Who was the first to conquer the mountain. The Conquest of Everest: Nine Tragic Climbing Stories

The Republic of Nepal, known as the highest mountainous country in the world. On the north side, it is bordered by the Great Himalayan Range, famous for several peaks exceeding 8000 meters, including Everest - the most on the planet (8848 meters).

Everest: who conquered the place of the gods

According to popular belief, this place was considered the abode of the gods, so no one thought to climb there.

The top of the world even had special names: Chomolungma ("Mother - the goddess of the world") - among the Tibetans and Sagarmatha ("Forehead of heaven") - among the Nepalese. It began to be called Everest only since 1856, with which China, India did not agree, as well as the direct culprit of the renaming - the British aristocrat, surveyor, military man in one person - George Everest, who was the first to determine the exact location of the Himalayan summit and its height. In the press, from time to time there are still disputes that a mountain located in Asia should not have a European name. Who was the first to conquer Everest - the peak that almost every climber dreams of?

The graceful beauty of the top of the world

Everest nature with rocks, snow and eternal ice threateningly harsh and silently beautiful. It is almost always dominated by severe frosts (up to -60 ° C), frequent occurrences - avalanches and snow falls, and the tops of the mountains are blown by the worst winds from all sides, the speed of gusts of which reaches 200 km / h. At an altitude of about 8 thousand meters, the "death zone" begins, called such for the lack of oxygen (30% of the amount present at sea level).

Risk for what?

Yet despite being so cruel natural conditions, the conquest of Everest was and is the cherished dream of many climbers of the world. To stand at the top for a few minutes to go down in history, to look at the world from a heavenly height - isn't this happiness? For such an unforgettable moment, climbers are ready to risk their own lives. And they take the risk, knowing that they can remain in the untouched land for eternal centuries. The factors of the possible death of a person who got there is a lack of oxygen, frostbite, trauma, heart failure, fatal accidents and even the indifference of partners.

So, in 1996, a group of rock climbers from Japan met three Indians - climbers who were in a semi-faint state. They died because the Japanese did not help their "competitors", indifferently passing by. In 2006, 42 climbers, along with the television crew of the Discovery channel, indifferently walked past an Englishman who was slowly dying from hypothermia, and also tried to interview him and take photographs. As a result, the daredevil, who dared to conquer Everest alone, died from frostbite and oxygen starvation. One of the Russian climbers, Alexander Abramov, explains such actions of his colleagues as follows: "At an altitude of more than 8000 meters, a person striving to conquer the summit is completely occupied with himself and does not have the extra strength to provide assistance in such outrageous conditions."

George Mallory's Attempt: Successful or Not?

So who was the first to conquer Everest? The discovery of George Everest, who had never conquered this mountain, served as an impetus for the unbridled desire of many climbers to reach the top of the world, which was the first (in 1921) to decide George Mallory, a compatriot of Everest.

Unfortunately, his attempt was unsuccessful: heavy snowfalls, strong winds and lack of experience in climbing to such a height stopped the British climber. However, the unattainable summit beckoned to Mallory, and he made two more unsuccessful ascents (in 1922 and 1924). During the last expedition, his teammate Andrew Irwin disappeared without a trace. The last one of the expedition members, Noel Odell, saw them through the gap in the clouds rising to the top. Only after 75 years, an American search expedition at an altitude of 8155 meters discovered the remains of Mallory. Judging by their location, the climbers fell into the abyss. Also in scientific circles, when studying all the same remains and their location, the assumption arose that George Mallory was the first person to conquer Everest. Andrew Irwin's body was never found.

The years 1924-1938 were marked by the organization of a number of expeditions, albeit unsuccessful. After them, Everest was forgotten for a while, because the Second World War began.

Pioneers

Who conquered Everest first? The Swiss decided to storm the unconquerable summit in 1952, however, the maximum altitude they climbed stopped at 8500 meters, 348 meters did not yield to climbers due to bad weather conditions.

If we assume that Mallory could not reach the top of the world's highest mountain, then the question of who first conquered Everest can be safely answered - New Zealander Edmund Hillary in 1953, and then not himself, but with an assistant - Sherpa Norge Tenzing ...

By the way, Sherpas (from Tibetan, “sher” - east, “pa” - people) are the very people, without whom, perhaps, hardly anyone would have been able to reach such a desired summit. They are a mountain people who settled in Nepal more than 500 years ago. It was the Sherpas who most easily managed to climb Everest, since this mountain is their homeland, where every path is familiar from childhood.

Sherpas are reliable helpers on the way to the top

Sherpas are a very good-natured people, unable to hurt anyone. For them, killing an ordinary mosquito or a field mouse is considered a terrible sin, which requires very much praying. The Sherpas have their own language, but nowadays they almost all speak English. This is the great merit of Edmund Hillary - the first conqueror of Everest. As a token of gratitude for the invaluable help, he built a school in one of the main villages at his own expense.

Although with all the penetration into the life of civilization Sherpas, their way of life remains largely patriarchal. Traditional settlements are stone two-story houses, on the first floor of which livestock are usually kept: yaks, sheep, goats, and the family itself, as a rule, is located on the second floor; there is also a kitchen, bedrooms, a common room. Minimum furniture. Thanks to pioneering climbers, electricity has recently appeared; they still don't have gas or some kind of central heating. They use yak droppings as fuel for cooking, which are pre-collected and dried on stones.

