Monday, November 21, 2011

Mt Everest Adventure

High above sea level, towers the Earths highest mountain dividing both Nepal and Tibet. This mountain is known as Mt Everest in western culture named after Sir George Everest in 1865, the British surveyor-general of India. In Nepal Mt Everest is known as Sagarmatha meaning the goddess of the sky and in Tibet it is known as Chomolungma meaning the mother goddess of the universe.

Mt Everest is 8,840m high (29,029ft) and is the highest mountain above sea level. Arguably Muana Kea in Hawaii is debated to be the highest mountain at 10,200m (33,464) from its base however it is not considered the highest as it is only 4,205m (13,796 ft) above sea level.

In 1953 the first ascent was made by the courageous Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and other records started shortly after such as the first woman to climb the summit in 1975 by Junko Tabei and then the first solo climb in 1980 by Reinhold Messner.

Mt Everest is one of natures most challenging and most gratifying adventures. Once you reach the summit you will literally be standing on top of the worlds highest peaks. There are many safety concerns when considering climbing Mt Everest and your fitness should be a major factor. However even novices can complete the climb but comes at the expense of hiring shirpas to help you reach your goal.

Take a flight into Kathmandu and begin your ascent to the highest point of your life. To read about other adventures like climbing Mt Kilimanjaro, the Inca Trail, scuba diving, white water rafting and many more visit www.nothingbutadventure.com, your encyclopaedia all things adventure travel, hobbies and activities.