The Mount Everest 
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The Mount Everest |
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The mount Everest is a mount of the Central Asia, in the range of the Himalaya, at the frontier of Nepal and of Tibet (occupied by the China). In nepalese, the top is called Sagarmatha ("Forehead of the sky") and in tibetan, Chomolungma ("Goddess of the universe"). It is also called "Roof of the world". It is the highest point of the world. According to a report of the Indian government of 1954, the top situated itself at 8 848 m, but a measure effected by satellite in 1993 has revealed a altitude of 8 846 m above the sea level. Statements more recent have however called this figure in question (8850 m). The problem isn't resolved yet. |
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Radhanath Sikdar, an Indian mathematician and topographer of Bengal, has been the first to identify the Everest like the higher top of the world, by des trigonometrics calculus in 1852. Its altitude was then estimated at 29 002 foots instead of 29 035 in reality, calculus which was given public by Sir Andrew Waugh, Governor-General of the India, british colony since 1843 and become independant in 1947.
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Until 1865, the mount Everest was called Peak XV by the british colonial authorities of the Indies. But in 1865, the same Andrew Waugh baptized the Peak XV of the name of its predecessor at the Regency-General, Sir George Everest, governor from 1830 to 1843. Since then, the appellation of mount Everest is remained in all the western languages. Some Indians think however that the top should be called Sikdar, and not Everest, in order to do the author of calculus of 1852 justice. |
It is situated in the mountainous mountain mass of the Himalayas which include 14 mountain masses of more than 8000 m of altitude :
* K-2 (8611 m)
* Lhotse (8501 m)
* Kangchejunga (8482 m)
* Makalu (8470 m)
* Cho Oyu (8201 m)
* Dhaulagiri (8172 m)
* Manaslu (8156 m)
* Nanga Parbat (8126 m)
* Annapurna (8078 m)
* Gasherbrum I (8068 m)
* Broad Peak (8047 m)
* Gasherbrum II (8034 m)
* Shishpangma (8013 m)
* And of course the Everest (8848 m)
The explorators made many attemps to reach the top of the Everest.
At the time of the first important expedition, British explorators began the climb during the spring of the year 1922. The 20th May 1922, three persons of the group reached the altitude record of 8 225 m. About ten days later two others mountaineers, equipped of oxygen bottles, gained the altitude of 8 321 m. A third assault came to a tragic end : seven mountaineers were killed by an avalanche.
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In 1924, an other Brithish expedition made an attemp. The altitude record of 8 595 m was reached. At this moment, two members of the team, George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Irvine, decided to try a new assault. Members of the team thought see them near the top but a thick fog envelopped them and they never saw them again. In 1933, four members of a British expedition made the ascension until 305 m under the top. The 3rd April of the same year, two planes, flied by British, flied over for the first time the mount Everest. In 1936 and 1938, British mountaineers tried to reached the top, but in vain. Two Swiss expeditions equally tried and failed in 1952. One of groups would be then find at 46 m of the but. |
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The top was finally reached the 29th May 1953 by Edmund Hillary, New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay, Nepalese guide. And in 1956, four members of a Swiss expedition repeated the exploit. An American expedition passed the 1st May and again the 22nd May 1963, making the climb by the western face, which had not been tried yet.
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In 1965, two groups of Indians mountaineers made the climb of the mountain and, in October 1973, two members of a Japanese expedition were the first to reach the top during the dangerous season of Automn. And the 16 mai 1975, the Japanese Junko Tabei was the first woman to reach the top. |
Until the end of 2001, 1 491 persons have climbed the top, among whom 172 never came back.
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