In Nepal there lives a man who has conquered the “top of the world” 21 times, and at the very top, which was once the seabed, amazing spiders live. The mountain is still growing, has not even two, but four official names and, by the way, is not the highest in the world.

(Total 10 photos)

Post Sponsor: A massage chair is nothing more than your own massage room!
Source: restbee.ru

1. Himalayan spiders

Even high in the mountains, where there is barely enough oxygen to breathe, we cannot hide from spiders. Euophrys omnisuperstes, better known as the Himalayan jumping spider, hides in the nooks and crannies of Everest, making it one of the highest living creatures on Earth. Climbers found them at an altitude of 6700 meters. These spiders are able to feed on almost anything that can fly so high. With the exception of some species of birds, these are the only living creatures that permanently live at such an altitude. True, in 1924, during the British expedition to Everest, a previously unknown species of grasshoppers was found here - now they are on display in the British Museum of Natural History.

2. Record for climbing Everest - 21 times

Appa Tenzing, also known as Appa Sherpa, was able to reach the top of the world 21 times. His first ascent took place in May 1990, after three earlier unsuccessful attempts. Apparently, having learned all the secrets of climbing, Appa continued to conquer Everest every year - from 1990 to 2011. He repeatedly emphasized that the effects of global warming are clearly visible in the mountains. Appa is concerned about the melting snow and ice making it more difficult to climb the mountain, and about the safety of his people after his home village was flooded by a melting glacier. Appa made his last four ascents of Everest as part of environmental expeditions.

Conquering Everest is not as romantic as it might seem at first glance. Thanks to the significant development of the tourism industry, there has been a significant increase in the number of climbs to the world's highest mountain. So, in 1983, only 8 people reached the top, and in 2012, 234 people got there in just one day. It is not surprising that when conquering Everest, traffic jams and even fights occur. So, in 2013, climbers Ueli Steck, Simon Moreau and Jonathan Griffith got into a fight with the Sherpas after the latter asked them to stop climbing. Sherpas accused the climbers of causing an avalanche. An argument began, which on emotions escalated into a brutal fight using stones. Things got to the point of death threats, but the climbers returned to base camp, where the rest of their “colleagues” took their side. Even the Nepalese army had to intervene in the incident - then both sides of the conflict signed an agreement on its peaceful settlement.

4. 450 million years of history

Although the Himalayan mountains were formed about 60 million years ago, their history begins much earlier. 450 million years ago, limestone and rocks were part of sedimentary layers that lay below sea level. Over time, the rocks on the ocean floor gathered together and began to move upward at a rate of 11 centimeters per year. Fossils of sea creatures can now be found at the top of Everest. They were first discovered in 1924 by guide Noel Odell - thus proving that the summit of Everest was once under water. The first rock samples from the world peak were brought back by Swiss climbers in 1956 and by a team from America in 1963.

5. Height Controversy

What is the exact height of Everest? It depends on which country you are on. China stated that it is 8844 meters, while Nepal claims 8848 meters. This dispute arose because China believes that the height should only be equal to the height of the rock, excluding meters of frozen snow from the total. Whether this is true or not remains a double-edged sword, but the international community still includes snow in the height of the mountain. China and Nepal reached an agreement in 2010, finally establishing the official height of 8,848 meters.

6. Everest is still growing

According to the latest measurements, both China and Nepal may be wrong about the height. In 1994, a research team discovered that Everest continues to grow at 4 millimeters per year. The Indian subcontinent was originally an independent piece of land that collided with Asia to form the Himalayas. But the continental plates are still moving and the heights of the mountains are rising. American researchers in 1999 installed special equipment that allows them to monitor its changes. Their more accurate measurements could lead to the official height of the mountain being changed to 8,850 meters. Meanwhile, other tectonic activity causes Everest to shrink, but the results combine to still keep it growing.

