British expedition led by John Hunt began their ascent to the peak. They had to go back to Nepal. They made two passes. Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans were the first pair to reach 100 meters and had to come back. Then the second run, two days later, went a pair of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. They climbed to the summit and conquered the height of Everest on May 29, 1953 at 11:30 am, via the Southern route, stopped to unfurl the British flag and take pictures at the top of the peak, were buried in the snow before descending Everest,

In 1980, Reinhold Messner climbed to the heights for three days all alone, from the base camp at 6500 meters, He reached the mountain peak of Mount Everest, for the first time without supplemental oxygen.

1996 proved to be the deadliest year in the history of Mount Everest. Where, trying to descend from the top, as a result of conquering the height, fifteen people died.

In 2005, French pilot Didier Delsalle landed in a helicopter on top of Mount Everest.

In 2008, China paved 130 km of asphalt pavement on a dirt road from Tingri County to Everest Base Camp. It has become the most expensive road surface in the world. China Telecom, near the base camp, built a high cell tower that provides telephone coverage all the way to top of Mount Everest.

We all know from school that the highest point on our planet is Mount Everest, or Chomolungma, and that above it there are only clouds, and even then not all =) I propose to remember what this mountain looks like and admire the exceptional beauty of the landscapes surrounding it mountain ranges!

The highest mountain on our planet rises among the eternal snows of the Himalayas to a height of 8848 meters. Sometimes it is even called the high-altitude pole of the earth) is located on the border of Nepal and China, but the peak itself lies on the territory of China. Everest Peak crowns the Main Himalayan Range

Translated from Tibetan, “Chomolungma” means “Divine (jamma) Mother (ma) of Life (lung - wind or life force)”, the mountain is named after the Bon goddess Sherab Chzhamma. The Nepalese name of Chomolungma - "Sagarmatha" - means "Mother of the Gods". The English name "Everest" was proposed in 1856 by Andrew Waugh, the successor of Sir George Everest, head of the Surveyor Survey of British India. The reason for this was the publication of the results of measurements of the height of "Peak XV", according to which the mountain was recognized as the highest mountain in the region and, probably, in the whole world.

Every year there are less and less places on Earth that are not spoiled by civilization, and the Everest region is one of such pleasant exceptions) The route to Everest is one of the most beautiful and exciting not only in Nepal, but throughout the world. A feature of this region is that from the Nepalese side, Everest is obscured by two high mountains - Nuptse (7879 m) and Lhotse (8516 m), so to see the highest peak in the world well enough, you need to go a relatively long distance and climb Mount Kala Pattar (5545 m) or Gokyo Ri (5483 m), from the top of which a good view of the top of the world opens

Everest has the shape of a pyramid, only its southern slope is steeper. Glaciers flow from the massif in all directions, ending at a height of about 5 thousand meters. Snow and ice are not retained on the southern slope and ribs of the pyramid, as a result of which they are exposed. Mount Everest is the main attraction of Nepal, for which hundreds of thousands of tourists come here.

For several decades, people have been trying to conquer Everest - and only on May 29, 1953, members of the British Himalayan expedition, Edmund Hillary and Norgay Tenzing, managed to climb the highest point on Earth. Since then, Everest has been climbed repeatedly, but not every expedition has been successful - there have been casualties, there have been retreats. This is due to oxygen starvation, very low air temperature and heavy frosty wind, literally knocking down the already tired and frostbite extreme people - after all, in order to get to the top, you need to make several halts, and many, especially unprepared people, even after the first halt they refuse to go further. But of course, the most offensive thing is to retreat a couple of hundred meters to the very top.

It should be noted that the first ascent of Soviet climbers to the highest peak of the Earth took place in May 1982. In total, from May 4 to 9, 11 Soviet athletes climbed to the top of the world, and one of them did not have an oxygen mask at all, and two more at night (this was the first night climb). Soviet climbers went to the top along a very difficult route that no one had previously climbed along the southwestern wall.

View of the peak of Everest from the plane

Chomolungma invariably attracts thousands of mountain lovers, climbers and ordinary travelers who seek to follow the most beautiful routes of the Solo Khumbu Valley and the Sagarmatha National Park

For 50 years, more than 2,500 climbers around the world have visited Everest. More than 200 people died from lack of oxygen during ascents and descents, in avalanches, from frostbite and heart failure. Unfortunately, even the most expensive and modern equipment cannot guarantee complete safety, and, of course, it cannot rule out sudden snowstorms that sweep away everything in their path...

He knows many tragedies, but he keeps his secrets tightly ...

Routes

Routes: 10 - classic

Everest(named after Sir George Everest) or Chomolungma(from Tibetan "Divine") or Sagarmatha(from Nepali "Mother of the Gods"). The same name was Chomo-Kankar, which in Tibetan means "mother is the queen of snowy whiteness".

For a long time (until 1903) the peak was called gaurizankar, due to the fact that the traveler G. Schlagintveit put forward a version that the peaks of Everest and Gaurizankar are identical.

Everest is shaped like a pyramid; the southern slope is steeper. Glaciers flow down from the massif in all directions, ending at a height of about 5 thousand meters. Snow and firn are not retained on the southern slope and ribs of the pyramid, as a result of which they are exposed.

