Everest

Name

Into old Sanskrit; the mountain has as a name Devgiri (“the holy mountain”) and Devadurga (English deodungha delivery at the 19th century). With the Nepal, it is known under the name सगरमाथा, meaning the “head of the sky”. The name Tibetan is Chomolungma or Qomolangma , meaning the “mother of the universe” and the name Chinese correspondent is Zhūmùlǎngmǎ Fēng (珠穆朗瑪峰) or Shèngmǔ Fēng (聖母峰).

The mountain acquires its English name in 1865 of Andrew Waugh, then British general land-surveyor of the India. The Nepal and the Tibet being closed with the foreign travellers, he wrote: “My respected chief and predecessor the colonel Sir George Everest taught me to indicate any geographical object by his true local or indigenous name. But here the mountain, probably highest in the world, of which we could not find any name local. Indigenous name, if it has one of them, will most probably not be discovered before we are authorized to penetrate in Nepal. While waiting it falls to me the privilege like the duty to assign… a name, by which this mountain can be known citizens and geographers and become a word of everyday usage in the civilized nations. ” Waugh chose to call the mountain after George Everest, initially by using the orthography Mount Everest, then Mount Everest. However, the modern English pronunciation of Everest (API: or) is actually different from the pronunciation from family name from Sir George, which was; rɪst (EAVE-rest = Gutter-dépos). The French pronunciation, as for it, still differs from the original, since one says.

To the beginning of the Years 1960, the Nepalese government realized that the Everest had no Nepalese name. It was due to the fact that the mountain was not known and thus did not have a name with the ethnic Nepal (i.e., the Vallée of Katmandou and its accesses). The Nepalese government then decided to find a name for the mountain. The name Sherpa /tib tin Chomolangma was not acceptable, because it would have been contrary with the conception of unification of the country (Nepalization). Also a new name it was invented by Baburam Acharya: the Sagarmatha (सगरमाथा).

In 2002, the Chinese daily newspaper People' S Daily published an article reviewing right against the use continues English name in the western world, insistent on the fact that it should be mentioned by its name Tibetan. The newspaper was justified by the fact that the local name preceded the English name chronologically: the Qomolangma Mount was located on a Chinese chart there is more than 280 years.

Measure of its altitude

Until 1865, it was called Peak XV by the colonial authorities British of the India S.

Radhanath Sikdar, a mathematician and Indian topographer of Bengal, was the first to highest identify the Everest like the top of the world, by trigonometrical calculations in 1852. Its altitude was then estimated at 29.002 feet (that is to say 8 839,20 meters), calculations which were made public by Sir Andrew Waugh, general governor ( surveyor-general ) of British colonial India since 1843.

In 1865, same Andrew Waugh baptized the Peak XV name of its predecessor to the general governorship, Sir George Everest (1790-1866), governor of 1830 with 1843. Since then, the name of Mount Everest remained in all the Western languages. Certain Indians think however that the top should be called Sikdar, and not Everest, in order to return justice to the author of calculations of 1852.

A measurement GPS taken in May 1999 by American mountaineers and accepted by the National Geographic Society increases the height of the Everest to 8 849,87 meters.

A measurement taken by Chinese scientists and published in October 2005 gives 8 844,43 ± 0,21 meters, i.e. 3,7 m less compared to the measurements taken in 1975. The results of Bian Qiantao, researcher in Institut of geology and geophysics of the Chinese Académie of sciences suggest that the Himalayas and the plate of Qinghai-Tibet will not continue to rise indefinitely.

Let us recall for whatever purpose it may serve that this altitude does not have the role to be stable. It evolves/moves in time, even in the short run - there exist indeed waves of ground of amplitude much lower but similar to the waves of water on the sea. In particular for the current precision of measurements, it is necessary to be aware of it. Without speaking about the geological evolutions later on. The results thus evolve/move according to the hour and the date of measurement. It would thus be advisable to be rigorous either not to state too many significant figures (“approximately 8850 m”) or to be strict and to state the date of measurement (and possibly method used).

Ways of rise

The two-track Mount Everest of principal rises, the edge of south-east by the Nepal and the edge of the North-East by the Tibet, like much of other routes. Of the two principal routes, the edge of south-east is technically easier and is consequently the route more attended. It was the route borrowed by Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgay in 1953 and the first to be recognized among the fifteen routes identified in 1996. However, the decision to borrow this first way is due to political reasons and not to technical choices since the Chinese border was closed the abroads since 1949. August 20th, 1980, Reinhold Messner (Italy) was the first to reach the top in solo and without oxygen nor another additional support. It enprunta the more difficult route of the North-West via the Northern collar of the northern face and the Large Corridor. It carried out all the rise only during three days since its base camp with 6.500 meters of altitude. This route is recognized like the 8th route rising at the top.

The majority of the attempts are made in May and April before the Mousson of summer. At this time of the year, a change of the Jet stream reduces the mean velocities of wind in high-altitude. Other attempts are carried out after monsoon in October and September, but the snow fallen during monsoon and a more unstable weather makes the rise more difficult.