Inaccessible Mount Everest ... Who was the first to conquer this distant peak: or George Mallory? Scientists are still looking for the answer to this day, as well as the answer to the question of in what year they conquered Everest: in 1924 or in 1953.

Everest conquest records

Everest succumbed to more than one person, even records were set for a temporary ascent to the top. For example, in 2004 the Sherpa Pemba Dorzh reached it from the base camp in 10 hours and 46 minutes, while most climbers take up to several days for the same operation. The fastest descended from the mountain in 1988, the Frenchman Jean-Marc Boivin, however, he made the jump on a paraglider.

Women who conquered Everest are in no way inferior to men, also stubbornly and persistently overcoming every meter of ascent upward. The first representative of the weak half of humanity in 1975 was the Japanese Yunko Tabei, 10 days later - Pantog, a Tibetan mountaineer.

Who was the first to conquer Everest among the elderly? The oldest conqueror of the summit is 76-year-old Nepalese resident Min Bahadur Sherkhan, and the youngest is 13-year-old American Jordan Romero. Of interest is the persistence of another young conqueror of the "top of the world" - 15-year-old Sherpa Temba Tseri, whose first attempt was unsuccessful due to lack of strength and frostbite of both hands. Upon his return, Tembe had 5 fingers amputated, which did not stop him, he conquered Everest on his second ascent.

Among the disabled is also the first person to climb Mount Everest. This is Mark Inglis, who rose to the top of the world in 2006 with the help of prostheses.

The hero even joked that, unlike other climbers, he would not freeze his toes. Moreover, he froze his legs earlier, while trying to climb the highest peak in New Zealand - Cook's Peak, after which they were amputated to him.

Apparently, Everest has some magical power if hundreds of climbers rush to it. The one who conquered him once again returned more than once, trying to do it again.

Alluring peak - Everest

Who was the first to conquer Everest? Why are people so attracted to this place? There are many reasons explaining this. Tickling nerves, lack of thrill, desire to test oneself, boring everyday life….

Texas millionaire Dick Bass is the man who climbed Mount Everest. He, not a professional climber, was not going to spend years thoroughly preparing for dangerous climb and decided to conquer the peak of the world at once, as they say: here and now. Bass was willing to pay any money to anyone who would help make his seemingly unrealistic dream come true.

Dick Bass was still able to conquer the summit of Everest, and the assembled team turned out to be assistants in the expedition, which provided the millionaire with comfort when climbing up; people carried all the cargo, tents, water, food. So to speak, the ascent was all-inclusive, and this was the beginning of commercial travel to the summit.

Since then, since 1985, anyone who wants to have a sufficient number of Money... Today, the cost of one such ascent varies from 40 to 85 thousand dollars, depending on the side of the ascent to the mountain. If the trip takes place from the side of Nepal, then it is more expensive, because a special permission from the king is required, which costs 10 thousand dollars. The rest of the amount is paid for organizing the expedition.

And there was even a wedding ...

In 2005, Mona Mule and Pem Georgie had a wedding at the top of the world. Climbing upstairs, the newlyweds took off the traditional colored garlands around their necks for a few minutes. Pem then anointed his bride's forehead with scarlet powder to symbolize marriage. The newlyweds kept their act a secret from everyone: parents, acquaintances, expedition partners, since they were not sure of the successful outcome of the planned event.

So how many people have conquered Everest? Surprisingly, today there are more than 4,000 people. And the most optimal period for climbing in mild weather conditions is considered to be spring and autumn. True, such an idyll lasts a short time - only a few weeks, which climbers try to use as fruitfully as possible.

According to statistics, of those who storm Everest, every tenth person dies, and most of the accidents occur during the descent, when there is practically no strength left. Theoretically, Everest can be conquered in a few days. In practice, however, gradualness and an optimal combination of ascents and stops are required.

A memorial stone to Russian climbers who did not return from the summit of Everest stands near the village of Dougla

For 30 years after the first conquest of Everest by our compatriots on May 4, 1981, more than 50 people died on its slopes. Some of them, unburied, still lie at the top.

We must hurry, a blizzard is coming, ”Prem warned.

We will make it in time. What's the point of hanging around in a frozen hut heated with yak manure?

A couple of minutes later, a blizzard covered us from behind with a spiky snowy hood.

In the gray-grainy haze Natasha filmed Ksyusha in the spirit of Norstein: "The Hedgehog is looking for the Bear in the Fog." We had fun, Prem was nervous and urged on. Soon the Hedgehog was completely out of sight in the lens, and Prem lost his way, but said nothing and went ahead.

We followed in his footsteps. The path was covered with snow, we walked along the wet snow at the edge of the cliff, as if along a tightrope. There was an abyss below, but I did not see it: the earth and the sky were mixed, as in a mixer, and it was difficult to understand where one ends and another begins, where to put your foot and stick a stick so as not to fly away into this damn abyss. Hell began. I remembered relatives and friends, who must be sitting at the dacha by the fire now, frying kebabs and drinking wine, and here you are, like a complete fool, hanging on one leg over the abyss. And then no one will call your death "smart", because she flooded, and you were warned ...
I sobbed, more likely even burst into tears from the hopelessness of the situation, but quickly slowed down so as not to waste energy on nonsense. An ingenious idea came to my mind to stop and wait for the blizzard to pass.
But then Prem turned around and walked in the opposite direction. Together we went upstairs, the visibility became better. In the distance, they noticed a stone on which the wind fluttered multicolored Buddhist flags with mantras. Obviously, some person hung them there, and, therefore, we are not alone in this silent space. Prem went ahead and waved his hands at us happily

Come here! I found my way!

