MOUNTAIN EVEREST (NEPAL)

Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain (29,035) and part of the Himalaya mountain range, actually has a couple of names, depending on the language of the speaker.


In Tibet it is called Chomolungma, loosely translated into mother goddess of the universe. In Nepal is is called Sagarmatha, loosely translated into goddess of the sky. In English, Mount Everest is named in honor of the Sir George Everest, who first surveyed the mountain in 1841.

Being the tallest mountain means being an object to conquer. Reaching the summit stands as the goal for professional and amateur mountaineers alike. Many have tried, few have succeeded, although the number of successful summits continues to climb since Sir Edmund Hillary first accomplished the feat in 1953.

Most people travel to Nepal in order to see the mountain. Anyone planning a trip should consider traveling lightly. The increased number of tourists and mountaineers over the past couple of decades have created a variety of environmental problems, from truckloads of litter to air pollution.

On another environmental front, a dispute of sorts has arisen concerning Mount Everest's height. Chinese scientists concerned about melting glaciers caused by global warming hypothesize that the mountain may be shrinking. On the other hand, geologists using plate tectonics as a starting point, hypothesize that the Himalaya mountain range grows about two inches per year. The conclusive answer to the question is yet to be decided.

© 2009. Patricia A. Michaels