Who first conquered the mountain. In pursuit of glory. Modern ascents: two base camps on opposite sides of Everest

The 1953 expedition, with which Hillary and Tenzing climbed, ended with a 15-minute stay on the mountain. Norgay left candies in the snow, and Hillary stuck a cross given to him by Army Colonel John Hunt, leader of the British expedition.

Tenzing Norgay (left) and Sir Edmund Hillary (right) during their historic ascent of Mount Everest in 1953. (Associated Press).

Sir Edmund Hillary and fellow climbers in 1953 during the first confirmed ascent of mountain peak Everest. ( New York Times).

Sherpa Tenzing Norgay stands on top of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953 after he and his partner Edmund Hillary became the first people to reach the highest high point on the ground. (Edmund Hillary/Royal Geographical Society via Associated Press).

From left to right: Colonel John Hunt, Tenzing Norgay (known as Tenzing Sherpa) and Edmund Hillary. They rejoice, having returned to England, as the first people who conquered Everest. (George W. Hales/Hulton Archive via Getty Images).

Sir Edmund Hillary (left) and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay smile after climbing Mount Everest in 1953. This photograph is undated and was used as a handout.
Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and his friend Sir Hillary, who passed away on January 11, 2008. He was called a great philanthropist and friend of Nepal. Hillary, who, together with Tenzing Norgay, conquered Everest in 1953, spent most of his life by helping the Sherpa communities in Nepal, including by setting up projects to build hospitals and schools. (Norgay Archive via Reuters).

Facilities mass media photograph the statues of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, timed to coincide with the 60th anniversary of the successful ascent of Everest. Kathmandu, Nepal, 29 May 2013.
Hillary and Tenzing were the first people to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. (Niranjan Shrestha / Associated Press).

Kancha Sherpa, member of the 1953 expedition that included Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. They conquered the summit high mountain in the world. Amelia Rose Hillary, granddaughter of New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary, and a crowd of well-wishers near a horse-drawn carriage during the Everest Summitteers procession during the Everest Diamond Jubilee Celebration. Kathmandu, 29 May 2013.
On May 29, Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images).

Aerial view of the center, the western shoulder of Everest and Mount Nuptse (right 8848 m), May 15, 2003 at the Nepal-Tibetan border. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images).

Buddhist prayer flags flutter from strong wind blowing towards the snowy peaks of Mount Everest (center) and Lhotse (right), near the village of Tengboche on the way to Everest in Nepal, May 14, 2003.
A team of 12 climbers from the Indian Army, Royal Nepal Army and Nepalese Sherpas scale Lhotse on Tuesday, setting a record as the most a large number of climbers, on a technically difficult peak in one day. (Gurinder Osan / Associated Press).

Drinks, rice and flour are offered at the end of the puja ceremony to the climbing team on April 7, 2003 at Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
Puja is a Buddhist ceremony performed to bless the group and their equipment for finding a safe mountain pass. Buddhist prayer flags radiate from the center of the pole. (Erich Schlegel/The Dallas Morning News via Associated Press).

British mountaineering photographer Jonathan Griffith ascends the headwaters of Mount Everest on April 27, 2013. (AFP/Getty Images).

An aerial view of Mount Everest in a range of about 140 km (87 miles), northeast of Kathmandu, January 14, 2011.
The government has said it plans to double the number of foreign visitors who come to Nepal each year to one million tourists in 2011. (Prakash Mathema/AFP/Getty Images).

Members of the E3 99 Everest Extreme Expedition climb a 19,500-foot glacier crevice on Mount Everest in Nepal on May 13, 1999.
They check vital signs and collect Additional information about hypoxia and acclimatization. (Associated Press).

Climbers pass through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall, which lies on their way to Everest near Everest Base Camp. Nepal, 18 May 2003.
The safety of climbing to the top depends on the weather. Many teams, including a joint Indo-Nepalese, Korean and Japanese team, have abandoned their attempt to climb the world's highest peak. (Gurinder Osan / Associated Press).

View of the Khumbu Icefall, which is the first obstacle on the way to climbing Everest. View from Everest Base Camp in Nepal, May 17, 2003. (Gurinder Osan / Associated Press).