Everest and Lhotse will be connected by a four-kilometer jumper, in which there is a decrease - the South Col (7986 m). The northern spur of the peak is called Lap-Ch'i. In its short branch is the summit of Changtse (7538 m). Also in the area is one of the pearls of the Himalayas - the peak of Pumori (7145 m).

The glaciation of the area is quite large. From the northern slopes towards the Tibetan Plateau descends the grandiose Rongbuk glacier, highly branched in its upper reaches. To the east, Kanchung glacier descends from Chomolungma. To the southwest of the massif is an extensive glacial cirque, known as the Western Circus. It is the main feeding basin of the Khumbu Glacier.

The slopes of Chomolungma break off to the north and northwest with steep walls to the upper reaches of the Rongbuk glacier, and to the east, to the upper reaches of the Kanchung glacier, with a steep stepped rock wall. On the steps there are powerful ice-firn accumulations, therefore ice collapses are frequent here. To the southwest, towards the Western Circus, the slopes of the massif are cut off by rocks of an average steepness of 55°. There are many ice-filled couloirs on these rocks.

Located in the Sagarmatha National Park. Map

Geology

Geologically, the massif is complex:

• at its base granites,

• in the higher part gneisses,

• limestone in the cover part.

Story

Initially, the peak was not considered the highest in the world, according to the results of the first topographic survey (1823-1843), it was included in the classifier as the "XV" peak (Dhualagiri was the leader in this list). And only after the second topographic survey (1845-1850) everything fell into place.

V 1921 year, the first expedition to Chomolungma with the aim of reconnaissance of the ascent route from the north, from Tibet. Based on intelligence data, the British, under the leadership of Mallory, stormed the summit in 1922, but the monsoon, snowfall and lack of experience in high-altitude ascents did not give them the opportunity to make the ascent.

V 1924 year - the third expedition to Chomolungma. The group spent the night at an altitude of 8125 m, the next day one of the participants (Norton) reached a height of 8527 m, but was forced to return. A few days later, a second attempt was made to storm along the northeastern ridge (Mallory, Irvine using oxygen cylinders), the climbers did not return, there is still an opinion that they could be at the top of Chomolungma.

Subsequent pre-war expeditions to the area did not bring new results.

V 1952 year - the Swiss expedition went to storm Everest from the south. Twice in 1952 Lambert and Norgay Tenzing climbed above 8000 meters, but on both occasions the weather forced them to turn.

V 1953 year - an English expedition led by Colonel Hunt went under Everest (Chomolungma), they were also joined by New Zealand climbers, one of whom was E. Hillary, they were supposed to help the British get over the Khumbu icefall, Sherpa Norgay Tenzing was included in the assault group . There is a legend that the conquest of Everest was prepared as a gift to Queen Elizabeth II on her coronation day.

On May 27, the first two - the British Evans and Bourdillon reached the southern peak, where they left oxygen and a tent for the next assault group.

The first ascent of Soviet climbers to the highest peak of the Earth took place in May 1982. The Soviet team of 9 people climbed to the top of Everest, along a very difficult, previously untraveled route along the southwestern wall.

Since Sir Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest in 1953, thousands of climbers have been eager to repeat his feat. Due to the fact that Everest has the impressive title of "the highest mountain in the world", it has been visited by so many people that every year this Himalayan beauty gradually turns into a literal garbage dump.

Everest is the highest mountain in the world (∼ 8,848 m)

When we say which is the highest mountain in the world, we usually think about the height above sea level. And if you take this parameter, then the height of the mountain (8849 meters above sea level) is beyond competition. Everest extends higher into the atmosphere than any other peak in the world.

However, the farthest point from the center of the Earth, and therefore the highest in terms of distance, is Chimborazo (6384 meters above sea level). It is a stratovolcano in Ecuador, which is part of the Andes mountain range.

The earth is not flat, it bulges out at the equator and flattens out near the poles. This means that the mountains near the equator are technically higher than in other areas of the planet. And it so happens that Chimborazo is closer to the convex center of the Earth than Everest. It turns out that it is closer to the stars than the highest point of Mount Everest.

The hardest mountain for climbers

According to one report, Everest extends 6,382 meters from the center of the earth. At the same time, Chimborazo stretches for a distance of 6384 meters. Although the height difference between the two mountains is only 2 km, this is enough to transfer the title of "highest mountain" to the Ecuadorian stratovolcano.

So why does Mount Everest keep getting all the credit while Chimborazo goes relatively unnoticed? It all comes down to the difficulty of climbing.

If you are a climber and want to test yourself by conquering Everest, then the journey to the base camp will take 10 days. It will take another six weeks to acclimatize, and then it will take nine days to climb to the top. On the other hand, acclimatization on Chimborazo takes about two weeks, and the journey to the top takes about two days. Simply put, after Everest, climbing Chimborazo will feel like a walk in the park.

Above and below sea level

Mount Everest is the highest point above sea level, but if we are talking about sheer height from the base to the top, then the honor of being called the highest mountain belongs to the “White Mountain” (Mauna Kea) on the island of Hawaii. Its height above sea level is 4205 meters, but the mountain goes down 5998 meters to the bottom. More than half of the mountain is submerged in water.