The blizzard is over. White fangs of the mountains appeared from the gray clouds, the abyss yawned.

It's good that we didn't see this when we walked, - said Oksana, looking into the very mouth. - But the worst thing is the suspension bridges.

No, the worst thing is to go down the stones that are overturning under your feet, - Natasha objected.

I said nothing, because I love suspension bridges and descents. But I will never forget this monstrous road over an abyss in a blizzard.

We were all wrong. Our "hellish" fears actually seemed to us a slight fright when the next day we reached the base camp of Everest (5364 m), spread out on the Khumbu glacier.

PART 2

Abnormal

Do not go there, there is nothing to do, - said our guys, who were returning from inspecting the base camp for an overnight stay in Gorak-Shep (5170 m) - the highest mountain locality planets. - Better come with us, we will celebrate our ascent.

Have you already managed to climb to the top?

Are we crazy?

During the season (March - end of May and August-October) about 200 "abnormal" from all over the world gather in BC, who are preparing here to conquer the most high point Earth. This year, due to the large influx of climbers, the government of Nepal even threatened to limit the flow of tourists so that there would be no more on the ascent to Everest - just think! - congestion.

The route to Everest in Nepal is now the most popular among tourists - it's true. From Lukla itself there are numerous groups of experienced climbers and teapots like us to Namche, from where they are already scattering to different peaks. There are so many people here that traffic jams form on the narrow mountain paths - you have to let whole delegations pass or overtake where the road allows. Add to this the accompanying Sherpas and local residents who rush through the mountains with their trunks on their heads like mountain goats. I'm not even talking about all the shepherds who walk their donkeys, cows, yaks and dzhupi here (Russian tourists just have "assholes"). Prem said that jupi is a hybrid of cows that do not rise above 3000 meters, and yaks, which do not descend below 5000. How they were bred is generally a mystery. And when these hairy "assholes" with horns walk towards you, you have to imprint yourself up the mountain, squeezing everything that you can squeeze into yourself, and depict a rock relief until they pass by.

Many wealthy people, especially from Russia, in order not to push and not interfere with climbing others, prefer to conquer the base camp by helicopter. It costs 6 thousand dollars. Here they are photographed in the costumes of rock climbers, ice climbers, breathe thin mountain air and, full of impressions, fly back to Lukla or Kathmandu.

But imagine that climbers, standing in an oxygen mask at an altitude of 8 thousand meters at the edge of a crevice, ask each other: “Who is the last one to climb Everest? I am behind you ”- I cannot. I also cannot imagine that the government of Nepal will voluntarily give up the several million dollars that the ascent of Sagarmatha (the Nepalese name for Everest) brings them. Otherwise, the climbers will carry their money to the Chinese and will climb Chomolungma (the Tibetan name for Everest) through the North Col - even cheaper.

Here are some prices:

The right to climb the Everest group of 20 people from Tibet costs 5.5 thousand dollars.

The right to climb from Nepal costs 50 thousand dollars for 7 team members. The team can be increased by 5 people at a price of 10 thousand dollars for each additional tourist. For the right to pass the classic route through the South Col, you have to pay an additional 20 thousand (only 70 thousand dollars).

For the final dash to the summit, you need to stock up on two oxygen cylinders (10-12 hours of work), which cost more than a thousand dollars and weigh 10 kg including a mask and a reducer. Another one or two spare cylinders usually set aside for the descent halfway to the summit. Climbers who reached Everest claimed that without oxygen, the speed decreases 3-4 times.

So those who wish can already take the queue for the fall.

Despite the heavy prices, many climbers choose to climb from the Nepalese side, believing that it is lighter, warmer and less blowing. The ascent to the summit itself starts from the South Col between Mount Everest and Lhotse from a height of 7900 meters. They usually leave at midnight. The climb is much faster than in the north.

To the foot of the North side to the base camp (5000 m), they drive by jeeps. And then - on yaks to the forward base camp (6400 m). From the Rongbuk glacier, the ascent goes to the North Col (Chang-La pass) and from there, along the long northern ridge, leads to the top. The most dangerous place here - the "Second step". At an altitude of 8790 meters there is a cliff several meters high. The situation is aggravated by a hurricane wind blowing in gusts of up to 200 km / h.
Base camp
From afar, like a thunderclap, the growing sound of an avalanche came to us. We looked around and at the foot of the neighboring mountain saw a cloud of snow dust rising like a nuclear mushroom.

It was the glacier that came down, ”Prem said admiringly and took out a soap dish from his pocket. - It's good that we didn't go downstairs.

A few kilometers from the collapse, like yellow pimples on the rough tongue of the Khumbu glacier, the tents of the climbers swayed in the wind.

Where is the party? - we asked, looking at the deserted camp. Except for two idiots from New Zealand, who were photographed by the "talking stone" with their pants down, and a bunch of curious tourists who, like us, came to see the heroes of Everest, there was no one. Foreigners immediately awarded me three cameras and asked: "Photo, pliz!"

Are you on Everest? - we asked them.

Know-know, - the foreigners shook their heads and went to the tents to be photographed.

Like three heroes standing at the "talking stone", we tried to find the answer from him: where should we go next?

The answer came down to us from somewhere under the clouds and waved the trekking sticks in a friendly manner. It was 33-year-old Nepalese Shriya from Canada, with whom we had tea last night in Lobuche.