Climbers from different countries descending the Khumbu Icefall on their way back from Base Camp on May 22, 2013 after climbing Everest.
May is the most popular month for climbing Everest due to more favorable weather. Earlier this month, 80-year-old Japanese Yuichiro Miura became the oldest conqueror of Everest. And Raha Moharrak is considered the first woman from Saudi Arabia, which also climbed to the highest peak. (Pasang Geljen Sherpa/Associated Press).

Aerial photography of Everest Base Camp. Big tent city, full of climbers at an altitude of 18,000 feet, which is located at the foot of Everest on the border of Nepal and Tibet. May 15, 2003.
A record 1,000 climbers plan to summit Mount Everest to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of the world's highest mountain. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images).

A golden glow at the top as the sun sets behind the tallest mountain in the world, which is located in the center of the frame. View from Kalapathar, on the way to Everest, Nepal, November 15, 1983.
Thousands of climbers and mountain lovers gathered in Kathmandu to take part in various celebrations on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, which was made by Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay on May 29, 1953. (Bikas Das / Associated Press).

Japanese professional skier and mountaineer Yuichiro Miura, aged 80, advances against the backdrop of icefall towards C2 Base Camp on his way to the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. Nepal, 16 May 2013. (European Pressphoto Agency).

80-year-old Japanese skier Yuichiro Miura stands on top of Mount Everest. He became the oldest person to climb the highest mountain in the world on May 23, 2013.
Miura, who has already climbed the peak when he was 70 and 75 years old, reached the peak at 9:05 am local time, according to officially confirmed data. (MIURA DOLPHINS Co., Ltd via Associated Press).

Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura displays a victory sign upon arrival at the airport after climbing Mount Everest. In Kathmandu on May 26, 2013.
Miura, who has had four heart surgeries, reached the summit of Everest last Thursday and became the oldest person to scale the world's highest mountain. He first climbed Everest in 2003 and repeated the feat five years later. Miura broke the record of the previous oldest climber, Min Bahadur Sherkhan of Nepal, who reached the summit at the age of 76 in 2008. (Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters).

Two people (lower left) are standing next to campground at the foot of Earth's highest peak, Everest. Tibet Autonomous Region, Chinese People's Republic, October 13, 2011.
Tibet is a vast land with harsh land, arid, brown plateaus and majestic mountain ranges. Religion is an integral part of life for Tibetans, so many take part in religious pilgrimages hundreds of kilometers to visit the region's monasteries and sacred places. (Barbara Walton / European Pressphoto Agency).

Members of an expedition climbing Mount Everest (locally known as Chomolungma) make a slow climb up the mountainside on May 19, 2005. (Suolang Luobu / Associated Press).

This image shows mountain guide Adrian Bellinger of the Alpenglow Expedition on May 18, 2013 in Nepal. Climbers head to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Himalayas.
Last Wednesday, May 29, 2013, Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the summit of Mount Everest by honoring the climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (Adrian Ballinger/Alpenglow Expeditions via Associated Press).

Mount Everest or Sagarmatha (top of frame) is the highest peak in the world at 8848 meters. A bird's eye view of the 6,812-meter Ama Dablam mountain (below), on April 22, 2007. (Desmond Boylan/Reuters).

Climbers advance towards the summit of Everest on May 18, 2013 in the Khumbu region of the Nepalese Himalayas.
In Nepal, the celebration of the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Everest was held on May 29, 2013. (Adrian Ballinger/Alpenglow Expeditions via Associated Press).

Pictured are unidentified climbers descending Everest on May 19, 2009.
A group of top Nepalese climbers are planning a risky expedition to clean up Everest. Decades of climbing the highest peak in the world have taken their toll. “Everest is losing its beauty,” says 30-year-old Namgyal Sherpa. “The top of the mountain is currently littered with oxygen tanks, old prayer flags, ropes and abandoned tents. For several years, at least two corpses have been lying here.” (AFP/Getty Images).

Tents glow like clouds at dusk at Everest Base Camp in Nepal on May 22, 2003.
Many teams rescheduled their climb attempt due to bad weather, but some managed to reach the top of Chomolungma with south side. The Indian-Nepalese army team was the first to rise this season on Thursday morning. (Gurinder Osan / Associated Press).

