Ascent Everest
Everest
Everest was named the highest mountain in the world in 1854. Clocked in at 29,002 feet made it the highest peak in the world. The actuall peak was 29,000 feet even but Waugh added the two feet to make it seem acutall and not rounded. Then the peak was named peak XV. The peak was discovered by Andrew Waugh. He named the mountain his old teacher Sir Gorge Everest. To Mountaineers and geologists the peak was too bulky and large. Soon It became know in England and the states. And It set into motion the influx of Everest mountaineers.
Discovery
A Tholidite used to measure the height of everest.
Exploration
Before the summit of everest would be attained everest clamed 24 lives, the efforts of 15 expeditions and 101 years. The first Everest treckers were forced to take the Tebetain side of the mountain because Nepal's borders were closed. The extreeme mountaineers had to walk 400 miles just to get to the base of the mountain with very inatiquite gear and knowledge of altitute effects.
The leader for the first three expidetions George Mallory would be linked with everest forever. When a news paper reporter asked why he wanted to climbeverest he simply responed "Because it is there". On june 8th 1924 two men, including Mallory the other a man named Irving, of the british team awoke before sunlight and made for the summit. Mist billowed over the upper pyramid blocking the rest of the team to watch the progress. The two men were seen later at 12:50 pm truging along. They never made it back to theyre tents that night and were never seen again.
In 1949 Nepal opened its previously closed borders. And a year later Under the new Communist regime China closed Tibets borders to forgieners. This now meant that the south side of the peak was now avalable to mountaineers. In 1953 a large british team used this to there advantage. On may 28 they dug in a small camp at 27,900 feet. Early the next morning Edmund Hillary a New Zelander and Tenzing Norgay, a sherpa set out for the top with bottled oxygen. They would become the first people in the world to stand on top of the world.
Modern Climbing
Modern climbing has revoulutionized Everest ascents. The use of bottled oxyegen has greatly increased the saftey of Everst summits. Bottled oxygen provides extra stamina when breathing thinner air. It also increases the saftey of hiking near the top. When you are hypoxiated your sences beciome duller making it harder to focus on walking. Crampons and saftey harnneses make it easier if you fall to return to standing. Ropes make the ascent easier and safer to get up the ice walls. And with more acses to surrounding villages its easier to get a helicopter there and skip the 400 mile walk.
These are crampons used to add grip to ice.