We threw ourselves into her arms, as if we had not seen each other for a hundred years.

Strange, the Nepalese in the Himalayas measure the distance in hours: to the monastery - two hours, to the village - four and a half, and to Everest - seven days. And time here seems to be measured in kilometers. You walked 17 km today, and 12 km ago you met Russian tourists, drank tea 5 km ago, and after 3 km you will go to bed. But as soon as you freeze in place, time goes away somewhere without you.

In the mountains, in order to climb, you must descend, - Shriya explained the subtleties of mountaineering. First down - for acclimatization and breathing oxygen, then up - to put up a tent, throw a ladder over the gorge and again down - for the night.

When I climbed to the second camp (6600 m), a Sherpa walked in front of me, who had already conquered Everest six times. He did not attach a safety rope to the railing and fell into the crevice, splattering the ice with blood.

After this incident, an elderly German woman refused to climb. She sat silently next to us in Lobuche and mechanically drank tea, staring at one point. Her ascent, for which she had been preparing for more than one year, ended at an altitude of 6600 meters.

Tomorrow I'll go there, - she said and pointed to the road along which climbers go to the sky.

Everest - highest peak our planet and a terribly dangerous place. Every ten successful ascents end in one death. Almost all of the dead climbers lost their lives for similar reasons: an avalanche, falling into an abyss, hypothermia, a wrong decision, and, of course, recklessness.

Everest - climbing history

The long history of climbing Everest is a kind of warning about the insidiousness of the local nature, a reminder of tragic events. Extreme circumstances have turned the top of the world into a real mountain of death: the bodies of climbers who risked conquering the greatness of the planet rest on the slopes.

Everest is called the third pole of the Earth

But the climate here is much more severe than the North and South Poles. The air temperature at the foot rarely exceeds zero, in winter it drops to -60 ° C. Above the slopes, thorny winds rage, the speed of gusts of which reaches 200 kilometers per hour.

A thin atmosphere and a low percentage of oxygen are detrimental to health. Climbing, even for the most inveterate extreme climbers, turns into a difficult test, bordering on the limit of human capabilities. Under the influence of extreme loads, the heart refuses, the equipment freezes, and each next movement is fraught with irreversible consequences. The slightest mistake becomes the price of life. Everest rules the fate of people, guided by the cruel laws of survival.

Local Sherpa guides

An altitude of 8000 meters above sea level is not at all a place where you can expect help. Only true fanatics undertake to conquer the legendary peak. Climbing Mount Everest is a difficult, dangerous job. And the achievement of this goal is subject only to the favorites of fortune.

Locals the foot of Everest are called Sherpas

Nature helped these people to adapt to the conditions of a harsh climate and thin air. Sherpas are adapted to the terrain: they are ready to do the work of porters, guides and become indispensable helpers. It is difficult for an adequate person to imagine climbing without such assistants. Thanks to the work of the Sherpas, climbing expeditions are provided with ropes, equipment is delivered on time, and rescue operations are carried out. Local residents work for money, because there is no other way to provide for their families.

Every day, in any weather, Sherpas come out to work. In fact, they risk their lives for the "crazy rich" who pay for their irrepressible thirst for fresh experiences.

Climbing Mount Everest is expensive. The lower bar starts at $ 30,000, and the desire to save money leads to a tragic ending

The latest statistic claims that more than 150 people rest on the slopes of Death Mountain. Climbers each time have to pass by the bodies of the dead, and deviations from the route are strictly prohibited. Because, every hero, striving for the top, can break loose, crash or lose consciousness due to oxygen starvation. Chomolungma, another name for Mount Everest, does not forgive mistakes.

The first tragedy

Opening today's tragic "death list" was George Mallory. He died while descending from the height of Mount Everest in 1924. Mallory walked, tied with a rope to his comrade Irving. The travelers were observed by other members of the expedition through binoculars 150 meters from the peak. For some time, the clouds covered the tandem of extreme sportsmen, and the observers lost sight of them. So Mallory and Irving went missing. And this story of the death of European climbers has long remained a mystery.

Later, in 1975, one of the members of the next expedition stated that he saw a frozen corpse, but could not approach the deceased climber. And in 1999, Mallory's body was found next to the bodies of other dead climbers. George was lying on his stomach (west of the main route): he froze in the pose of a man hugging a mountain. His limbs and face were frozen into the surface of the slope. The second climber, Irving, was never found. The rope in the harness with Mallory was cut with a knife. Perhaps Irving simply left the deceased comrade, continuing to move.

Law of the jungle

Almost all the bodies of climbers remain on the slopes of the mountain forever. It is simply impossible to evacuate unfortunate people. Even modern helicopters cannot reach the height of Everest. People involved in removing frozen bodies are hired only on rare occasions, so the bodies of the dead continue to lie on the surface. The icy winds turn the dead heroes into ossified skeletons, and the gaze of the travelers is presented with an eerie picture.

A well-known forwarder, a master of sporting achievements in rock climbing in the former USSR, Alexander Abramov claims that in conditions of high altitudes, behavior that is completely unacceptable in everyday life is considered the norm. And the bodies of the dead climbers that come across along the routes should serve as a sacred reminder. After all, when lifting, you must act extremely carefully. Year after year, more corpses appear at the heights of Mount Everest. These consequences of inexperience and recklessness are difficult to prevent.

