Mount Everest is the Highest Mountain Peak of the World

Mount Everest is the highest mountain peak of the world. It stands in the Himalayas and on the border o Nepal and Tibet near India. It is named after Sir George Everest, a British Surveyor, who first discovered its location and height.

Many attempts to climb Everest were made by an umber of mountaineering bodies and their members. The first attempt goes back to 1922 when captains Bruce and Finch reached up to 28,000 feet. Later serious attempts were made in 1924, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1938 and 1952, but these were not successful.

Going up the higher reaches of the mountains is a very difficult task. First, it is too cold and one has to wear heavy thick garments to avoid frostbite. Second, it is difficult to breathe because the air is thin, with less oxygen. Third, there is no regular path upwards. The mountaineers have to use strong ropes with hooks and dig holes with axes to climb the heights. Fourth, the surface of the rocks is slippery and very risky. Glaciers of ice very often slide down hundreds of feet taking the mountaineers with them. For these reasons many adventurous persons attempting to go up very high mountains have lost their lives.

In May 1953 John hunted an expedition to the Everest. Two members of this team, Edmund Hillary and tensing Norkay, reached the top. Tensing Norkay reached the top. Tensing and Hillary moved out of their tent after a night's rest n the lonely snows. They crawled out at 6.30 in the early morning. Everest was jut little above them. They had pitched a camp about 28,000 feet high and hey had to climb the last on thousand feet to reach the top.

With the oxygen kit on their backs, they slowly moved up the snow -clad rocks.

They found the powdery surface of the snow very slippery and dangerous. Luckily the base of the snow was solid and Hillary was able to cut steps with is ice axe.

Tensing was moving ahead. Hillary noticed that Tensing's speed had reduced considerably. The oxygen tube was blocked with ice. Hillary knew that Sherpas found it difficult to manage the oxygen kit. He cleaned the tube for Tensing, who again gained sufficient speed.

The team of two had to climb on all ours or some time.

By 11.30 AM they had reached the top. They carried Indian, Nepali, British and UN Flags to the top of the world. Tensing buried gifts or his gods. Hillary also placed a tiny cross in the snow.

The world was overjoyed when the news of the conquest of Everest was flashed on the radio.