The total height of Mauna Kea is 10,203 meters. This is 1345 meters higher than the height of Everest.

Mauna Kea is actually an extinct volcano on the big island of Hawaii. It originated about a million years ago when the Pacific Ocean tectonic plate moved over a plume of liquid magma deep inside the Earth. Mauna Kea last erupted about 4,600 years ago.

The top of the mountain is an astronomer's paradise: It has low humidity, clear skies above, and a long distance from any light pollution. That is, from the top of the volcano, perhaps the best view of celestial objects opens. Now there are 13 telescopes on the peak of Mauna Kea.

It is important to note once again that Everest is the highest of the highest mountains when measured from sea level. If you use this parameter, then Chimborazo cannot even count on the title of "highest peak in the Andes". This title belongs to Mount Aconcagua, which rises to 6961 meters above sea level.

The highest mountains on every continent

1. In Asia - Mount Everest (8,849 meters).
2. In South America - Mount Aconcagua (6,961 meters).
3. In North America - Mount McKinley (6,190 meters).
4. In Africa, Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters).
5. In Europe - Mount Elbrus (5,642 meters)
6. In Antarctica, the Vinson Massif (4,897 meters).

In Australia - Oceania - Mount Punchak Jaya (4,884 meters) in Oceania and Mount Kosciuszko - the highest point on the Australian continent (2,228 meters).

Top 10 highest mountains in the world

The problem with measurement is that it is often not clear where the dividing line lies between a mountain with several peaks and a single mountain. For this reason, it is better to use a measurement called "topographic elevation" (the height of a mountain peak above the bottom of the valley closest to the mountain). Taking into account, first of all, this criterion, and secondly, the height above sea level, we have compiled a rating of the highest points on the Earth.

Topographic elevation - 4,741 m.

It rises to 5,642 meters above sea level.

Mount Elbrus is an extinct volcano located in the western part of the Caucasus Range, in Kabardino-Balkaria and Karachay-Cherkessia, not far from the Russian-Georgian border. This is the highest peak in the Caucasus.

Elevation - 4 884 m.

Height - 4 884 m.

This mountain, located on the Australian Plate on the island of New Guinea, was originally named after the discoverer, the Dutchman Jan Carstens. In 1965, it changed its name in honor of the Indonesian President Sukarno, and in 1969 it was renamed for the third time, Jaya (Indonesian for Victory) and has stopped there for now.

Elevation - 4 892 m.

The height of the peak is 4,892 m.

Record holders of Antarctica and part of the Ellsworth Mountains, which rise above the Ronne Ice Shelf.

Elevation - 4 922 m

Height according to GPS - 5636 m, according to INEGI - 5611 m.

Stratovolcano, the highest mountain in Mexico and the third highest in North America. Orizaba last erupted in 1687, after which he "fell asleep" and does not wake up to this day.

Topographic elevation - 5,250 m

Height above sea level - 5959 m.

The highest mountain in Canada and the second in North America, after McKinley. Due to active tectonic uplift, Logan is still growing in height. Until 1992, the exact height of the mountain was unknown and was assumed to be in the range of 5,959 to 6,050 meters. In May 1992, a GSC expedition climbed Logan and established its current altitude of 5,959 meters using GPS.

Topographic elevation - 5,585 m.

Above sea level - 5,776 m

Highest point in Colombia. The Colombian peak of Simon Bolivar is almost equal in height to it. Together they are the two peaks of the country closest to the stars.

Topographic elevation - 5,885 m.

Above sea level - 5,895 m.

Kilimanjaro, and its three volcanic cones (Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira) is a dormant volcanic mountain in Kilimanjaro National Park, Tanzania. This is the highest mountain in Africa. There is no documented evidence of an eruption of Kilimanjaro, but local legends say that the volcano was active 150-200 thousand years ago.

Topographic elevation - 6 144 m

Height above sea level - 6 190 m

The two-headed Mount McKinley (aka Denali), located in Alaska, is the highest mountain peak in the United States and North America. At the beginning of the 19th century, it was called Bolshaya Gora and was the highest point of the Russian Empire.

Topographic elevation - 6,962 m.

Above sea level - 6,962 m.

The highest mountain in North and South America. It is located in the Andes mountain range, in the Argentinean province of Mendoza. In 2013, the youngest climber, nine-year-old American Tyler Armstrong, climbed the mountain. And last year, Aconcagua was conquered by the youngest climber, twelve-year-old Romanian Dor Jeta Popescu.

1. Mount Everest (Chomolungma)

Topographic elevation - 8,848 m.

Height above sea level - 8,848 m.

The leader of the mountain hit parade was named after the English colonel, Sir George Everest, who was India's chief surveyor from 1830 to 1843. Mount Everest is also known by the Tibetan name Chomolungma (Mother Goddess of Life Energy) and the Nepalese name Sagarmatha (Forehead of Heaven).

Where is the highest mountain in the world

Chomolungma is located in the Mahalangur Himal mountain range in the Himalayas. Part of it lies on the border of Nepal and China, part on the territory of the Tibet Autonomous Region.

Many human triumphs and tragedies have been associated with Everest. George Mallory (Great Britain) was the first climber to attempt the summit of Everest. In 1924, he died near the summit and his remains were found only in 1999, but the body of his teammate Andrew Irwin was not found.