7. Everest has several names

Most of us know the mountain under the names Everest and Chomolungma. The last name comes from Tibet, which means “Divine (qomo) mother (ma) of life (lung).” But these are not the only names by which the mountain is known. So, in Nepal it is called Sagarmatha (“Forehead in the Sky”), and it itself is part of the Nepalese Sagarmatha National Park. The mountain owes its name to Everest to the British surveyor Andrew Waugh, who was unable to find a single generally accepted name even after carefully studying all the maps of the surrounding area and communicating with its inhabitants. Andrew decided to name the mountain in honor of the geographer who worked in India, George Everest, the leader of the British team that first explored the Himalayas. Everest himself refused such an honor, but nevertheless, British representatives in 1865 changed the name of the mountain. Previously, it was simply called the 15th pick.

8. Traffic jams of people

Climbing Everest will cost anyone several thousand dollars, but the number of those eager to conquer the peak is steadily growing. In 2012, German climber Ralf Dujmowitz took a photo of hundreds of people queuing to climb. By the way, due to bad weather and a long line, Ralph had to turn back at one of the passes called the South Col. And on May 19, 2012, those who wanted to climb to the top of the mountain were forced to stand in line for about two hours - 234 people climbed Everest in one day. However, on the same day, four people died during the ascent, which raised some concerns about the safety of conquering the summit, and specialists from Nepal installed railings that help combat congestion. The issue of installing a staircase at the top is currently being discussed.

There are many photographs showing the beauty of Everest from all possible angles, but there is also the other side of the coin: photographs of the huge amount of garbage left behind by climbers. According to some estimates, there are about 50 tons of waste of various origins on Everest, and their amount grows in proportion to the number of visits. On the slopes of the mountain you can see used oxygen cylinders, climbing equipment and other waste from climbers. In addition, the mountain is “decorated” by the bodies of dead climbers - due to difficulties in transporting them, victims of unfortunate circumstances remain lying on the slopes. Some of them serve as landmarks for other climbers. Thus, Tsewanga Palzhora, who died in 1996, “marks” an altitude of 8500 meters and even received the nickname “Green Shoes” - for his noticeable bright green shoes. Since 2008, a special environmental expedition (Eco Everest Expidition) climbs the mountain every year, the purpose of which is to combat pollution of Everest. So far, thanks to this expedition, more than 13 tons of waste have been collected. In 2014, the Nepalese government introduced a new rule according to which each climber must bring at least 8 kilograms of waste with him when descending the mountain - otherwise the $4,000 deposit will be lost. There is also the Everest 8848 creative project: its artists turned 8 tons of waste into 75 works of art, even using the remains of broken tents and beer cans. In this way they are trying to draw attention to the pollution of the mountain.

10. Everest is not the tallest mountain on Earth

Despite the assigned title, Everest is in fact not the tallest mountain in the world. Mauna Kea, an inactive volcano in Hawaii, rises “only” 4,205 meters above sea level, but another 6,000 meters of its base are hidden under water. When measured from the ocean floor, its height is 10,203 meters, which is almost one and a half kilometers more than Everest.

Everest is also not the most “convex” point on the planet. The extinct Chimborazo volcano in Ecuador reaches an altitude of 6,267 meters above sea level, but is located just one degree from the equator. Since our planet is slightly thicker in the center, the sea level in Ecuador is located further from the center of the Earth than in Nepal, and it turns out that Chimborazo is, in terms of stereometry, the highest point on Earth.

The idea of ​​conquering the highest mountain first occurred to a person most likely in ancient times, long before the advent of any civilization, but only on May 29, 1953 at 11:30 a.m., New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay became the first people to which Everest conquered, a mountain whose height is 8850 meters.

The news broke worldwide on June 2, the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, which was hailed by the British as a good omen for the future of their country.

Everest - the majestic Chomolungma, is located at the top of the Great Himalayas in Asia on the border between Nepal and Tibet. In Tibetan this peak is called Qomolungma, which means "Mother Goddess of the Earth", the English name given in honor of Sir George Everest, a 19th century British geographer in India. The summit of Everest is two-thirds the thickness of the Earth's entire air atmosphere. This is almost the maximum cruising altitude of jet airliners. The oxygen content there is extremely low, and the temperature is very low, the weather is completely unpredictable and very dangerous.