Looking over the stories of climbing Everest, it becomes obvious that people, inspired by the victory of the ascent, pass indifferently next to the corpses. At a deadly height, the so-called "law of the jungle" rules: they leave the dead and even the exhausted, but still living people. There are a great many examples of such cold-blooded behavior.

Chasing glory

In 1996, Japanese climbers did not help their Indian colleagues. The athletes decided not to interrupt the ascent and calmly walked along the freezing Indians. Following back, the Japanese stumbled upon the corpses of the frozen conquerors of Everest.

A terrible story happened in 2006 as well. A climber from Great Britain froze on the side of the mountain. The film crew of the "Discovery" TV channel, which consisted of 42 people, was walking nearby. No one helped the dying athlete, because each member of this large group was striving for personal victory, and there was simply no time for "good deeds".

David Sharp climbed to the peak alone, because among the professionals he was considered an experienced climber. But the equipment let him down: the traveler was left without oxygen and fell on the slope. As the members of the film crew passing by later argued, the Briton just lay down to rest.

In addition, on this day, the attention of journalists, television and other media was riveted to the feat of Mark Inglis, who conquered the top, having prostheses instead of legs. Inglis himself later admitted that the television men, in pursuit of a sensation, left Sharpe in need of professional help to die.

David Sharpe was well acquainted with the local harsh manners, and the main reason for his unsuccessful rise was a lack of funds. The hero went to conquer Everest alone, refusing the services of the Sherpas. Perhaps the incident would have ended differently if David had been able to pay for the services of the guides.

People who remain human regardless of the circumstances

The dead climbers are sometimes themselves guilty of their own death. The tragedy of 1998, in which the spouses Sergei Arsentiev and Francis Distefano passed away, is a clear example of this. The couple set off to conquer the summit, wanting to set a new record for being at the peak without oxygen. Descending, the husband and wife lost each other: Sergei returned to the camp, and Francis was found by another expedition. Experienced climbers offered the athlete oxygen and tea completely disinterestedly. However, the woman refused from the oxygen cylinder, wanting to keep the previously set record.

The athlete froze, and her husband, who went in search, fell down and crashed. Francis was discovered by the next expedition, which could no longer help. The woman spent two nights at low temperatures and died from hypothermia. A year later, Sergei's body was found in the same place where the notorious Mallory had once died.

In 1999, another climber from Ukraine was found next to the American woman. The athlete spent the night in a terrible cold, but since they managed to provide him with timely assistance, the hero was saved. True, he lost four fingers of his hand, but this is just a trifle, as the rescued himself later said.

Modern ascents

Expeditions of a commercial nature are systematically sent to conquer the top of the world. Inexperienced, ill-prepared travelers are given the opportunity to visit Everest and capture all the stages of the ascent. And money in this matter plays the most important role.

After the tragedy that happened to Sharpe, another group was equipped at the peak of death, which included a person suffering from low vision. His name was Thomas Weber. An expedition of eight athletes found the body of the Briton, but continued the ascent with the same attitude. Before reaching the summit of 50 meters, Weber felt that his eyesight fell sharply. The athlete lost consciousness and died suddenly. Soon, his partner, the climber Hall, reported on the radio about his poor health, after which he passed out himself. Sherpas set out to help the freezing climber. But they did not manage to bring Hall to his senses. The Sherpas received the command to return. They left the athlete without finding out whether he is alive or dead.

Seven hours later, the next expedition followed the same route, which accidentally found Hall alive. The climber was provided with hot tea and necessary medicines. The rescue operation began. Lincoln Hall was a wealthy and famous person, unlike David Sharpe. Therefore, Hall received professional help, only freezing his hands.

There are stories about people who have retained their humanity. We talked about them in our article. But do not forget that there is another side of the coin ...

For those who love Everest and are interested in history and the real ascent of it, the new numbers of those who conquered the summit will always be a significant event.

On December 4, 2017, the Himalayan ascents database was updated, including the information about the ascent of Everest in its entire history.

In a broader sense, the Himalayan Database includes the fixation of ascents on almost all of the Himalayan peaks open for ascent in Nepal and Tibet, from 1905 to the present day.
This base is supported by a small group of enthusiasts, which has been at the head of it for many decades. During this time, she became the unofficial chronicler of mountaineering in the Himalayas. Its database of historical ascents and achievements has been adopted by all climbers in the world.

And today, despite her advanced age, Elizabeth Hawley remains an active participant in the chronicle history of Everest, she herself personally interviews expeditions, both before their ascent and after their completion.

Everest by the numbers by Elizabeth Hawley

As of December 4, 2017, the final account of the climbers who conquered Mount Everest in the 2017 season is 648 people. In percentage terms, about 61% of all climbers who left base camp reached the summit of Mount Everest in the 2017 season.
Of these, 440 people climbed from the southern, Nepalese side, 202 people from the northern (Tibetan-Chinese) side.
17 climbers tried to climb the summit without using oxygen tanks and 11 of them succeeded!

During the 2017 season, 6 climbers died on the slope of Everest: five deaths on the south side and one on the north.

The number of climbers who conquered Everest:

The number of climbers who conquered Mount Everest as of December 2018

Statistics from Nepal:

By seasons:

Statistics from Tibet:

By seasons:

In the entire history of the conquest of Everest:

• The total number of climbers who have climbed Mount Everest since the beginning of its history: 9044 people, excluding repeated ascents.
• from the southern (Nepalese) side of it climbed to the top 5817 times,
• while from the north (Tibetan-Chinese side) to the summit 3227 times.