Mount Everest has been the inspiration for many Guinness World Records, from the simple fact that it is the highest peak in the world to the world's highest (by venue) concert.

Despite the title of "the highest peak on Earth", Everest is not the highest mountain on the planet. That is, in terms of height above sea level, Everest has no equal. But as for the height from the base to the top, then Mauna Kea in Hawaii, USA holds the palm. The visible part of it is 4,205 meters, and everything else is under water. The total height of Mauna Kea reaches 10,203 meters.

Trying to answer the question: where is Everest and in what country - it will take a lot to tell. Everest is in the Himalayas, everyone knows that. But what they are, not many people know.

Yes, and with Everest itself, not everything is simple, since the direct peak of Everest is located on the territory of China, but you can get to it not only from China. After all, the base of the mountain is located on the territory of two countries - Nepal and China. Accordingly, the routes of conquest come from different directions.

Everest location

In the southern part of Central Asia, north of the Bay of Bengal, which separates the Hindustan and Indochina peninsulas, there is a huge mountain range, which is the highest on the entire planet.

This is the Himalayas, where 10 of the 14 highest mountains in the world are located, the height of which exceeds eight thousand meters. The other four eight-thousanders are located in the Karakorum system, which adjoins Tibet from the western side. Both the Himalayas and the Karakorum mountain systems include several mountain ranges that are located simultaneously in different countries and are the boundaries of their territories. In the Himalayas, these are the ranges: Mahalangur-Himal, Kanchenjunga, Dhaulagiri, Manaslu, Nangaparbat, Annapurna and Langtang. On opposite sides of insurmountable ridges lived people not only of different nationalities, but also of different ways of life, different faiths and speaking different languages. And of course, they called “their” mountains in their own way, not even thinking that the people living on the other side gave them “their” names.

So it happened with the largest mountain range "Mahalangur-Himal" on one side of which the Nepalese lived, and on the other Tibetans. Moreover, both the Nepalese and the Tibetans, not even knowing that between them is the highest mountain range and the highest mountain in the world, deified this peak. The Tibetans called her Chomolungma, which means "Holy Mother" or "Goddess - Mother of the Earth", this name was given to her by the name of Sherab Chzhamma, the goddess of the national religion of the Tibetans. The Nepalese called the mountain "Jomo Kang Kar", which means "Lady of the White Snows".

Where is Mount Everest located?

Everest is nothing more than the highest part of the Mahalangur Himal range, a mountain range called Khumbu Himal. And these are several peaks, the two highest of which are the main ones.

Oddly enough, but to understand where Everest is, being even almost in close proximity to it, is quite difficult. This is due to the fact that Everest is surrounded by the highest peaks. Itself - the main, northern peak of Everest has the shape of a trihedral pyramid. Its southern slope is steeper, therefore, freshly fallen snow and even last year's blackened snow, called firn, do not linger on the slope itself and its ribs, therefore this side is usually bare. The height of the Northeast Ridge is 8393 meters.

• On the south side of Everest, through the 7906 m high South Col Pass, there is Lhotse Peak - 8516 meters, which is sometimes mistakenly called the South Peak.
• From the north, behind the steep North Col with a height of 7020 m, there is Changze Peak - 7543 meters.
• In the east of the massif there is a completely impenetrable steep steep wall Kangshung - this is 3350 meters of almost sheer cliff.

The height of Everest itself from the foot to the top is just the same - 3550 meters. Glaciers descend from the massif in all directions, ending at an altitude of about 5 km. Part of Chomolungma located on the territory of Nepal is part of the Nepalese national park Sagarmatha.

The name of the highest mountain in the world

It is noteworthy that the name of the highest mountain in the world - Chomolungma was first recorded in writing on a map in 1717. This map was made by French Jesuit missionaries who visited Tibet at that time. However, the map was a schematic map, it did not have elevation marks and did not receive wide publicity, and the name Chomolungma did not attract the attention of geographers of that time.

The European name for the mountain, Everest, appeared much later. At the beginning of the 19th century in India, then a British colony, the Royal Geographical Society began to conduct thorough geodetic surveys. George Everest served in the British East India Company, which conducted this survey. Having devoted more than 37 years to service from 1806 to 1843 as the chief surveyor of India, George Everest created Indian geodesy and cartography almost from scratch. For which in 1827 he became a member of the Royal Geographical Society. Having risen to the rank of colonel, George Everest returned to his homeland in 1843 and continued to work in the Royal Geographical Society. For special services in 1861 he was awarded a knighthood. And from 1862 to 1865 he was vice-president of the Royal Geographical Society.

After himself in India, George Everest left a worthy successor, Andrew Waugh, who continued his work. Prior to this, maps of almost all of India had been created. Of great interest were the mountainous regions located to the north, where the highest peaks of the mountain range were located. However, since the territory of Nepal was then closed to foreigners, surveyors carried out measurements at a distance. The geodetic instruments at their disposal even then made it possible to do this.