Climbers overcome mountain range just below Hillary's Step on May 18, 2013 as they make their way to the summit of Everest in the Khumbu region, in the Nepalese Himalayas.
Sixty years ago, Sir Edmund Hillary and his partner Tenzing Norgay became the first people to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on earth. It happened on May 29, 1953. (Adrian Ballinger/ALPENGLOW EXPEDITIONS, via Associated Press).

Hillary and I spent the night in a small tent at an altitude of 8500 meters - highest altitude on which a man has ever slept. The night was cold. Hillary's boots were numb from the cold, and we were almost numb ourselves. But when we crawl out of the tent at dawn, there is almost no wind. The sky is clear and cloudless. This is good. We look up. Week after week, month after month, all we do is look up. Here it is, the top of Everest! But now she looks different, so close to her, within reach - only three hundred meters. This is no longer a dream soaring high in the clouds, but something real, tangible - stone and snow, on which a person's foot can step. We are going to go. We must take the top. This time, with God's help, we will reach the goal...

This is how the morning of May 29, 1953 was described by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, one of the two conquerors of the famous eight-thousander - Chomolungma, or Everest. A few hours later, at 11:30 am, he and New Zealander Edmund Hillary (Edmund Hillary) climbed to the highest point on the Earth's surface - 8850 meters above sea level.

For a long time after their triumphant return, disputes about whose foot first set foot on the "Top of the World" did not subside. Actually, there were three versions: that Norgay was the first, that Hillary was ahead of him, and also that both of them, holding hands together, simultaneously stepped onto the top. After the travelers returned "from heaven to earth", they signed an official statement in which (perhaps deliberately) they made one "generalization". They said they "reached the summit almost at the same time". This “almost” added not only oil, but downright gasoline to the fire of disputes about who was the “most-most”. Then Norgay will write in his book (again, very ambiguously) that he was the first all the time, but before the very top he conceded the right of the first step to Hillary.

However, each of the friends, of course, slightly "pulled the blanket over himself", describing the storming of Everest. In his book Climbing Everest, Hillary writes that he had to literally drag a partner who did not have enough oxygen. At the same time, according to the New Zealander, Norgay "suffocated, like a huge fish pulled out of the sea." In turn, in the book "Tiger of the Snows" Norgay wrote that everything was not so scary - they just walked, insuring each other. No one was choking, no one was convulsing - they calmly moved to the top.

The first ascent of the mountain, which climbers of many countries aspired to, was as honorable as conquering space or landing on the moon. At the top, Hillary and Norgay guessed, in order to avoid scandals and disputes, to install the UN flag over the flags of the countries participating in the expedition. However, disputes and scandals still arose. Everyone appreciated the altruism of the climbers, but began to discuss the second, third and fourth places on the pole - there were flags of Great Britain, Nepal and India.

In general, the installation of the British flag on the "Top of the World" seems to be a very controversial action. Hillary was a New Zealander, and this country gained independence in 1931. Nevertheless, he hoisted a "Union Jack" over the mountain, for which he later received a knighthood from the Queen in London and the prefix "Sir", which he added to his name.

Having ascended the mountain, the pioneer climbers jumped a little for joy, set up flags, and then ritually buried several talismans in the snow at the top - their own, as well as those that were given to them by friends who were waiting for them in the lower camp. Norgay claimed that they were lollipops, a red-and-blue pencil stub, a small rag cat, and a crucifix.

In such events, the first words spoken by the pioneers after they have reached the goal are very important. History has brought them down to us. Norgay claimed that he said in his own language: "Tuji chey, Chomolungma" (Thank you, Everest). Hillary is also believed to have spoken the historic phrase. "We curbed the bastard!", the climber allegedly shouted.

pinnacle of death

There is no doubt that the New Zealander, unlike the Sherpa, treated Everest rather disrespectfully. Ever since, in 1852, English topographers, having calculated, established that Chomolungma, called "Peak 15" in English catalogs, is in fact the most high mountain in the world, countless attempts have been made to climb it. However, the highest mountain turned out to be the most dangerous. In the entire history of climbing Everest, 175 people have died (in total, about 1,200 climbers have visited the summit). In May 1996, nine people froze to death on the slopes of the mountain at once - out of the entire expedition, only one American, Back Weathers, managed to survive, who subsequently had to amputate both hands and nose.