Of the 9044 ascents, approximately 211 were made without the use of oxygen cylinders. That's 2.33%. It would seem of little value. But if you look at other statistics: of the 274 who died on Everest, 159 were from among those who did not use supplemental oxygen!

A remarkable fact is that out of 9044 people in the entire history of Everest, only 265 climbers (197 foreigners and 68 Sherpas) climbed to the top of the mountain along non-standard routes.

Countries with the largest number ascents on non-standard routes: Japan (30), USA (26), USSR (23), South Korea(23), Russia (16)

Deaths on Everest

As of December 4, 2017 (since 1921), 288 people are officially considered dead. Of these, 173 are foreign climbers and 115 are Sherpas.
181 climbers died when ascending from the south, as a percentage of 3.4% of the total number of successful ascents, 107 people - when ascending from the north, this is 3.3% of the total number of successful ascents

Since 1990, the mortality rate on Everest as a percentage of age has been up to 5.1% due to improved quality climbing equipment, better weather forecasting and an increase in the number of climbers participating in commercial expeditions.

Despite the fact that Everest is leading in the number of deaths, in the general statistics of eight-thousanders it occupies almost the last line in absolute terms: 1.23
So, Annapurna, the tenth highest eight-thousander in the world, still remains the deadliest peak in the world: in these expeditions, the mortality rate reaches 3.91, and in specific figures: 261 ascents to 71 deaths, that is, 28%.
In second place is K2 (Chogori): the ratio of ascents to deaths is 355 ascents to 82 deaths, that is, 23%.
Cho-Oyu is considered the safest eight-thousander: for 3681 ascents there are 50 deaths or 0.55%

According to Everest statistics, from 1921 to 2017, on average, 4 climbers die in the climbing season.
From 2000 to 2018, an average of 6.5 climbers die in the climbing season, but this figure is more due to the tragedies of 2014 and 2015.

Considering the mortality rates from 1900 to 2017, it can be noted that they are essentially the same for both foreign climbers and Sherpas and amount to 1.18 and 1.9, respectively.
But when commercial expeditions came to Everest in large numbers, since 1990, the mortality rate of clients increased to 2.09.
In the modern era of commercialization, mortality among customers and employees has dropped to 1.04 and 0.64, respectively.

Although the reputation for a safe climbing route on the Nepal side was shaken in 2014 and 2015, there were many accidents on the Tibet side as well.
In 2004 and 2006, 6 and 8 climbers died respectively. Last year without deaths on the side of Tibet was in 2016, and on the side of Nepal in 2010.
The last time Everest saw no deaths on either side was 1981!

A remarkable fact is that out of 8306 people in the entire history of Everest, only 265 climbers (197 foreigners and 68 Sherpas) climbed to the top of the mountain along non-standard routes.
Of these ascents, there were 80 deaths, of which 50 are foreign climbers and 30 are Sherpas - this is 27% of the total death rate on Everest!
This partly explains why standard routes are the most popular with commercial operators - they have lower risks.

Everest climbing statistics

One of the notable features of Everest statistics is the fact that over the past two years, the number of foreign climbers climbing from the northern, Chinese side has been steadily increasing, while from the traditional, Nepalese side, on the contrary, it has been decreasing.
If you look at a longer time interval, you can see that similar figures were in the 2010 season, when 85 climbers climbed to the top from Tibet, and 175 climbers from Nepal. In 2017, there were 120 and 199, respectively, the difference being 34% and 13%.
With such a pace, in a couple of three years, China may overtake Nepal in popularity of climbing Everest.

Of course, a number of events, both natural and political-economic, influenced the development of mountaineering on both sides of the top of the world.
As the chart shows, the popularity of the northern side of Everest began to gain momentum until 2008, when China "closed" the climbing stream in connection with the Olympic Games in China. This forced many tour operators not to risk their money in obtaining permits from China and move to the southern, Nepalese side.
Russell Brice was arguably the lead on the North Side expeditions from 1994 to 2007, taking 219 of his clients to the summit, including 53 climbers in 2007.
But he also switched to the south side, after the closure of the north in 2008, making a great contribution to the statistics of ascents from the Nepalese side.

The 2008 "failure" in the above graph shows the situation when during the Olympic Games in Beijing, the Chinese government closed the northern side of Everest for ascents.
The "failure" in 2014 is associated with
The "failure" in 2015 is associated with

The terrible avalanche and the ensuing Sherpa strike forced the climbers to cross over to the Chinese side again.
But oddly enough, the distribution of climbers on the sides of Everest had little effect on the statistics, since first of all this tragedy was considered as a natural disaster, not unique to either side, even though Everest was closed both from China and from Nepal. ...

One of the factors that can significantly affect the preponderance of "forces" is the recent increase by the Chinese government of the cost of permits to $ 9,500, which is very close to the current figure from Nepal - $ 11,000.
Over time, we will see how the reaction will go, although on the other hand, the constantly introduced as well as a large number of rockfalls of seracs on the route may force most climbers to consider the Chinese side as more reliable and safer.
Moreover, in the immediate plans of the Chinese government is.

Climbing with and without oxygen

As before, climbing Mount Everest without using oxygen cylinders is a rarity, and in the entire history of the mountain, only 208 people were able to climb without using oxygen cylinders.
However, if you look at the statistics of accidents, it turns out that of the 208 deaths on Everest, 168 climbers did not use oxygen cylinders; however, this gives a slightly misleading idea of ​​the situation, because 199 deaths in the case of an oxygen-free ascent were recorded with the Sherpas who were engaged in laying the route, passing through

This chart shows that climbers who use supplemental oxygen are twice as likely to climb to the top than those who do not use oxygen cylinders.