The first recorded attempt to conquer Everest was made in 1921 by a British expedition that trekked more than 400 miles across the Tibetan plateau to reach the foot of this great mountain. A strong storm forced them to interrupt their ascent, but members of the expedition, among whom was the then famous George Lee Mallory, determined a possible route to climb the peak from the north side. When asked by a journalist, “Why do you want to climb this mountain?”, Mallory joked: “Because it exists.”

During the second British expedition in 1922, climbers George Finch and Geoffrey Bruce reached a height of 8230 meters. In Mallory's next attempt that same year, seven Sherpa porters were killed in an avalanche. The Sherpa tribe, who have long lived in the highland Khumbu province, assisted in expeditions from the first attempts to conquer Everest because of their ability to easily endure high altitudes.

In 1924, in the third English expedition to Everest, Edward Norton reached a height of 8500 meters without the use of oxygen apparatus. After him, Mallory and Andrew Irwin, who went to storm the peak, rose to approximately the same height, but after that no one saw them alive again. In 1999, Mallory's body was found on the slope of Everest. Whether he and Irwin reached the top or not remains a mystery.

Several similar attempts to reach the summit from the north from Tibet were unsuccessful. After World War II, Tibet was closed to foreigners. In 1949, Nepal opened its doors to the outside world, and in 1950 and 1951 several British expeditions undertook exploratory ascents along the southern route.

In 1952, a member of the Swiss expedition, Raymond Lambert, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached an altitude of 8,600 meters, but were forced to turn back due to stormy winds and severe cold. Having learned about the progress of the Swiss, the British organized a large expedition in 1953 under the command of Colonel John Hunt. In addition to the best British climbers, the expedition included New Zealanders George Lowe, Edmund Hillary and the experienced Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. By the way, they write that Edmund Hillary was not a professional climber, but an ordinary beekeeper.

In April and May, a route was laid across the Khumbu Glacier and through Lhotse along the southern slope. Having prepared several intermediate camps, the expedition began the ascent. The expedition members were equipped with special insulated boots and clothing, and also had a walkie-talkie and oxygen apparatus.

On May 26, Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon made the first assault to the summit, but they had to turn back, the summit of Everest remained untouched, due to the breakdown of one of the oxygen tanks, they did not reach it by only 300 feet.

On May 28, Hillary and Norgay tried again. With the help of their companions, they set up a high altitude camp at 27,900 feet. After somehow spending the night there, they set off in the morning. At 9 o'clock in the morning they reached the South Summit. Then we spent more than an hour overcoming the rock that stood in the way.

After this, having crossed the last snowdrifts, at about 11:30 am the climbers found themselves at the top of the peak. We spent about 15 minutes at the top. Hillary took a photo of Tenzing at the top, but refused to be photographed himself. After which we began the return descent.

At the upper camp they were met by escorts. After their descent to base camp, John Hunt sent a runner with a message to Namche Bazaar from where a coded message was sent to London.

On June 1, on the eve of her coronation, Queen Elizabeth II learned of this achievement. And the next day, the news spread all over the world. That same year, Hillary and Hunt were knighted by the Queen. Tenzing was unable to receive a knighthood for political reasons, but in return received the St. George's Medal as a reward. This is how Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay entered world history as the people who conquered the highest mountain in the world.

In 1960, a Chinese expedition was the first to climb Qomolangma from Tibet, and in 1963, James Whittaker became the first American to climb Everest. In 1975, Tabei Junko from Japan became the first woman to reach the top. Three years later, Messner from Italy and Peter Habeler from Austria achieved what was previously considered impossible; they reached the summit without oxygen.

Over the entire period, almost two hundred climbers died trying to conquer the mountain. The biggest tragedy occurred in 1996, when eight climbers from different countries died during a severe storm. But despite all these dangers, Everest still attracts many climbers from all over the world who want to visit the roof of the world. The flow of those going for the assault is not decreasing.

Video: Who was the first to conquer Everest?

Sir Edmund Hillary, the man who accomplished the impossible for his time - for the first time conquered the highest mountain peak in the world, Everest (Chomolungma), has passed away in New Zealand.

The legendary climber became the most famous New Zealander who ever lived, not only for his climbing, but also for his charity work. Hillary has devoted many years to improving the conditions in which Nepalese Sherpas, who often serve as porters in mountaineering teams, live.