Many of the dead could not be found, as happened with the expedition of the British George Mallory and Andrew Irwin. Last time they were seen on June 8, 1924 at an altitude of about 8500 meters, quite close to the top. They disappeared into the cloud, and since then nothing more is known about them. Many believe that they could reach the summit and died on the way back, but after the summit was examined from the plane, no traces of climbers were found on it. Mallory's body was found only in 1999 at an altitude of 8230 meters, which also spoke in favor of the version of death on the descent. The climbers had a camera with them, but it was not possible to find it.

Another mystery of Everest was soviet expedition, led by a certain Pavel Dachnolyan, who tried to take Everest in 1952. Almost nothing is known about her - the attempt to storm the mountain was strictly classified, which gave rise to many rumors about her. Allegedly, the members of the expedition were taken to Lhasa on military aircraft, the group began to climb and regularly contacted by radio. Then the Soviet climbers stopped communicating. They apparently died, their bodies could not be found, and the unsuccessful attempt to climb was hidden.

Anniversary

Everest got its "European" name at the end of the century before last. Officials from the English Surveyor Service named the mountain after the chief of the Indian Colonial Survey Committee. Before that, the mountain was called Chomo-Kankar, Sagarmatha and Chomolungma. Even before the British calculated the height of the mountain, the Sherpas called her the "mother of the mountains", the "queen" and the "goddess of the winds". At its foot are two Buddhist monasteries - Rongbuk in Tibet and Tyangboche in Nepal. That is why Tenzing Norgay brought sweets to the mountain and thanked her after the ascent - locals worshiped the mountain, loved and respected it.

Day 29 May became in Nepal national holiday. In 2003 it was attended by climbers from all over the world. Sir Edmund Hillary also arrived with his 50-year-old son (Norgay died in 1986), who also conquered Everest a year ago. During the celebration of the half-century anniversary of the capture of Chomolungma, two ascents to it will be made.

However, the holiday was overshadowed by a tragedy that increased Everest's death count by another two people - on May 28, a Mi-17 helicopter of the local airline Simrik Airlines crashed in Nepal during preparations for the celebrations. There were 8 people on board - two Nepalese pilots, a flight engineer from Kyrgyzstan and five passengers. The pilot and one of the passengers were killed.

The holiday was not cancelled. All climbers know that death on the slopes is one of the most dangerous peaks peace can happen at any moment. However, this does not stop the daredevils - every year everything more people, risking their lives, are trying to climb Everest in order to at least briefly look down on this world.

Facts from the history of climbing Everest

The first woman to conquer Chomolungma was the Japanese Junko Tabei. She climbed to the top of the mountain on May 16, 1975. She will also participate in the celebration of the anniversary of the first ascent.

Soviet climbers first climbed Everest in 1982. Eleven people took part in the expedition.

In 1978, Austrian Peter Habeler and Italian Reinold Messner climbed Chomolungma without oxygen equipment. Two years later, Messner repeated this ascent alone.

American Eric Weihenmeyer became the first blind climber to scale the highest mountain on Earth.

On April 26, 2003, an Internet cafe was opened on one of the slopes of Everest. Internet access is carried out using a wireless connection of the WiFi standard. ground station transmits data to the AAP-1 satellite, which in turn broadcasts them to a receiver in Taipei. Further, through the fiber optic channel, the user gets access to any segment of the network.

60 years ago, New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made the first confirmed ascent of the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, at 8,848 meters. Since then, thousands of people have attempted to summit Everest, many of them unsuccessfully.

At the end of May, 80-year-old Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person on Earth to conquer Mount Everest. Miura did it for the third time. He admitted that he was one step away from death during the descent. Everest pioneers Hillary and Norgay spent only 15 minutes on the summit. Norgay buried sweets in the snow, and Hillary erected a cross given to him by the leader of the British expedition, Colonel John Hunt.

Tenzing Norgay (left) and Sir Edmund Hillary during their historic climb of Everest in 1953.

