Geographical Location : Mount Everest is the rocky snow cladded peak of the Himalayas. It is located on the Nepal Tibet border and stands at the height of 29, 028 feet. It is the highest mountain in the world.
Other names of Mount Everest : Mount Everest is popularly known as 'Sagarmatha' meaning Goddess of the Sky in Nepal and 'Chomolungma' meaning Goddess of the Universe in Tibet. People of the Khumbhu valley also call it Jomolangma, as according to them, a goddess, one of the five sisters of long life resides here.
History of Mount Everest : Mount Everest the highest mountain in the world, is named after Sir George Everest, the surveyor general of India. It made its presence known on earth over 60 million years ago. The first expedition to the Mount Everest was made in the year 1924, since than several attempts were made to the summits. The expedition till now has taken more then 400 lives. It was declared as the world's tallest mountain in 1852.
Climbing and Discovery of Mount Everest : From 1830 to 1843 Sir George Everest, the Surveyor General of India, made attempts to record the location of the the Everest. In the year 1856, Andrew Waugh identified Mount Everest to be 8840 meters high. Than exact after the 10 years, in 1865 Peak XV, was renamed as Mt. Everest in the honour of Sir George Everest.
Later on in the 19th century George Mallory and Andrew Irvine attempted the summit. The men were last seen heading towards the top of Mount Everest but thereafter they were completely engulfed by the clouds. In the year 1999, Mallory's body was found, but no such evidence, that could reveal weather they completed their journey to the Everest or not.
The first ones who broke all the records and reach the top of Mount Everest, were Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who received immense popularity overnight. Another most interesting historical record was made in May, 1978 by Habeler and Messner who made the heroic effort to reach the top without using any supplemental oxygen. More than 600 climbers from 20 countries have climbed to the summit by various routes.
Tourists activities :
Trekking and Hiking : Mount Everest is the never ending adventure for the trekkers lovers and hikers too. Trekking at Mount Everest is quite a challenging one. You may face several difficulties while climbing, so you need to be physically fit and fine. The trekking route provides you the most beautiful sceneries and unparalleled views, which are quite amazing. The most appropriate time to trek the base camp of the Mount Everest is pre- monsoon springtime and post monsoon autumn.
Wildlife Exploration : Explore the exotic flora and fauna of the Mount Everest. You can make a visit to the popular Sagarmatha National Park, declared as the world Heritage Site in 1979. The park is known for its rare species of snow leopard and red pandas. Juniper, blue pines, firs, bamboo and rhododendron contribute to the rich floral system of the park. The main attractions of the park include musk deer, wild yak, Himalayan black beer, langur monkeys, hares, mountain foxes, Himalayan wolves and red panda.
Birding : The Sagarmatha National Park is also the birding paradise. You can carry the pair of binoculars to engage in Bird watching. It is home to 118 species of birds. The most important among them include Danphe, Blood Pheasant, Red billed chough and Yellow billed chough. Sagarmatha is one of the most beautiful place you will find on earth.
Visit to the Khumbu Valley : The Khumbu valley mostly inhabited by the Sherpas, has marvelous, incomparable beauty. Beautifully surrounded by the snowy peaks, the valley is the zenith of natural beauty. The people in the valley are quite religious, who have been following Tibetan Buddhism from generations. The people here are engaged in various occupations such as trekking, mountaineering, portering and other religious practices.
Aparana Chauhan