Andrew Waugh involved in this work the gifted Bengali mathematician Radhanat Sikdar, who was educated at the College in Calcutta and, on the recommendation of the college teacher John Tytler, at the age of 19, was accepted by George Everest on an expedition to the post of "computer" with a meager salary of 30 rupees a month. In the shortest time, Sikdar recommended himself as a specialist with a high level of geodetic skill. Moreover, it was he who created new techniques for studying heights at a distance. By the way, among his merits was the formula for converting barometer readings taken at different temperatures to 32 degrees Fahrenheit, which is still used today.

In 1852, Andrew Waugh commissioned Sikdar to measure the snowy peaks in the Darjeeling region, where the British built a hill station and near which is the Kanchenjunga peak (8598 m), then considered the highest in the entire mountain system of the Himalayas. After measuring six times from various positions, Sikdar came to the conclusion that, almost 200 kilometers from Darjeeling, the height indicated on the map as Peak XV is higher than Kanchenjunga peak by as much as 250 meters. It turned out that the height of Peak XV is 8848 meters above sea level and this peak is the highest on earth. He reported this to his leader. However, this information was published only a few years later, after repeated verification and verification with other sources.

According to the rules established by George Everest, this mountain had to be given a local name. However, neither Andrew Waugh nor his staff knew what it was called, and therefore, paying tribute to his former boss, Andrew suggested naming this peak after George Everest. With this name, the last created map was sent to Britain, to the Royal Geographical Society. And Peak XV was officially named Everest.

This name was not perceived in the Soviet Union for quite a long time, and on the maps published in the USSR, this peak was listed as Chomolungma almost until 1985. Similarly, the government of Nepal did not recognize the Chinese name Chomolungma and in 1965 the Nepalese gave it its own name "Sagarmatha" meaning "Heavenly peak". This confusion existed until recently, until a compromise was found in the cartographic world. Now, on modern maps, this entire mountain range is called Chomolungma, and the peak, 8848 m high, is designated as Everest (Sagarmatha). The territory adjacent to the peak north of Kathmandu with an area of ​​1148 square kilometers has been declared a Sagarmatha National Park since 1976.

History of conquest

It is believed that mountaineering as a sport appeared since the first ascent of Mont Blanc by Michel-Gabriel Packard and Jacques Balma, which was on August 8, 1786. Since then, August 8 is celebrated as the International Mountaineer's Day in the world. And although the height of Mont Blanc is only 4810 meters, at that time it was a feat. And at the same time it was a start to the conquest of higher peaks. Very quickly, many followers of Michel and Jacques were found, who, despite mortal dangers, lack of experience and the necessary equipment, began to climb famous peaks, understanding higher and higher. So in 1799 A. Humboldt climbed the peak of Chimborazo 5800 meters high in South America. In 1829, the guide of the expedition of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Killar Khashirov, climbed Elbrus alone at a height of 5642 meters. In 1907, T. Longstaff and H. Broquereli conquered the seven-thousander Trisul 7123 m.

So, one after another, all the European peaks were conquered, and then all the famous peaks of America, Africa, and New Zealand. But the desperate daredevils did not stop there. There was a dream to climb the "Roof of the World", as climbers dubbed the Himalayas, including the highest mountain on our planet - Everest Peak. There were a lot of attempts to climb the peaks of the Himalayas and Karakorum. Moreover, teams from different countries “mastered” different peaks. So the Germans tried to conquer Kanchenjunga and Nanga Parbat, the Americans and Italians stormed Chogori, and the British stubbornly tried to take Everest.

The British Geographical Society specifically created the Everest Committee, whose task was to organize expeditions to Everest. The British developed a plan to climb the highest mountain in the world back in 1893, but for the first time they tried to climb Everest only in 1921. At that time, Maharaja Chandra Shamsher from the Rana family ruled Nepal and any climbing ascents of foreigners were prohibited. The Tibetans also did not immediately agree to let the British into their territory, and only at the insistence of the Viceroy of India, the Dalai Lama agreed to allow an English expedition to Chomolungma. Therefore, it was decided to storm Everest not from the Nepalese side, but from the north, from Tibet. The point where the expedition was equipped was the city of Darjeeling, in West Bengal. From Darjeeling, the route ran first to the northeast, in order to go around Nepal from the east, and then through Tibet to the west along the Nepalese border. In total, from Darjeeling to the foot of Everest, the expedition covered almost 500 km.

The first expedition was led in 1921 by Colonel Howard Bury. In addition to climbers, the expedition was attended by a geologist and two topographers. This expedition turned out to be reconnaissance, which determined the route along which it is possible to get to the foot of the Chomolungma, in order to then climb the peak. In addition, due to the peculiarities of the climate, the most convenient time of the year was established to avoid winds and monsoons, as well as the state of snows allowing climbing. According to their calculations, the ascent should be made only during a period of relatively stable meteorological conditions, that is, in May - June (before the monsoons) and in September - November (after the monsoons). Here they are Members of the 1921 expedition. Standing from left to right: A.F.R. Wollaston, Charles Howard-Bury, Alexander Heron, Harold Raeburn seated: George Mallory, Oliver Wheeler, Guy Bullock, Henry T. Morshead.

