On Top of the World: Risking Death for Glory on Mt. Everest

Where is Mt. Everest? Mt. Everest is located in Asia. The mountain shares a border with Nepal and Tibet. Mt. Everest NEPAL

Mt. Everest Statistics Mt. Everest is 29,035 ft. tall! That’s over 5 miles high!! It is the highest mountain above sea level. Mt. Everest is generally only climbed in the spring months for safety reasons. By the end of the 2014* climbing season, there had been 6,971 ascents to the summit by 4,042 individuals. –*2014 climbing season was abruptly cut short by an avalanche that killed 16 Sherpa guides who were installing fixed lines for tourists to climb the mountain. Most Sherpa guides and tour groups decided not to climb in To climb Everest, join an expedition and be prepared to pay anywhere from $29,000 (for a Nepal based group of locals and single guide with a large group of tourists) to $89,000 (for the most experienced guides—climbers who have summited over 10 times— with Sherpa support and a very small group) US dollars.

More Everest Statistics Everest has claimed 223 lives (including 4 in 2011), including eight who perished during a 1996 storm high on the mountain. The first serious attempt to climb Everest occurred in The first people to successfully summit Mt. Everest were Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and his Sherpa guide, Tenzig Norgay of Nepal. They did this in 1953 and their route, the South Route from Nepal, is the most commonly used today. Oldest person to reach the summit was 80 (in 2013). Youngest person to reach the summit was 13 (in May 2010) New rules for 2011 climbing season state you must be between 18 and 60 to climb Mt. Everest, However, those seem to be disregarded.

The South Route Learn more:

Special Tools Because the route up Everest is difficult, climbers need to use ropes, fixed lines, and ladders to ascend the mountain. They also have to carry an ice axe and wear special footgear, called crampons. Crampons in use

The Khumbu Icefall Once you arrive at base camp and get used to the thinner oxygen, your first challenge in reaching the summit of Everest is the Khumbu Icefall. It is a glacier that is constantly melting and shifting, making it very dangerous. Ropes and ladders have to be adjusted daily, and most climbing here is done in the early morning before the ice starts to melt.

The Khumbu Icefall

Some Interesting Views Crossing a Crevasse on the Icefall Khumbu Icefall

A View From the Top of the World A 360 view from the summit

Switching Continents… Leaving Asia and Heading for Europe. Destination: Switzerland Switzerland

The Alps The Alps is the collective name for one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east, through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west. The word Alps means mountains. The highest mountain in the Alps is Mont Blanc at 4810 meters on the French-Italian border. We’ll be travelling to a mountain called The Matterhorn. It is one of the most photographed of the Alps, and very challenging to climb.

The Matterhorn The Matterhorn is the mountain you will read about in “A Boy and A Man.” In the excerpt, it will be referred to as “The Citadel.” It is located on the border of Switzerland and Italy and although it’s not the tallest mountain in the Alps, it is the most widely known icon of the Swiss Alps. It was first climbed July 14, 1865 by Edward Whymper and party.

Matterhorn Facts Matterhorn, the German name, is from the words Matte meaning “meadow” and horn meaning “peak.” The four steep faces, rising above the surrounding glaciers, face the four compass points. The Matterhorn was one of the last great Alpine peaks to be climbed ] It was made in 1865 by a party led by Edward Whymper and ended disastrously when four of its members fell to their deaths on the descent. ] The north face was not climbed until The Matterhorn is one of the deadliest peaks in the Alps: over 500 climbers have died. Deaths average now about 12 annually. Deaths are due to falls, inexperience, underestimating the mountain, bad weather, and falling rocks. The Matterhorn has become an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and the Alps in general.