Mountain sports present us with great challenges, as we occasionally see in the news how climbers and mountaineers from around the world perform incredible feats, defying nature. The reason why? It’s hard to explain. Perhaps one of the motivations is the sense of achievement, or experiencing intense doses of adrenaline—maybe the reason is to "get lost" among spectacular landscapes, inaccessible to most mortals...
Mount Everest is one of the most awe-inspiring places that undoubtedly exists on Earth. One reason is its height, as it is the highest mountain above sea level, standing at a staggering 8,848 metres. Where is it located? In the Himalayas, and it was, in fact, the "first eight-thousander" on the record of our national climber and the first woman to scale all 14 of the world’s eight-thousanders, Edurne Pasaban.
Located between Nepal and China, its name holds two meanings. The Nepali name, Sagarmatha, means "the forehead of the sky," while the Chinese name, Chomolungma or Qomolangma Feng, translates to "mother of the universe." For both cultures, this mountain holds immense significance, giving it a special allure—not just for locals but for all mountaineering enthusiasts.
First Expedition
Now that we know more about its location and the meaning of its name, let’s delve into when the first ascent took place and who the protagonist of this feat was.
1924. 8th June. Two British explorers: Andrew Irvine and George Mallory. A story with an unresolved ending... The North Col route was where the two men were last seen, though tragically, they never returned... It remains unknown whether they reached the summit, as their bodies were later found near a Chinese base camp.
Despite numerous expeditions and endless explorations over the following years—attempting both the north and south faces—it wasn’t until 1953 that the first verified flag was planted, when New Zealander Edmund Hillary and his Nepalese Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, reached the summit. That morning coincided with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II, who knighted them as British knights.
Mount Everest in Numbers
- Of the 5,070 ascents recorded (as of May 2010), 3,431 people successfully reached the summit.
- Over the last 50 years, there have been 10,000 attempted ascents.
- At 8,000 metres, climbers enter the "death zone," where many must rely on oxygen masks to continue.
- The Nepalese government charges $10,000 per person for a climbing permit.
- Yuichiro Miura was 75 years old when he set the Guinness World Record by summiting Everest in 2008.