The second expedition was organized in 1922. They set off at the end of May. The expedition was led by General Bruce. On the route planned in 1921, from Darjeeling to the starting point of the ascent, everything needed was delivered on pack yaks, and then Tibetans carried all the property on themselves to the lower camp at the foot of Everest. Further, the role of porters was played by the Nepalese from the Sherpa tribe, who live in the mountains and are accustomed to rarefied air. The Sherpa tribe later began to provide all Himalayan expeditions with guides and porters, which became their profession.

The ascent route was determined along the Rongbuk glacier, then along the slope to the North Col, where an intermediate camp was set up, and then along the northern ridge and northern slope. During the first attempt, we climbed to a height of 8138 m. During the second attempt, we reached 8321 m. It remained to climb another 519 m to the top, which was only 1 km horizontally. But a strong wind picked up, besides, the main climbers Bruce and Finch, despite the oxygen apparatus, developed altitude sickness and had to go down to the lower camp.

On June 6, the last attempt was made to climb from the lower camp to the North Col. 3 climbers and 14 porters Sherpas went on the assault. Went in four bundles. The upper two ligaments were not injured, and 7 Sherpas died in the lower ones. This tragedy once again confirmed the correctness of Howard Bury's assumption that climbing avalanche slopes after the start of the monsoon is very dangerous.

The next attempt to climb the highest mountain in the world was made in 1924. The expedition was again led by General Bruce. However, on the way he contracted malaria and the climbing group was led by Norton. Like last time, the Sherpa porters lifted all the necessary equipment to the North Ridge to a height of 8170 m. They set up an upper camp there and started climbing from it. The assault went two Norton and Sommervell. Went without oxygen apparatus. At an altitude of 8540 m, Somervell stopped, unable to go any further. Norton single-handedly climbed to a height of 8573 m and also abandoned further ascent. Climbers, severely frostbitten, with great difficulty descended to the upper camp, and then down with the help of Sherpas.

In the same year, the de Englishmen Mallory and Irwin tried once again to make the ascent. Went with oxygen apparatus. But they also failed. Having reached an altitude of approximately 8500 meters, they died, most likely falling off the rocks. During an expedition in 1933, an ice ax belonging to one of them was found at this height. The expedition was extremely unsuccessful, because another Englishman and one of the Tibetan porters died. After Everest took the lives of the best English climbers, for a long time no one dared to repeat their attempts. Here are these brave pioneers: Irwin and Mallory are standing on the left, Somervell is sitting third on the left.

After all that had happened, the Dalai Lama forbade these attempts, and only in 1933 did the Everest Committee succeed in resuming the expedition to Everest.

The participants of the first expeditions, due to their age, could not participate in this, the expedition was led by Ruttledge, and almost the entire team was new. The ascent was carried out along the same route through the Northern Col. Sherpas lifted the entire load to a height of 8350 m, from where the ascent was started for the umpteenth time. As a result of two attempts, a height of 8565 m was reached. Then, because of the strongest winds, it was decided to stop the assault.

In the same 1933, the British organized an expedition over Everest by plane; before that, not a single airplane had tried to do this. Two Westland biplanes took part. The first P.V.3 (G-ACAZ) was flown by Marcus Douglas, with Lieutenant Colonel Steward Blaker flying as an observer. The second - Westland P.V.6 Wallace (G-ACBR) - was piloted by David McIntyre, with photographer Sidney Bonnet flying in the rear cockpit. The planes had aerial cameras for mapping. The crews had oxygen machines. Warm clothes protected them from the cold. During the second flight, aerial photographs were taken.

In 1934, an attempt to climb Mount Everest was made by 34-year-old Englishman Maurice Wilson, whom many considered not quite normal. He imagined that it was possible to climb Everest only after a three-week fast, during which a person would be cleansed of earthly filth and strengthen his body and spirit. At first, he wanted to fly to Everest by plane, sit on its slope, and then climb to the top on foot. But in India, the British authorities detained his plane.

Then he, with three Sherpa guides, dressed in Tibetan clothes, reached Everest on foot. He managed to climb to the third base camp of the early expeditions, from where he made several attempts to climb. But since he didn't have any mountaineering experience at all, his mind couldn't do it. Seeing this, the Sherpas left. Left alone and eating the remnants of food from the previous expedition, he continued his attempts, which were in vain. As a result, he is in this third base camp and froze. His remains and diary were found by members of the next expedition in 1935.

Such attempts to penetrate Tibet and climb Everest without the permission of the authorities were made twice after that. So in 1947, the Canadian Denman with porters reached the third camp, but he could not even climb the North Col. The same fate befell the Dane Larsen in 1951. By the way, Denman's guide was Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who then in 1953 participated in the victorious ascent and was the first to climb the peak.

In 1935, another British expedition was organized under the command of Shipton. The purpose of this expedition was not the ascent to the summit itself, but to find out the conditions on the slopes during the monsoon, is the snow compacted on the slopes? In July, they climbed the North Col, but seeing that part of the slope had been blown away by an avalanche, they abandoned further attempts. But they did not waste time in vain and in two months they successfully climbed 26 peaks located around Everest, including five of which exceeded 7000 m.

In 1936, Ruttledge and Shipton and the team again tried to climb Everest from the north. The ascent took place in the spring. They safely climbed along their previous route to the North Col, but unusually early, on April 22, the monsoon blew, and when trying to climb the Col, Shipton miraculously escaped from an avalanche. The ascent had to be stopped.

