Highest mountain in the world * Planet Earth

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The highest mountain in the world above sea level

Everest is the highest mountain in the world.. The name "highest mountain in the world" was not given to Everest with a simple - the height of the mountain is 8.85 thousand meters. A lot of tourists and climbers from all over the world fly there every year.

When people talk about something extremely high, they assume a distance above sea level. However, judging only by this parameter, the exact height of the mountain will be 8 kilometers 849 meters. Height competition on the planet currently does not exist. The mountain extends into the atmosphere much higher than other mountain peaks.

Interesting fact: at the moment there are 18 routes on which you can climb the mountain, fulfilling your dream.

The highest mountain in the world from the center of the earth

In this case, the highest point, in proximity to the center of the planet, is considered the peak of Chimboraso. It rises above sea level is 6 kilometers 384 meters. Chimborazo is a layered volcano located in Ecuador. The volcano is part of the Andes mountain range.

The earth is not a smooth ball; it rises on the sides of the equator and is slightly flattened at the poles. Thus, the mountains near the Equator are located farther from the center of the planet than those that are at the poles. Chimborazo is closer to the Equator than Everest. And this means that it is closer to space than even the highest point of the Jomolungma (another name for Everest).

The highest mountain in the world from base to top

Jomolungma is the highest mountain peak above sea level, but the highest mountain from the base to the top is considered to be the Hawaiian mountain Mauna Kea, local people call it the White Mountain. The distance above sea level is 4 kilometers 205 meters, but the mountain goes down almost another 6 kilometers down, since most of Mauna Kea is submerged to the sea depth.

The height of the mountain is more than 10 kilometers, which is 1345 m more than the value of Everest. In fact, this is not quite a mountain - Mauna Kea is an extinct volcano that arose about a million years ago. It was then that the tectonic plate, on which the island is located, moved over the plume of a red-hot mantle inside the planet. The last volcanic eruption occurred approximately 2.6 thousand years BC.

White Mountain Peak is a real find for astronomical observations. Humidity is low, the sky is mostly clear, and the nearest light sources are at a decent distance, not illuminating the night sky. Thus, at the peak, an excellent view of any celestial bodies opens. At the top of the mountain, approximately 13 telescopes are currently installed.

It is also worth noting that officially Everest remains the highest mountain only above sea level. Using this parameter, the rest of the mountains cannot even claim to be the insurmountable peaks of the Andes, belonging to the top of Mount Aconcagua, which rises 6 kilometers 961 meters above the sea. However, even she is not a rival to Everest.

Where is Everest located?

Everest is located in the Himalayan mountains on the ridge Mahalangur-Himal. There also passes the Nepalese-Chinese border.

Interesting fact: An annual increase in the mountain by several millimeters is noted.

What does Everest look like?

Everest looks like a trihedral pyramid with a more sloping southern slope. Precisely because of this, in the southern part of the mountain and on its ribs, coarse-grained and fine-grained snows are simply not kept, therefore a stone stands under them. The northeastern shoulder of the mountain reaches 8393 meters in height, the distance from the top to the mountain foot is approximately 3550 meters. Mountain peaks, as a rule, consist of sedimentary mountain deposits.

The southern part of the mountain passes into the South Saddle Pass, located at an altitude of 7906 meters, and from Lhotse - 8516 meters. Some call it the southern peak of the mountain.

Interesting fact: The youngest climber climbing up was 13 years old, and the oldest climber 80.

In the north of the mountain is the North Saddle, the size of 7020 meters, connecting the mountain with a separate peak Changse, a height of 7553 meters. Towards the east, the wall of Kangshung, 3350 meters, abruptly ends. Glaciers are constantly flowing from the entire mountain range, which end quite high - at an altitude of 5 kilometers. Part of the mountain belongs to Nepal National Park, the rest belongs to China.

Interesting fact: to climb to the top of the mountain you will have to spend from 40 days to two months.

Climate Peaks of Mount Everest

The summit of Everest aggressively hosts climbers. Constant winds rage there, the rarefied atmosphere does not allow breathing normally. The speed of some air flows develops up to 80 m / s, and may be greater. Often the strongest winds and storms blow here. The air around is very cold - the temperature drops to -60, which feels like -100 degrees Celsius. In summer, the mountain is slightly warmer than usual - the temperature rises to -19. At the top there are never positive temperatures. Without special equipment and acclimatization to survive on the mountain is not possible.

Flora and fauna of Everest

The climate is too aggressive for a mass of animals and plants to appear on the mountain. From the plant world there you can find small shrubs, mosses, lichens and some conifers. Animals on Everest are also not very common: jumping spiders, grasshoppers, flies and some birds.

Every year on the planet less and less spoiled by humanity places, the mountain region is also ranked among them. During the rise, tourists are surrounded by picturesque landscapes. From the side of Nepal, the mountain is fenced by two more mountain ranges, so for good visibility you have to walk several thousand meters.

Why is Everest so called?

The map of Tibet was first issued in 1719, it was compiled according to the results of Chinese intelligence. Intelligence was carried out by llamas on the orders of the ruler of China. The European copy of the map reflected only the approximate location of the mountain, its name was not the same as on the Chinese original map.

From the point of view of India, the mountain was called Discovery, but the latter name was not defined until 1856. The mountain is named after the previous head of the expeditions of the geodetic service of India, colonized by Britain, George Everest. Until about the 20th century, a lot of names of the mountains could be heard from India, but geography as a science did not take them seriously due to inaccuracies in location. The first representative of the Indian Observation, who was able to visit the area near Everest, was Natha Singh. It was he who first heard the name of Everest, as "Chholungbif."