An honorary citizen of New Zealand and Nepal, Edmund Hillary has died at the age of 88. His health had seriously deteriorated in the last six months after he suffered a bad fall while in Nepal.

The climber was born in 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand. During World War II, Hillary served as a military pilot and then took up mountaineering.

The famous ascent to Everest was made by Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953, together with the Nepalese Sherpa Tenqin Norgay, living in southern Nepal.

That day they climbed the 8,848-metre peak of the Himalayas on the Nepal-India border, planting the flags of Great Britain, Nepal, India and the United Nations at the top.

The news of this appeared on June 2, 1953, on the day of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain, who awarded Hillary a knighthood. Sherpa Tengqin Norgay received a medal from the Queen.

Edmund Hillary worked with the Sherpas in Nepal for many years: with money from his foundation, hospitals and clinics, bridges, a small airfield and about 30 schools were built. In 2003, as the world celebrated the 50th anniversary of the conquest of Everest, a New Zealander was made an honorary citizen of Nepal.

The first Soviet conquerors of Everest

A lot has been written and said about the history of the conquest of Everest. For the first time, Soviet climbers, Vladimir Balyberdin and Eduard Myslovsky, climbed the highest peak in the world on May 4, 1982.

Over the course of five days, nine more climbers climbed Everest: Sergey Bershov and Mikhail Turkevich, Vyacheslav Ivanov and Sergey Efimov, Kazbek Valiev and Valery Khrishchaty. The last to set foot on the summit were Valery Khomutov, Vladimir Puchkov and Yuri Golodov. This happened on May 9.

The success of this expedition was repeated by Krasnoyarsk climbers only fifteen years later. And in 1998, Vladimir Lysenko completed a solo kayak trip on the Rong Chu River on the Tibetan side of Everest.

In the entire history of climbing the world's highest mountain peak, dozens of people have died without reaching their goal.

According to statistics, until 1973, 28 people climbed to the top, and 29 died on the way to it. Among the dead is rock climber George Mallory, who three decades before Hillary went to the summit and went missing. Some historians of mountaineering still attribute the primacy in conquering Everest to Mallory.

Nowadays, climbing Everest is a popular tourist route that can be completed by almost anyone. This is not surprising given the entire currently existing arsenal of auxiliary means and technical devices, including cylinders with artificial oxygen.

The most unusual climbs to Everest

Meanwhile, even now, climbers never cease to amaze with their risky ascents. So, in 1999, a resident of Nepal, Sherpa Babu Shiri, spent 21 hours at the top, and this despite the fact that already at an altitude of 7,925 km a dead zone begins, where only one-third of the oxygen that is present at sea level is concentrated.

The record holder for visiting the summit of Everest is Ang Rita Sherpa, who visited here 10 times without oxygen tanks in 1996. His record, four years later, was broken by another resident of Nepal, Apa Sherpa, who reached the summit for the 11th time.

In 2001, the amazing feat of climbing Everest was accomplished by a blind American, Eric Weihenmayer. By that time, he had already conquered all the highest mountain peaks on all seven continents.

“By climbing the seven highest mountains on seven continents, I hoped to show people that goals that may seem out of reach are actually quite achievable,” Weihenmayer said in a statement.

Currently, the success of the expedition directly depends on the weather and equipment of travelers. However, climbing the world's highest mountain should be considered a great challenge for everyone, regardless of their level of preparation. After all, getting to a height of 8,848 meters is still half the battle; you still need to overcome a difficult descent, for example on a snowboard, as Stefan Gatt did in 2001.

The material was prepared by the online editors of www.rian.ru based on information from RIA Novosti and open sources

60 years ago, New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first confirmed ascent of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, which is 8,848 meters high. Since then, thousands of people have tried to conquer Everest, many of them unsuccessfully.

At the end of May, 80-year-old Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person on Earth to conquer Everest. Miura did this for the third time. He admitted that he was one step away from death during the descent. Everest's first climbers Hillary and Norgay spent only 15 minutes on the summit. Norgay buried candy in the snow, and Hillary installed a cross, which was given to him by the leader of the British expedition, Colonel John Hunt.