1938, a new British expedition led by Tilman again goes to storm Everest. The preparations were carried out with particular care. Six camps were organized along the route. Sherpa porters lifted the entire load to the upper sixth camp at an altitude of 8290 m. However, heavy snow began to fall and a deep loose snow cover formed, which filled all the ice crevices and depressions, besides, a severe frost hit, so the climb to the top had to be canceled.

Then the Second World War began and there was no time for ups and downs. And after the war, the government of Tibet did not give permission for the expedition for a long time. And only in 1950, under pressure from the British government, Nepal allowed expeditions to be carried out on their territory. Beginning in 1950, the British and French equipped expeditions to explore eastern Nepal. And in the same year, the Frenchmen Moriso Herzog and Louis Lachenal conquered the first eight-thousand-meter Annapurna with a height of 8075 meters.

In 1950, the Americans joined the research. In the autumn of 1950, an American expedition, in which the Englishman Tilman participated, approached Everest from the south and carefully examined its southern slopes. The approach from the south to the base of Everest was much more difficult than the northern one, but the section above 7000 meters, on the contrary, is easier and, according to the expedition, the assault on the peak from the south side could be successful.

The following year, 1951, the Everest Committee equipped an expedition under the command of Shipton to study the possibility of climbing Everest from the south. As a result of long and difficult searches, a route was chosen through the left branch of the Khumbu glacier, to the South Col and then to the summit along the South-East Ridge. However, this expedition itself did not make the ascent due to the fact that the search for a convenient place for ascent took too much time and winter was already approaching.

In 1952, a Swiss expedition led by Wyss-Dunant went along this route. In addition to the climbers, the expedition included a geologist, a botanist and an ethnographer. They safely climbed the South Col and went along the Southeast Ridge. At 8405 meters, an upper camp was set up, in which the Swiss Lambert and the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay rested and went up the next day. However, they could only climb to a height of 8600 m, because their oxygen apparatus failed and they had to stop climbing. In the autumn of the same year, the Swiss attempted to climb again, but the frost over 40°C and strong wind on the South-East Ridge made it impossible to continue the ascent. In addition, one Sherpa was killed during the descent.

The first conquerors of Everest

At that time, there was a concept according to which climbing the highest mountains of the world was proof of the advantage and priority of a particular nation. Therefore, each country individually equipped its expeditions to the highest peak. But given that the government of Nepal allowed foreigners to conduct only one expedition per year, and the teams from different countries had their own climbing experience, it was decided to create an international expedition. The British Everest Committee invited the most famous climbers of other countries at that time to take part in the expedition, including the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who last year climbed with Lambert to a height of 8600 m.

John Hunt was appointed head of the expedition. In total, the expedition included about 400 people, including 20 Sherpa guides and 362 porters, because the weight of the property that had to be delivered to the climbing site was more than 10,000 pounds. Tenzing was in charge of the porters, and was himself both a porter and a member of the climbing group.

The ascent began in the spring. Already in March, the base camp was established, a little later, at an altitude of 7890 meters, the final camp. John Hunt appointed two groups of main climbers: the first group was Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, the second group was Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. Edmund Hillary did not want to go with Tenzing, but in a pair with his friend George Low, and only after lengthy persuasion agreed.

On May 26, Bourdillon and Evans were the first to storm, but on the way, Evans' oxygen apparatus failed, besides, a gale blew and it began to snow, they were forced to return. For two days the weather did not allow us to start a new attempt. And only on May 28, Hillary and Tenzing, with three escorts, set off. A tent was set up at 8500 meters. It was the eighth assault camp. The escorts returned downstairs, while Hillary and Tenzing stayed overnight in the tent.

In the morning it turned out that Hillary, who took off his shoes at night and put them under his head, had completely iced over them and it took them two hours to defrost them over the primus flame and knead them. When Hillary was able to put on his shoes it was already six thirty minutes in the morning, it was time to start on the road. Here is how Tenzing described it in his memoirs: “It was on May 29, half past seven in the morning. The air is clear, silence all around. We pulled on our hands three pairs of gloves: first silk, then woolen, and over them canvas. Crampons were put on their feet, and oxygen devices weighing sixteen kilograms were put on their backs. I wound four flags tightly around the ice ax: Nepal, India, the United Nations and Great Britain. In the pocket of my jacket was a small, gnawed piece of my daughter's colored pencil.

Along the route they walked alternately, in front of them was one, then the other. The ascent to the South Peak was a continuous snow wall of loose snow, which was constantly crumbling. The legs slipped every now and then, every minute it was possible to slide down, this was the most difficult section of the path. By nine o'clock we climbed to the South Peak. It remained only 300 feet to go along a narrow ridge, to the left and right of which there were abysses more than 8,000 feet deep, and between them a narrow ridge. Slowly, protecting each other, we went along the ridge. The last obstacle was a huge rock on the ridge. With difficulty we climbed the rock and rested a little. After that, having overcome several snow blows, we ended up on the last snowdrift behind which there was nothing but the blue sky. It was the top. The clock showed 11 hours 30 minutes.