At the beginning of the winter of 1920, thanks to an employee of the British mission Charles Bell, who at that time was trying to settle the issue related to the ascent of the first English explorers to the mountain, parchment was awarded. This parchment was handed by the Dalai Lama along with a permit to rise. In Tibetan parchment, words were written that a monastery is located on the mountain. Part of the sentence was: "Cha-Mo Lung." This passage of phrase interested researchers. A little later, in Lhasa, the researcher was told that this is not a set of words, but the abbreviated name of Everest “Cha-Dzi-Ma-Lung-Ma”, next to it was the prefix “Lho”, which translates as the south side.

In a special document that allowed the British expedition to climb the mountains, issued by official representatives of the Tibetan authorities, the mountain was called as "Chha-Mo-Lung Ma". Later this name was found in all documents with permission to climb issued by the Tibetan government until 1936.

The new name of the mountain became official after many years - in the 1960s. it was then that it became a documented geographical name of the area.Many translations of the name Chomolungma from Tibetan indicate that the mountain was called the Divine Mother of the Earth or the Wind. Locals call Everest among themselves as "A mountain over whose peaks birds cannot fly." Judging from the Nepalese side, the mountain was called “Sagannatha”, a similar name dates back to the 1960s, when the territories of Nepal and China were divided along the top of the mountain.

The meaning of “Chha-Mo-Lung Ma” is translated as “Divine Mother of the energy of life”. Everest is so named after the deity of one of the schools of Tibetan Buddhism, Sharab Chzhamma. The name of the goddess can be translated as the wisest and most loving mother. Thus, for certain schools of Buddhism, the mountain represents maternal energy. Also, the mountain is sometimes called “Chomogangkar”, which is also translated as “Holy Mother”. Because of the snow on the peaks, the phrase “white as snow” is added.

Everest as an object of mountaineering

Chomolungma is the highest mountain. This fact makes tourists from all over the planet fly to this place. Climbing occurs regularly, but not every climber can survive climbing.

You will have to climb to the top within two months. This is subject to acclimatization, as well as with the regular establishment of tourist camps. When climbing, climbers lose about 15 kilograms. Countries around the mountains charge a fee not only for climbing the peak, but also for related services such as an interpreter, transport and signalman. Each expedition climbs according to order, the cheapest ascent is from Tibet. The most standard climb to the mountain starts from the north.

Basically, the rise is carried out in the spring and autumn. Then there are no monsoons, so climbing is a little easier. The most suitable season for conquering the Chomolungma is spring. In the spring, it is much easier to climb the opposite sides of the mountain. In autumn it is much easier to climb the south side.

Basically, each ascent is carried out with the help of specialized firms, all ascents are carried out only in groups. Each client of the company pays for additional and compulsory services, as well as training and insurance.

Now the infrastructure of Nepal, aimed at tourists, is constantly evolving. Every year an increasing number of tourists climb the mountain. Previously, in 1983, only 8 people climbed Mount Everest during the whole year, seven years later their number increased to 40. Since the beginning of the 21st century, more than 200 people have climbed the Jomolungma only in a day. During the ascent, tourists encounter traffic jams, rise only in turn, sometimes climbers even arrange fights among themselves.

According to experts, a successful expedition can take place only in good weather conditions, as well as taking into account the proper equipment of tourist groups. Climbing a mountain, everyone experiences significant difficulties, one has to deal with cold, wind, and fear of heights. Even well-trained experienced climbers do not easily get over troubles along the way. Acclimatization during the campaign is considered important. Standard expeditions from southern countries spend about two weeks climbing the base camp at an altitude of 5364 meters. Further it is important to acclimatize to the conditions. For acclimatization, tourists spend more than a month, during which they are in the camp. Only after complete acclimatization are possible attempts to climb.

The last 300 meters of the mountain are the most difficult to conquer, the people called him the most difficult mile on the planet. To cope with the site you have to overcome an extremely steep smooth slope, which is completely covered with powdery snow. A rarefied atmosphere negatively affects the human body, since the amount of oxygen in it is relatively small.

Temperatures at the peak drop to -60, while due to strong winds it might seem that everything is -100 degrees Celsius.Due to the low temperature, frostbite can be obtained. At the peak, aggressive solar radiation is operating, which is not felt on the ground. These features include steep slopes, ice, avalanches and various crevices that you can fall into.

Ecological situation

There is an assumption among scientists that over time, ice melts. On the peaks of Everest, the amount of ice decreased significantly. Tourists come to the mountain every year in millions, they leave trash behind them. According to some reports, Everest is gradually turning into a large trash. It is sometimes called the “highest mountain dump in the world”.

Back in 2007, more than 40 thousand tourists visited the Chinese side of the mountain. Researchers estimate that they left behind more than 200 tons of various wastes, about 3 kilograms per person. Nepal Airlines collected garbage at a transshipment climber. The total weight of the waste was more than 17 tons. It took a lot of effort to collect such a large amount of garbage. A bulk of plastic bags, bottles, plastic and aluminum utensils were found at a transshipment point. The work of hundreds of people and two months of work took to collect all the garbage.

A year later, in May, the Tibet Autonomous Regional Office, created to protect and protect the environment in the region, made a lot of efforts to collect 8 tons of garbage. Three years later, the amount of waste increased to 11 tons. The question of the burial of dead climbers is very relevant. This is important for the local population - Sherpas.

In 2014, the Nepalese Ministry of Tourism issued a decree that all climbers who want to climb the peak of the mountain must bring back at least 8 kg of waste.