And this diagram shows that climbers who do not use supplemental oxygen die more often than those who do not use it.

Looking at the north side, we note that bad weather is the main factor in accidents, both for those who use oxygen cylinders and for those who do not. However, for those climbers who do not use oxygen cylinders, frostbite becomes the second factor in the causes of death.
For those climbers who go with oxygen cylinders, the second fact in mortality is the emptying of these very cylinders.

The north side of Everest is known to be colder and windier than the south. This may explain why more climbers not using oxygen tanks are back!
2017 was an exception with only opposite characteristics on the south side, when strong winds knocked climbers off the route, stopping several attempts to climb to the top without using oxygen tanks.
Looking south, it can also be said that bad weather is a major contributor to accidents, both for those who use oxygen tanks and those who do not.
Here, however, the second leading cause of death is physical exhaustion, both for climbers with and without oxygen.

Sherpas on Everest

The work of the Sherpas has undergone a huge change on Everest, especially in the last 15 years: it was a time of explosive growth in the number of hired participants in expeditions.
Of course, this is primarily due to the increasing role of commercial tour operators who hired at least 1 Sherpa for 5 clients, and today this figure has grown to 1 Sherpa for 2 clients!

Such an increase in sherpas per client was due to the increasing number of inexperienced clients, and the marketing ploy by travel companies - which guaranteed each client a sherpa on top of Everest for money.

In 1992, when the commercialization of Everest was just beginning, 22 Sherpas worked on expeditions from the South, Nepalese side for 65 clients.
In 2017, there were already 212 Sherpas and 199 clients.
On the north side, the situation is as follows: in 2000, the Sherpa-to-client ratio was 17:38, in 2017 it was 117: 120!

Women on Everest

As for women on Everest, it is noted that a total of 536 women have climbed Mount Everest, 497 of whom have done so for the first time, which means that 39 women have climbed Mount Everest more than once in their lives.

Considering the average death rate on Everest, we can get a figure of 4.8 people per year. If we take the period from 2000 to 2016, we can see that this figure is 6.9 people per year.

The very first woman on Everest was

The most frequent climber to Mount Everest is a Nepalese climber!

Everest was also visited by two Ukrainian women: She became the first Ukrainian woman on Everest.
It is noteworthy that the very next day the second Ukrainian climbed to the top -.

Statistical results of Everest as of 2018

Several statistics on Everest ascents in its history

• 2 full solo ascents
• 34 traverse of Everest
• 22 ski / snowboard slopes
• 13 paragliding flights (paragliding)
• 1 unauthorized ascent
• 20 controversial ascents
• 14 unrecognized ascents

Interesting facts about Everest

• Geography
  
  
  • Everest height 29,035 feet or 8,848 meters
  • The ascent takes place along the border of Nepal (from the south) and from Tibet (from the north)
  • Everest was formed about 60 million years ago
  • Everest was formed as a result of the collision of the Indian tectonic plate and the Asian tectonic plate
  • Everest grows by about 6 mm every year
  • Everest is composed of various types of slate, limestone and marble
  • The rocky summit of Everest is covered in deep snow throughout the year
• Weather
  
  
  • Strong winds blow all year round on Everest
  • Wind speed can reach values ​​of 320 km / h
  • Temperatures at the summit of Mount Everest can reach temperatures as low as -63 degrees Celsius
  • In the middle of May every year, weather Everest becomes accepted for ascents, this brief period is called the "weather window". There is a similar period in the fall: in November of each year.
  • During the period of weather windows, the temperature can reach values ​​of +35 degrees

Two brave guys - Nepalese Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Edmund Hillary - became the first people to successfully climb the highest point of the Earth in 1953. It is part of Himalayan mountains and is located in Tibet. Its correct Tibetan name - "Chomolungma" - means "divine mistress of the winds." People felt respect and awe before the mountain giant long before the idea of ​​conquering it appeared. On the western maps, another name was fixed - Everest - after the name of the British Colonel Sir George Everest (English George Everest, 1790-1866), the head of the geodetic service, who first measured the height of the mountain.

Attempts to climb

At an altitude of almost 9 km, conditions the environment the most extreme on Earth:

• Thin, almost unbreathable air;
• Severe frost (up to - 60 ° C.);
• Hurricane wind (up to 50 m / s).

The ability to withstand such aggressive conditions, as well as reliable methods of climbing to a height, did not exist for a long time. The Tibetans saw in Chomolungma a symbol of divine power and inaccessibility and did not try to master the impossible. The first attempts to climb Everest began in the 1920s. by the British.

• In 1921, the expedition, having overcome 640 km along the Tibetan plateau, reached the foot of the mountain. Weather conditions did not allow to continue the ascent. The result of the expedition was a visual assessment of a potential ascent route.

• In 1922, the members of the expedition climbed to a height of 8230 m, before reaching the summit of 618 m.

• In 1924 - 8573 m, 274 m remained to the top.

In all three cases, the participants covered distances on their own breath without the use of oxygen cylinders.

• Attempts to conquer Everest were made in the 1930s, after which they were forgotten until the early 1950s. None of these expeditions were crowned with success: new records could not be set. Some ended in death.

• In 1952, a Swiss expedition, which included Tenzing Norgay, passed the Khumbu glacier and reached a new height of 8598 m. The group was forced to turn back due to running out of supplies. 250 m remained to the top.