Tenzing Norgay (left) and Sir Edmund Hillary during their historic ascent of Everest in 1953.

Sir Edmund Hillary and his fellow climbers summit Everest in 1953.

Tenzing Norgay stands on top of Everest, May 29, 1953. He and his partner Edmund Hillary became the first people to reach the highest point on Earth.

Colonel John Hunt, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary returned to England after conquering Everest.

Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay smile after climbing Everest in 1953. Nepalese friends of Hillary, who died on January 11, 2008, light oil lamps and recite special Buddhist prayers in monasteries in memory of the mountaineer, calling him a great benefactor and friend of Nepal. Hillary, after conquering Everest in 1953, spent much of his life helping the Sherpa communities in Nepal, building hospitals and schools for them.

Journalists stand at the statue of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay during celebrations of the 60th anniversary of the successful ascent of Everest in Kathmandu, Nepal, May 29, 2013.

Kancha Sherpa, a member of the 1953 Everest team, and Amelia Rose Hillary (second from right), granddaughter of New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary, attend the Diamond Jubilee celebrations for the ascent of Everest in Kathmandu, May 29, 2013.

Buddhist prayer flags flutter in the wind with Everest (center) and Lhotse (right) in the background near Tengboche village in Nepal, May 14, 2003. A team of 12 climbers from the Indian Army, Royal Nepalese Army and Nepalese Sherpas summited Lhotse, setting a record for the largest number of climbers to scale the technically challenging peak in one day.

Puja ceremony at Everest Base Camp in Nepal, April 7, 2003. The puja is a religious ceremony during which the expedition members and their equipment are blessed.

Mount Everest, about 140 km northeast of Kathmandu, January 14, 2011. The Nepalese government has said it aims to double the number of foreign tourists visiting the country every year.

A member of the Extreme Everest Expedition E3 99 installs a bridge over a crack at an altitude of 5943 meters on Mount Everest in Nepal, May 13, 1999.

Climbers from different countries descend the Khumbu Icefall after climbing Everest, May 22, 2013. May is the most popular month to conquer Everest due to more favorable weather. Earlier this month, Japan's Yuichiro Miura became the oldest conqueror of Everest, while Raha Moharraq became the first Saudi woman to conquer Everest.

Everest Base Camp - a large tent city at an altitude of 5486 meters, May 15, 2003. About a thousand climbers were planning to climb Everest this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first successful summit of the world's tallest mountain.

Nepalese Shermas climb the Khumbu Icefall on their way to the summit of Everest, May 16, 2013.

The world's tallest mountain bathes in the golden glow of the setting sun on November 15, 1983.

Japanese professional skier and climber Yuichiro Miura, 80, navigates an icefall on his way to the summit of Everest on May 16, 2013.

80-year-old Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura becomes the oldest person to conquer Everest on May 23, 2013. He reached the top of the mountain at 9:05 am local time. Miura had previously summited Everest at the ages of 70 and 75.

Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura arrives at Kathmandu airport after climbing Everest, May 26, 2013. Miura, who underwent 4 heart surgeries, became the oldest person to conquer Everest. Before him, this title was held by 76-year-old Nepalese Min Bahadur Sher Khan, who climbed to the top in 2008.

Two people stand near their tent at a camp at the foot of Everest in the Tibet Autonomous Region, People's Republic of China, 13 October 2011. Tibet is a vast land of arid plateaus and majestic mountain ranges. Many nomads live here at high altitude. Religion is an integral part of Tibetan life, and many take part in religious pilgrimages hundreds of kilometers to visit local monasteries and sacred sites.

> The highest peak in the world is Mount Everest (or Sagarmatha in Nepali) with a height of 8848 meters, April 22, 2007. Below is Mount Ama Dablam with a height of 6812 meters.

Climbers descend from Everest, May 19, 2009. A group of Nepalese professional climbers are planning a risky expedition to Everest to clean it up. Decades of mountaineering have taken their toll on the appearance of the world's tallest mountain. Sherpa Namgyal, who climbed Everest 7 times, says the following: “Everest is losing its beauty. The mountaintop is currently littered with oxygen tanks, old prayer flags, ropes and tents. At least two bodies have been lying there for several years."