South-eastern edge

The rise by the South-eastern edge starts with a trek to the base camp with 5.380 meters of altitude (17 600 feet) on the Southern slope of the Everest to the Nepal. Forwardings usually travel by the airs of Katmandou until Lukla (with 2.860 meters) and pass by Namche Bazar. From there, the climbing ones go up to the base camp. This walk of approach usually takes from six to eight days, thus being used as voyage of acclimatization in altitude in order to avoid the acute Mal mountains. The equipment and the provisioning are carried by Yak S, Dzo S (crossing between a yak and a cow) or carriers to the base camp on the glacier of Khumbu. When Hillary and Tensing carried out the rise of the Everest in 1953, they left directly the valley of Katmandou, because, at the time, no road went further.

The climbing ones in general spend two weeks to the base camp, in order to acclimatize itself to altitude. During this time, the Sherpa S and some members of forwarding install fixed cords and ladders in the dangerous falls of ices of Khumbu. Serac S, Crack S and blocks of ice makes falls of ice one of the most dangerous passages of the rise. Many climbing and sherpas was killed in this section. To reduce the risk, the climbing ones begin well usually their rise before the paddle when the still low temperatures maintain by freezing the majority of the blocks of ice in place. Above the icefall is located camp I or the base camp advanced (ABC) at 6.065 meters (19 900 feet).

Starting from camp I, the climbing ones make their way by going up the Western valley, called Western Cwm with the foot of the Lhotse, where camp II is established with 6.500 meters (21 300 feet). This glaciated valley rises gently, it is blocked enormous cracks in its center which prevent the access to the upper parts of the glacier. The climbing ones are obliged to pass on the right-sided nearly the foot of the Nuptse on a known narrow passage under the name of ``Nuptse corner''. This valley is also called the valley of silence because of topography which shelters wind the route. Because of raised altitude, by one day clear and without wind, heat can become unbearable for the climbing ones.

Camp II, the climbing ones go up on the slopes of Lhotse using fixed cords to camp III, located on a small plate at 7.470 meters (24 500 feet). From there, there remain still 500 meters to climb to reach the Southern Col where camp IV to 7.920 m (26 000 feet) is. Camp III with camp IV, the climbing ones are confronted with two major difficulties: the Tooth of Geneva and the Yellow Band . The Tooth of Geneva is a vein formed by an anvil of black rock called thus by a Swiss forwarding in 1952. The Yellow Band is a sedimentary section of sandstone which generally requires a hundred fixed meters of cords to cross it.

Starting from camp IV with the Southern Collar, the climbing ones enter the zone of dead or death Zone . The climbing ones generally begin the final attack around midnight. It remains to them even more than 900 meters of uneven, which it is reasonable to realize into 10 to 12 noon at this altitude. The climbing ones will reach initially the balcony to 8.400 m (27 700 feet), a small platform where they can put back and contemplate the peaks in the South and the East in first light of dawn. Continuing their rise of the edge, they are then confronted with a series of rock steps which often encourage them to cross towards the East in a deep coat of snow, where the risk of avalanche is large. To 8.750 m (28 700 feet), a small dome of ice and snow marks the Southern top.

Top of the south, the climbing ones follow the South-eastern edge, very frayed edge along what is known under the name of the crossed cornice . It is the most exposed section of the rise because a false step towards the left would send climbing the 2.400 meters in against-low to the foot of the Southern face, while a false step towards the line and the climbing one would descend the 3.050 m of the face of Kangshung on the Northern slope, side Tibetan. At the end of this crossing, it is the last difficulty: the Projection Hillary , a wall of rock of 12 meters to 8.760 m of altitude (28 750 feet). Hillary and Tenzing were the first to surmount this obstacle and they did it with the equipment of the time and without fixed cords. Nowadays, the majority of climbing cross this passage by using fixed cords that sherpas will have installed before. From there, the rise until the top, relatively easy, crosses soft but particularly exposed slopes. However, the climbing ones must also cross a rock passage where intermingle with old fixed cords and which can become a martyrdom in the event of bad weather.

The climbing ones in general spend less than one half an hour on the roof of the world because they must go down again to camp IV before the night. They must also pay attention to the weather which is often degraded in the afternoon, like with their oxygen reserves.

North-eastern edge

The rise of the North-eastern edge of the Everest starts with the Northern face on the side Tibetan in China. The base camp located at 5.180 meters (17 000 feet) of altitude on the moraine of the glacier of Rongbuk is accessible after a trekking. To reach camp II, the climbing ones borrow the moraine of the glacier Is of Rongbuk to the foot of the Changtse to approximately 6.100 meters (20 000 feet). Camp III (ABC - advanced base camp) is located under the Northern Col at 6.500 meters (21 300 feet). To reach camp IV with the Northern Collar with 7.010 meters (23 000 feet), the climbing ones assemble the glacier to the foot of the collar where fixed cords are generally installed. Northern Collar, the climbing ones assemble the Northern rock edge to the camp V to approximately 7.775 meters (25 500 feet). The route borrows the Northern face before reaching the site of camp VI to 8.230 meters (27 000 feet). Camp VI, the climbing ones start the final attack of the top.