At the top they stayed only 15 minutes. During this time they set up flags, Hillary photographed Tenzing. There is no photo of Hillary at the top. Whether Tenzing could not use the camera, or Hillary himself did not want to be photographed is not clear. Well, Tenzing also put Nima's daughter's pencil and a bag of sweets in the snow as an offering to the gods. Having already gone downstairs, Hillary and Tenzing took a picture together. Here is a photo that went around the world

The heroes of this expedition received worldwide recognition. Queen Elizabeth II, having received this news on the day of her coronation, granted Edmund Hillary and John Hunt a knighthood. Tenzing Norgay was awarded the St. George Medal. It was said that Elizabeth II also wanted to make him a knight, but since he belonged to the lower Sherpa caste, Jawaharlal Nehru, who was then Prime Minister of India, forbade Tenzing to receive a knighthood.

But the King of Nepal, Gribuban, awarded Tenzing with the highest order of Nepal - the Nepalese Star and put at his disposal his personal plane, on which Tenzing and his family flew to New Delhi. And then Tenzing and his wife were in London at the reception of the Queen. After that, a school of high-altitude mountaineering was founded in Darjeeling, and Tenzing Norgay became the head of it.

The fate of the characters is different. Tenzing Norgay no longer took part in the ascents. The mountaineering school was transformed into the Himalayan Institute of Mountaineering and Tenzing until 1976 was its director. In 1976 he retired. He also visited the Soviet Union.

Sir Edmund Hillary, after conquering the third pole of the Earth, took up polar exploration. He led the New Zealand expedition to Antarctica. In 1958 he led the first expedition to the South Pole. In 1960, he organized the creation of the New Zealand Scott Base in Antarctica. Returning to Nepal in 1960, he dealt with the social welfare of the people of Nepal. Helped build schools and hospitals. He organized the construction of two airfields, which served to develop the tourism business in Nepal. Using great authority from the Nepalese government, he organized the creation of a national park in the foothills of Everest, for which he was later awarded the title of "Honorary Citizen of Nepal". Until the end of his life, Edmund Hillary dealt with the problems of environmental protection and the organization of humanitarian assistance to the people of Nepal.

The team of Soviet climbers first climbed Everest in 1982, it became the 25th expedition in a row, which managed to climb to the top. 17 best athletes were selected for the USSR national team, which was to climb Everest.

Climbers for the ascent were divided into four teams:

1. Eduard Myslovsky, Nikolai Cherny, Vladimir Balyberdin, Vladimir Shopin;
2. Valentin Ivanov, Sergei Efimov, Mikhail Turkevich, Sergei Bershov;
3. Yervand Ilyinsky, Sergey Chepchev, Kazbek Valiev, Valery Khrishchaty;
4. Vyacheslav Onishchenko, Valery Khomutov, Vladimir Puchkov, Alexey Moskaltsov, Yuri Golodov.

The ascent was carried out along a more difficult route from the south-western side, previously on which no one had tried to climb. The preparation time was almost a month and a half. On March 21, at an altitude of 5340 m, the main base camp was equipped, from which the processing of routes and the preparation of high-altitude camps began. Only by May 3, routes were processed and six camps were equipped: on March 21, an intermediate camp at an altitude of 6100m; March 22 1 camp at an altitude of 6500m; March 31 Camp 2 at an altitude of 7350m; April 12 Camp 3 at an altitude of 7850m; On March 18, camp 4 at an altitude of 8250m and on May 3 an assault camp at an altitude of 8500m. When everything was carefully prepared, the teams went to storm the peak.

We went with a gap in time, so two groups climbed the peak at night. Several climbers were injured. In total, 11 people climbed the peak.

The Soviet flag was installed on the highest mountain in the world, and the government of the USSR was informed that the ascent of a group of Soviet climbers to Everest was dedicated to the 60th anniversary of the USSR.

All members of the expedition received the title of Honored Masters of Sports. No other expedition has traveled this route.

Russian climbers have repeatedly visited the highest peak in the world. So in 1990, as part of the "Expedition of Peace" organized by the American Jim Whittaker, Russian woman Ekaterina Ivanova climbed Mount Everest. In 1992, a team of climbers "Lada-Everest" from Togliatti, consisting of 32 people, climbed to the top and hoisted the flag of Russia and AvtoVAZ there.

In 1995, a team of Russians, in honor of the 50th victory in the Great Patriotic War of 1941-45, dedicated their ascent to Everest. They were the first to climb the North Col. The flag of the USSR was raised to the peak, which, upon returning home, was presented to veterans of the Great Patriotic War.

In the spring of 2004, a group of Russian climbers in the amount of 20 people from several cities: Moscow, Yekaterinburg, Sochi, Rostov-on-Don, Tolyatti, Krasnoyarsk, Novokuznetsk, Kirov, Podolsk climbed to the top along the center of the Northern Wall - this is the most difficult route among all ascents .

Since the first ascent of Everest, more than four thousand climbers have climbed. And although they say that now the ascent to the peak of Everest is on stream, every year more than 500 people participate in the ascent, there is no guarantee that it will be successful. More than two hundred climbers died on its slopes, in gorges and in snowy abysses. But, despite these sacrifices, people who want to visit the third pole not only do not decrease, but increase every year. They face enormous difficulties, fraught with risk to their lives, but they strive to this peak in order to look at the planet from the roof of the world for a few minutes.