The highest point on Earth is the peak of Mount Everest. To reach the summit of the mountain is the goal of every alpine climber. Before every climber goes to Mount Everest, they should know what the climate is, the history behind the mountain, and the people of the mountain, the Sherpas. Mount Everst is located within the Himalaya Mountain Range. The range is very vast and extensive, containing over one hundred mountains higher than 24,000 thousand feet, and at least twenty mountains over 26,000 feet (Librios).
Mount Everest serves as a natural border between Nepal and Tibet. China also borders it to the north (“China Weather”). The Himalayan Mountain range has gotten to be so big as a result of tectonic plate action. Landmasses of Asia and India have the inconceivably powerful geologic force that pushes the two together. To this day, the Himalayas are still growing several millimeters a year (Librios). The peak of Mount Everest protrudes well into the stratosphere (Goodier). The mountain’s summit is buffeted almost year round by winds over one hundred miles per hour.
The highest recorded wind speed at the peak is one hundred and seventy-five miles per hour. When there is a break from the wind, the snow drifts pole up and become very deep (Goodier). According to popular mechanics, the only time to go for the summit is “during the onset or cession of the Asian Monsoon that these winds die down and allow climbers short seven to ten day windows” (Goodier). The monsoons come annually in May (Goodier). The climate of the mountain is very much connected to the history of the mountain. The history of the mountain dates back to about 60 million years ago.
That is when the tectonic plates of the Indian landmass and Asian landmass started pushing up against each other. Tectonic plates have given us the ultimate alpine climbers dream, Mount Everest. In the year of 1865, Sir George Everest, the British-surveyor of India came across Mount Everest. He was the first person to measure the precise height and location of the summit. Before that, the mountain was known as Peak 15(“Mount Everest History and Facts”). While there have been many expeditions to summit Everest, the first one was the greatest achievement.
Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, both members of the British Everest Expedition led by Colonel John Hunt. On the team, there were experienced climbers from all over the world and Sherpas (Rosenberg). After months of planning, a team was allowed to go up. However, that team did not consist of Hillary and Norgay. That team made it within three hundred feet of the summit, but was forced to turn back because of poor weather conditions, and a malfunction in their air tanks (Rosenberg). Three days later, Hillary and Norgay gave their push for the summit.
After five hours of climbing, precisely at 11:30 a. m. , Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first people to summit the giant, Mount Everest. The date was May 29, 1953, and the two men instantly became heros known world wide (Rosenberg). Without the help of Sherpas, climbing Mount Everest would have been very difficult back then, and even harder now. Climbing Mount Everest today is a very difficult feat to accomplish. As the article Sherpas states, “You will need them to carry the oxygen, the gear, and as a safety on the summit push” (“Sherpas”).
The reason for this is because the Sherpas have been living at high altitudes for generations and have developed a natural allowance for it (Sherpas). Sherpas come from the eastern region of Tibet. They were originally nomads that traveled through the mountain to trade goods with their neighbors (Librios). The Sherpas take great pride in their heritage and mountaineering skills. They are also usually very happy and easy going. Sherpas are people that you can build life long friendships with (“Sherpas”). The most famous of all Sherpas is Tenzing Norgay.
He, along with Edmund Hillary, were the first people to summit Everest. Tenzing was born in Moyey, Tibet, was raised in Tibet, and has been a resident of India for most of his life. Growing up, he never learned to read or write, he was however, fluent in many languages (“Sherpas”). Tenzing had to take a break from his passion of climbing in the 1940’s as he was in Chitral, fighting in the war. After returning home, Tenzing took part in many expeditions around the world. This all led up to his greatest climb of all.
Many climbers can testify about Tenzing being a man of “great character and warmth to other people” (“Sherpas”). After summiting, Tenzing went on to open a climbing school and a trekking business with the help of his wife (“Sherpas”). Unfortunately, he left us all almost exactly twenty years ago, but many Sherpas today still carry on his memory. Before a climber goes to try and reach the summit of Mount Everest, they should know the climate of the area, the history of the mountain, and who the Sherpas are. It is now time to get ready to climb the mountain of all mountains, Mount Everst.