Climbers climb the ridge just below Hillary's Step on the way to the summit of Everest, May 18, 2013.

Arunima Sinha holds the Indian flag at the summit of Everest, May 21, 2013. Sinha, 26, from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, who lost her leg two years ago, became the first disabled woman to scale Everest this year.

13-year-old Jordan Romero (right) became the youngest climber to conquer Everest on May 22, 2010. He climbed the mountain from the Chinese side, accompanied by a group consisting of his father, stepmother and three Sherpa guides.

Two Japanese climbers rest on the summit of Everest, surrounded by Tibetan prayer flags, May 20, 2013.

Nepalese Sherpa Apa stands on top of Mount Everest on May 22, 2010. The climber climbed to the top of the mountain for the 20th time, breaking his personal and world record. He dedicated his ascent to protecting the environment.

On May 29, Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, the success of which served to erase many climbers' fear of conquering the world's tallest mountain.

Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags on the summit of Everest, May 18, 2013. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the summit of Everest on May 29, honoring the climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Hillary and I spent the night in a small tent at 8,500 meters, the highest altitude a person has ever slept at. The night was cold. Hillary's boots were stiff from the cold, and we ourselves were almost numb. But when we crawl out of the tent outside at dawn, there is almost no wind. The sky is clear and cloudless. This is good. We look up. Week after week, month after month, all we do is look up. Here it is, the top of Everest! But now it looks different, it’s so close to it, just a stone’s throw away - only three hundred meters. This is no longer a dream floating high in the clouds, but something real, tangible - stone and snow on which a person’s foot can tread. We're getting ready to go. We must take the top. This time, with God's help, we will achieve our goal...

This is how Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, one of the two conquerors of the famous eight-thousander, Chomolungma, or Everest, described the morning of May 29, 1953. A few hours later, at 11:30 am, he and New Zealander Edmund Hillary climbed to the highest point on the Earth's surface - 8850 meters above sea level.

For a long time after their triumphant return, disputes continued about whose foot was the first to set foot on the “Top of the World.” Actually, there were three versions: that Norgay was first, that Hillary was ahead of him, and also that both of them, holding hands together, simultaneously stepped to the top. After the travelers returned “from heaven to earth,” they signed an official statement in which (perhaps deliberately) they made one “generalization.” They stated that they "reached the top almost simultaneously." This “almost” added not only oil, but downright gasoline to the fire of debate about who was “the best.” Later, Norgay will write in his book (again, very ambiguously) that he was first all the time, but just before the top he gave up the right to take the first step to Hillary.

However, each of the friends, of course, slightly “pulled the blanket over themselves” when describing the assault on Everest. In her book “Climbing Everest,” Hillary writes that he had to literally drag his partner, who did not have enough oxygen. At the same time, according to the New Zealander, Norgay “was choking, like a huge fish pulled out of the sea.” In turn, in the book “Tiger of the Snows” Norgay wrote that everything was not so scary - they just walked, insuring each other. No one was choking, no one was convulsing - they calmly moved towards the top.

The first ascent of the mountain, to which climbers from many countries aspired, was as honorable as conquering space or landing on the moon. At the top, Hillary and Norgay decided to place the UN flag over the flags of the countries participating in the expedition to avoid scandals and disputes. However, disputes and scandals still arose. Everyone appreciated the altruism of the climbers, but began to discuss the second, third and fourth places on the pole - there were flags of Great Britain, Nepal and India.

In general, the installation of the British flag on the “Top of the World” seems to be a very controversial action. Hillary was a New Zealander, and this country gained independence back in 1931. Nevertheless, he hoisted the Union Jack over the mountain, for which he later received a knighthood from the Queen in London and the prefix “Sir,” which he added to his name.

Having ascended the mountain, the pioneer climbers jumped a little in joy, planted flags, and then ritually buried several talismans in the snow at the top - their own, as well as those that were given to them by friends who were waiting for them in the lower camp. Norgay claimed that the items were candy canes, a stub of a red and blue pencil, a small rag cat and a crucifix.

