Facts You Didn't Know About The Celebrated Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on planet Earth. Towering over 29,000 feet (8,848 meters) above sea level, this mighty peak in the Himalayan mountain range is an awe-inspiring natural wonder. Every year, hundreds of daring climbers attempt to conquer Everest's treacherous slopes and stand at the top of the world. Let's explore some fascinating facts about this legendary 

Mount Everest is located on the border between Nepal and Tibet (an autonomous region of China). The mountain's base sits in Nepal, while the summit ridge straddles the border with Tibet. The closest major cities are Kathmandu in Nepal (141 miles or 227 km away) and Lhasa in Tibet (470 miles or 756 km away). The mountain lies in the Mahalangur section of the Himalayas, an east-west mountain range that forms a natural border between the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian subcontinent.

Like the rest of the Himalayas, Mount Everest was formed by the collision of the Indian tectonic plate pushing northward into the Eurasian continental plate over 60 million years ago. This titanic collision uplifted layers of rock and sediment, eventually forming the highest mountain range on Earth. Everest continues to grow about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) each year as the tectonic plates keep mashing t

No one is entirely sure who first discovered or sighted Mount Everest, though Tibetans had known about and revered the mountain for centuries under its Tibetan name "Chomolungma" meaning "Goddess Mother of the World." The peak was eventually named "Everest" in 1865 by the British Surveyor General of India after Sir George Everest.

On June 8, 1924, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made the first serious attempt to climb Everest but never returned, leaving their fate a mystery. It wasn't until May 29, 1953 that a New Zealand beekeeper named Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to conclusively reach the summit. After them, only around 5,000 people have stood on the top of Everest, an exclusive club compared to the millions who dream of the feat.

Climbing Everest remains an incredibly dangerous pursuit. As of 2019, over 300 climbers have died on the mountain, succumbing to hazards like altitude sickness, freezing temperatures, sudden blizzards, exhaustion, and falls. Even successful summits can leave climbers permanently injured by frostbite, vision problems, or lung conditions caused by operating at extremely high altitudes with low oxygen .

There are two main climbing routes on Mount Everest that ascend from opposite sides - the Southeast Ridge from Nepal and the North Ridge from Tibet. Both present grueling challenges due to near-vertical slopes, shifting glaciers, and extreme altitude. Well over half of all climbers attempt the popular Southeast Ridge route, which features Base Camp at roughly 17,600 feet (5,380 meters). Climbers typically take around two months to ascend the mountain via this route, acclimating to the altitude in stages and waiting for ideal weather windows. 

The North Ridge route starts higher at around 16,900 feet (5,150 meters) but has steeper paths and more treacherous terrain. This has made it a less-traveled route pursued by highly experienced climbers looking for a more remote, adventurous experience on the isolated Tibetan side of Everest.

Sadly, decades of climbing expeditions on Mount Everest have turned parts of the mountain into one of the world's highest trash dumps. Discarded oxygen tanks, climbing gear, food containers, and even human waste have steadily piled up over the years, creating a major problem of pollution on the pristine slopes. Nepal and Tibet have started implementing fines and requiring climbers to pack out all their waste, but cleaning up the existing mess remains an ongoing challenge.

Moreover, the influx of climbers - and their tremendous amounts of bodily greenhouse gas emissions at high altitudes - may be rapidly accelerating the melting of Everest's glaciers and snowpack. This could pose serious risks to the rivers and agricultural systems downstream in countries like Nepal, India, and Bangladesh that depend on Himalayan glacier runoff.

While summiting Mount Everest is the pinnacle achievement for many mountaineers, the Tibetan people view the mountain as a sacred, spiritually revered place for Buddhists. They call it "Qomolangma" which means "Mother Goddess of the Universe." One Tibetan Buddhist monastery requested climbers not to go to the summit out of respect for the mountain's holy nature. However, most Sherpas who guide and support climbing expeditions see no conflict between climbing and respecting Everest.

Whether one appreciates Everest for its spiritual meaning, grand natural beauty, or purely as an extreme mountaineering challenge, there is no denying the captivating power this towering peak holds over the imagination of people around the world. Mount Everest stands as both an inspiring triumph of nature's grandeur and a daunting reminder of the incredible fortitude required by those bold enough to climb it.