Inspired by the success of the Swiss, in 1953 the British, under the leadership of Colonel John Hunt, began to prepare for a new major ascent. Tenzig Norgay, as the most experienced mountaineer from the local population, was included in this team.

Norgay and Hillary had such different paths of life that only Everest could bring them together.

Tenzing Norgay - a positive Nepalese who always smiles from all the surviving photographs - started out as a humble porter who accompanied those who wanted to get to Chomolungma. There were no special occupations in the region, and this, although it was risky, brought some money. By 1953, he had spent more time on the mountain than anyone else. Norgay was sick with Chomolungma. “The reason is somewhere in the heart,” he said. "I had to go up ... because the gravity of Everest was the greatest force on earth."

Norgay tried to climb Chomolungma from the age of 19 and did it almost every year. During the absence of expeditions, he participated in the conquest of the Indian Nanda Devi (7816 m), Pakistani Tirich Mir (7708 m) and Nanga Parbat (8125 m), the Nepalese mountainous region of Langtang (7246 m), accompanied a research expedition in Tibet. Norgay was a famous summit conqueror, so it was not unusual that the British invited him to participate in the expedition of 1953, as well as the fact that he became one of the two who were the first to summit Everest. At that time he was 39 years old.

The second hero - Edmund Hillary - received higher education at the University of Auckland ( New Zealand). Like his father, he was engaged in beekeeping. Out of boredom and monotony of life, he loved to go to the mountains: the New Zealand Alps are not too high (3754 m), but quite enough to get sick with mountaineering. Where did the idea of ​​conquering Chomolungma from Hillary come from, history is silent. Perhaps it was an accident. At the time of the ascent, he was 33 years old.

The ascent of Norgay and Hillary

Several climbers took part in the expedition, but only four, divided into two pairs - Norgay and Hillary, Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans - were selected by the leader for the main ascent.

Climbing Mount Everest in those days was not an extreme entertainment, but a political task - about the same as flying into space or landing on the moon. In addition, both now and then, this event does not apply to cheap travel.

The expedition was paid for by the British: it was supposed to be completed by the coronation of Elizabeth II. It was a symbolic gift to the Queen and at the same time asserting the strength of Great Britain and leaving a mark on history. The ascent was bound to be successful, by all means. The expedition was organized at the highest level for that time. Windproof and waterproof clothing and footwear for climbers, radio station, oxygen systems. The group was accompanied by a doctor, a cameraman and a journalist to cover the ascent.

In April 1953, after months of planning and calculations, the group began to move. On their way up, they founded 9 temporary camps, some of which are still used by ascendants on Chomolungma. The climbers walked along the Valley of Silence (Western Cwm), through Lhozde and the South Col they reached the mark of about 8000 m. The remaining 800 meters with a little more were to be overcome by one of two teams.

Team Bourdillon and Evans went first on May 26th. Before reaching the top of 91 m, they were forced to turn back: weather conditions worsened, and a malfunction of one of the oxygen devices was discovered.

Norgay and Hillary started on May 28, leaving the camp at an altitude of 8504 m behind. The night of May 29 was frosty and sleepless. The guys spent it in the 9th camp. The story goes that when he woke up at 4 am, Hillary found that his boots were like stone from the frost. He warmed them for 2 hours. At 6:30, they started the last leg of the ascent. By 9 o'clock the guys reached the South Peak, but here their path was blocked by an impassable section - a 12-meter high rocky ledge. Hillary found a way to overcome it: he had to climb very slowly, it took an hour of extra time. Since then, this site has been called the Hillary Ledge.

At 11:30, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached the summit of Mount Everest, becoming the first humans to do so. What can I say: their joy knew no bounds. Hillary photographed Norgay victoriously holding an ice ax with waving flags of Nepal, Great Britain, India and the Commonwealth of Nations. It is said that Norgay did not know how to handle a camera, so there are no photos of Hillary from the summit. They stayed at the top for 15 minutes, after which they began a long descent back, forever falling into history.

The fate of Norgay and Hillary after the ascent

The next day, all the newspapers wrote about the finally completed climbing Everest. This was another proof of the strength of a person who can do seemingly impossible things. Edmund Hillary and the leader of the expedition were awarded knights on behalf of the Queen of Great Britain. Tenzing Norgay was not a subject of the British crown, so he did not become a knight, but was awarded the Order of the British Empire.

Subsequently, Hillary continued his extreme travels. During the transantarctic expedition, he visited the South Pole of the Earth. Then - on Mount Herschel in Antarctica. Swam the wild Nepalese rivers on a motor boat.

I repeated the same on the Ganges - from mouth to source in the Himalayas. In 1985, together with astronaut Neil Armstrong (the first to set foot on the moon as part of the Apollo 11 expedition), he flew on a twin-engine plane to the North Pole. Edmund Hillary became the first and only person to visit the three poles of the earth - South, North and Everest, known as the symbolic third pole. He was bored and made life as varied as he could. Despite the extreme conditions in which Hillary often lived, putting his life and health at risk, he lived for 88 years.

How different were the stories of the discoverers of Chomolungma before the ascent, so different their paths remained after it. For Tenzing Norgay, the 1953 trip was the last extreme trip of his life. He became a famous person in India, served as director of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, and participated in political life. He lived to be 71, leaving behind six children, one of whom followed in his father's footsteps and conquered Everest in 1996.