Mount Everest, also named as “Qomolangma” which means “Mother Goddess of the Earth” in Tibetan language, is the highest mountain in the world, with its highest peak in the height of 29,035 feet, equivalent to 8848 meters. Mount Everest has got its name since the British Superintendent General of the Survey of India 1830-1843, Sir George Everest, who first tried to locate the exact position of the peak. Until then, it was named simply “Peak XV”. It is the highest peak of the highest mountains Himalaya Range, situated at the border between China and Nepal. The north ridge of Everest is in Tingri County of Tibet with a gentle slope while the south ridge located in Nepal. Mt. Everest is shaped like a giant pyramid, covered with snow and ice at its upper part all the year round, steep and high.
Mount Everest has been enjoying the well-known reputation for many years. Countless mountaineers, photographers, adventurers and scientists had been there for their respectively dreams, while no one till now can firmly to say he or she has conquered this gorgeous beauty, and numerous dreamers now still continue to prepare their next Mount Everest Expeditions and always long to gaze out the iceberg from the Everest Base Camp (EBC).
There is Tibetan Shangri La-Gama Valley, which has been reputed to be “the most beautiful valley in the world”. Above the Gama Valley stand many famous glaciers appealed to countless tour pals, among which the longest Rongbuk Glacier reached at 26 km. There are magnificent and rarely seen serac clusters taking many different forms on glaciers, ice cliffs at height up to tens of meters and ice fissures trapped step by step, as well as avalanche zone with signs of dangers appearing everywhere. The highest monastery in the world-Rongbuk Monastery, towering at the foot of the mountains, and more exactly, situated 4km ahead of Everest Base Camp, is the best place to enjoy the sight of Snow Mountain of Sunrise.
Mount Everest is not only lofty and grand, but also mighty and awe-inspiring. Within 20 km around Mt. Everest, there are more than 40 mountains that are up to 7000 meters above the sea level. Among them, there are some famous ones worthy of mentioning: 3 kilometers to the south located the fourth highest mountain-Mount Lhotse and Zhuoqiong Peak which is at the elevation of 7589 meters and 3 kilometers to the north is the Mount Zhangzi of 7543 meters above the sea level; on the southeast is the fifth highest peak-Makalu Mountain; Nuptse Mountain and Pumoli Mountain on its west. Overlook Mount Everest, regardless of the mountain peaks in the cloud or the bright dazzling world of ice and snow, they all invariably elicited people’s enormous interest. However, what attract tourists most is the clouds floating at the summit, as if a banner waving at the mountain top, therefore this kind of clouds are vividly called banner clouds.
Moreover, there are five available camps located on Mt. Everest at height of 5200m (Everest Base Camp), 6100m, 6500m, 7400m and 8000m and of course the summit, at 8850m. If you are planning to climb the mountain, you must be aware of the severe natural condition on the mountain. First and foremost, at the summit, you may experience the temperatures of minus 100 degrees Fahrenheit, or fortunately, only reach minus 15 degrees Fahrenheit. Besides, it is believed that the wind is powerful enough to strike with almost 118 miles per hour. Nevertheless, what should be worried most for mountaineers is not only the low temperature or the strong wind but the extremely reduced oxygen content in the air caused by high altitude. In order to decrease the risk of life, climbers are required to go through a process named acclimatization in the way that they climb for some hundred feet and then go down to the camp which is set at the base of the mount to have a rest for several times. This process administer to climbers’ health and life by helping them better get used to the severe natural condition and offering them proper sleep and food when they get down to the camp.