In such events, the first words spoken by the pioneers after they have reached their goal are very important. History has brought them to us. Norgay claimed that he said in his language: "Tuji chey, Chomolungma" (Thank you, Everest). Hillary is also believed to have uttered the historic phrase. “We have curbed the bastard!” the climber allegedly shouted.

The pinnacle of death

There is no doubt that the New Zealander, unlike the Sherpa, treated Everest rather disrespectfully. Since 1852, when English topographers calculated that Chomolungma, called "Peak 15" in English catalogues, was in fact the highest mountain in the world, countless attempts have been made to climb it. However, the highest mountain turned out to be the most dangerous. In the entire history of climbing Everest, 175 people have died (in total, approximately 1,200 climbers have reached the summit). In May 1996, nine people froze to death on the slopes of the mountain at once - of the entire expedition, only one American, Beck Weathers, managed to survive, who subsequently had to amputate both hands and nose.

Many of the dead were never found, as happened with the expedition of the British George Mallory and Andrew Irvine. They were last seen on June 8, 1924, at an altitude of approximately 8,500 meters, quite close to the summit. They disappeared into a cloud, and since then nothing more has been known about them. Many believe that they could have reached the summit and died on the way back, but after the summit was examined from an airplane, no traces of climbers were found on it. Mallory's body was found only in 1999 at an altitude of 8230 meters, which also spoke in favor of the version of death on the descent. The climbers had a camera with them, but it could not be found.

Another mystery of Everest was the Soviet expedition, led by a certain Pavel Dachnolyan, which attempted to take Everest in 1952. Almost nothing is known about it - the attempt to storm the mountain was strictly classified, which gave rise to many rumors about it. Allegedly, members of the expedition were transported to Lhasa on military aircraft, the group began climbing and regularly communicated by radio. Then the Soviet climbers stopped communicating. They apparently died, their bodies could not be found, and the unsuccessful attempt to climb was hidden.

Anniversary

Everest received its “European” name at the end of the century before last. British Survey officials named the mountain after the chief of the Indian Colonial Survey Committee. Before this, the mountain was called Chomo-Kankar, Sagarmatha and Chomolungma. Even before the British calculated the height of the mountain, the Sherpas called it the “mother of mountains,” “queen,” and “goddess of the winds.” At its foot there are two Buddhist monasteries - Rongbuk in Tibet and Tyangboche in Nepal. That is why Tenzing Norgay brought sweets to the mountain and thanked it after the ascent - the locals worshiped the mountain, loved and respected it.

May 29 has become a national holiday in Nepal. In 2003, climbers from all over the world came to see it. Sir Edmund Hillary also arrived with his 50-year-old son (Norgay died in 1986), who also conquered Everest a year ago. During the celebration of the half-century anniversary of the capture of Chomolungma, two ascents to it will be made.

However, the holiday was overshadowed by a tragedy that increased Everest's death toll by two more people - on May 28, a Mi-17 helicopter of the local airline Simrik Airlines crashed in Nepal during preparations for the celebrations. There were 8 people on board - two Nepalese pilots, a flight engineer from Kyrgyzstan and five passengers. The pilot and one of the passengers were killed.

The holiday was not cancelled. All climbers know that death on the slopes of one of the most dangerous peaks in the world can happen at any moment. However, this does not stop daredevils - every year more and more people, risking their lives, try to climb Everest in order to look down on this world at least for a short time.

Facts from the history of climbing Everest

The first woman to conquer Chomolungma was the Japanese woman Junko Tabei. She reached the top of the mountain on May 16, 1975. She will also participate in the celebration of the anniversary of the first ascent.

Soviet climbers first climbed Everest in 1982. Eleven people took part in the expedition.

In 1978, Austrian Peter Habeler and Italian Reinold Messner climbed Chomolungma without oxygen equipment. Two years later, Messner repeated this climb alone.

American Eric Weihenmeyer became the first blind climber to conquer the highest mountain on Earth.

On April 26, 2003, an Internet cafe opened on one of the slopes of Everest. Access to the Internet is carried out using a wireless connection of the WiFi standard. The ground station transmits data to the AAP-1 satellite, which in turn transmits it to a receiver in Taipei. Then, through the fiber optic channel, the user gains access to any network segment.