The climbing ones must initially make their way via three rock bands known under the names of First step: from 27.890 to 28.000 feet, Second step: from 28.140 to 28.300 feet and Third step: from 28.510 to 28.870 feet. Above, the way borrows the summit slopes between 50 to 60 degrees.

Rises

Since 1912, several attempts at rises were made on the mountain.

1924 - Rise by an English forwarding - George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappear without it being known if they reached the top.
1952 - Swiss Forwardings directed by Rene Dittert then Gabriel Chevalley, including in particular Raymond Lambert and Tensing Norgay - Exploration of the Nepalese southern face (8 600 m).
1953 - the first rise was made by a forwarding anglo-néo-zélandaise directed by John Hunt. The top is reached the May 29th by Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa Tensing Norgay. They largely profited from preceding forwarding. They followed the same route with same the sherpas. Moreover, they profited from a supplement of vivres and oxygen left by preceding forwarding.
1975 - Junko Tabei first woman at the top
1978 - This year there will be the year of a big first: Peter Habeler and Reinhold Messner carries out the first rise without oxygen.
1978 - first rise by a French forwarding directed by Pierre Mazeaud. October 15th, 1978, Jean Afanassieff becomes first French on the Roof of the World.
1978 - First European (third woman) at the top, Polonaise Wanda Rutkiewicz, cousin of the future pope Jean Paul II.
1980 - Reinhold Messner makes a success of the first rise as a recluse, without oyxgene.
1980 - First rise of a top of more than 8000m under the conditions of winter - Polish forwarding (L. Cichy, Krzysztof Wielicki)
1986 - on September 26th, Jean-Marc Boivin flies away in Parapente top for a descent in " 12 minutes of bonheur" until the base camp.
1990 - Christine Janin, doctor of medicine, first Frenchwoman on the Roof of the World.
1991 - Yves Laforest, May 15th, 1991 first Québécois and Canadian sixth to climb the Everest. It is disappeared in 2003 during a forwarding in Colombia-British.
1992 - Pierre Tardivel, first downhill run since the southern top.
May 10th 1996 - the blackest day of the history of the rise of the Everest. Mountaineers amateurs start the rise with raftered guides, Scott Fisher and Rob Hall, both working for different agencies but which choose to make the rise together. They neglect the weather which is degraded and arrive too late at the top (15h30), ascribable delay with the amateurism of the " touristes". At the top, a violent snowstorm falls down. One of the customers of Rob Hall collapses and the guide remains with him (the customer dies shortly after). Insulated, Rob Hall cannot resist cold and engourdit: having a radio, it will communicate with his pregnant wife until her death. Scott Fisher dies during the descent, in prey with hallucinations and a cerebral edema; none of his/her companions, too exhausted, could carry help to him. " touristes" are scattered in the night without being able to find the tents, however with a few meters of them. Mountaineer Kazakh raftered, Anatoly Boukreev, hurls in darkness and cold (approximately - 40°C) and brings back one by one stray, except two failing (in high mountain, the priority goes to that which is most likely to be saved), a Japanese woman (undoubtedly already dead) and an American, Beck Weathers, unconscious and in breathing difficulty. The surprise is however large when the following day arrives at the camp Beck Weathers, awaked of its coma, members and face cold. John Krakauer, member of forwarding, delegated by an American newspaper, brought back with precision this drama in which 10 people perished this day (all confused forwardings).
1999 - the body of George Mallory is found with 600 meters of the top.
2001 - Marco Siffredi is the first to carry out the descent of the Norton corridor in Snowboard. He dies the following year while wanting to descend the Hornbein corridor.
2001 - July 26th: The Belgian Arnaud Van Schevensteen is the first unijambist to reach the top of the Everest, after having climbed Kilimandjaro in January of the same year.
2006 - Lebanese the Maxime Chaya reaches the top of the Everest. It is after this climbing which it can say that it finished the famous forwarding of the " 7 sommets".

Statistics

2006, 1.491 people climbed the top, among which 1.023 never returned from there. -->

Many rises tried since 50 years: 10.000
Rises since the exploit of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay: 1.659
Many women among these 1.659 people: 81
Speed records of a rise: 10 hours and 56 minutes (held by the Sherpa Lhakpa Froze)
Nombre of mountaineers died on the Everest: 176 between 1922 and 2003

References

Reinhold Messner, 1st winner of the 14 eight thousand , Éditions Denoël. Many details on the history of the rises.

See too

External bonds

Everest: The hell leads to the paradise, Sport n°133 (4/27/2007), page 26 (or version HTML, less complete)
Interactive Everest map

Be-X-old: Эвэрэст Simple: Mount Everest Zh-classical: 珠穆朗瑪峰 Zh-min-nan: Chomolangma Hong Zh-yue: 珠穆朗瑪峰

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