Sir Edmund Hillary and his fellow climbers climb Mount Everest in 1953.

Tenzing Norgay stands on top of Everest, May 29, 1953. He and his partner Edmund Hillary became the first people to reach the highest point on Earth.

Colonel John Hunt, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary returned to England after conquering Everest.

Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay smile after climbing Mount Everest in 1953. Nepalese friends of Hillary, who passed away on January 11, 2008, illuminate with oil lamps and read special Buddhist prayers in monasteries in memory of the climber, calling him a great benefactor and friend of Nepal. Hillary, after conquering Everest in 1953, spent most of his life helping Sherpa communities in Nepal, building hospitals and schools for them.

Journalists stand by a statue of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay as they celebrate the 60th anniversary of the successful summit of Mount Everest in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 29, 2013.

Sherpa Kancha, member of the Everest summit team in 1953, and Amelia Rose Hillary (second from right), granddaughter of New Zealand climber Edmund Hillary, attend the Diamond Jubilee celebration of the Everest summit in Kathmandu, May 29, 2013.

Buddhist prayer flags flutter in the wind with Mount Everest (center) and Lhotse (right) in the background near Tengboche village in Nepal on May 14, 2003. A team of 12 climbers from the Indian Army, the Royal Nepalese Army and Nepalese Sherpas summited Lhotse, setting the record for the most climbers to summit a technically difficult peak in one day.

Puja ceremony at Everest base camp in Nepal, April 7, 2003. Puja is a religious ceremony during which the members of the expedition and their equipment are blessed.

Mount Everest, about 140 kilometers northeast of Kathmandu on January 14, 2011. The government of Nepal has announced that it intends to double the number of foreign tourists who visit the country every year.

A member of the Everest Extreme Expedition E3 99 installs a bridge over a 5943-meter fissure on Mount Everest in Nepal on May 13, 1999.

Climbers from around the world descend the Khumbu Icefall after climbing Mount Everest on May 22, 2013. May is the most popular month for climbing Everest due to more favorable weather. Earlier this month, Japan's Yuichiro Miura became the oldest person to climb Mount Everest, and Raha Moharraq became the first woman from Saudi Arabia to summit Everest.

Everest Base Camp - a large tent city at an altitude of 5486 meters, May 15, 2003. About a thousand climbers planned to climb Mount Everest this month to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the first successful summit of the world's highest mountain.

Nepalese Sherms climb the Khumbu Icefall on their way to the summit of Everest on May 16, 2013.

The world's tallest mountain bathes in the golden glow of the setting sun on November 15, 1983.

80-year-old Japanese professional skier and mountaineer Yuichiro Miura advances through the icefall on his way to the summit of Everest, May 16, 2013.

80-year-old Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura becomes the oldest person to summit Mount Everest on May 23, 2013. He reached the top of the mountain at 9:05 am local time. Miura had previously summited Everest at the age of 70 and 75.

Japanese climber Yuichiro Miura arrives at Kathmandu airport after climbing Mount Everest on May 26, 2013. Miura, who has undergone 4 heart surgeries, has become the oldest person to summit Mount Everest. Before him, this title was held by a 76-year-old resident of Nepal, Min Bahadur Sherkhan, who climbed to the top in 2008.

Two people stand near their tent in a camp at the foot of Everest in Tibet autonomous region, People's Republic of China, October 13, 2011. Tibet is a vast land of arid plateaus and majestic mountain ranges. Many nomads live here at high altitude. Religion is an integral part of Tibetans' lives, and many of them take part in religious pilgrimages hundreds of miles away to visit local monasteries and sacred sites.

> The highest peak in the world is Mount Everest (or Sagarmatha in Nepalese) with a height of 8848 meters, April 22, 2007. Below is Mount Ama Dablam with a height of 6812 meters.

Climbers descend from Mount Everest on May 19, 2009. A group of Nepalese professional climbers are planning a risky expedition to clean up Everest. Decades of mountaineering have taken their toll on appearance the highest mountain in the world. Sherpa Namgyal, who has climbed Everest 7 times, says the following: “Everest is losing its beauty. The top of the mountain is currently littered with oxygen tanks, old prayer flags, ropes and tents. At least two corpses have been lying there for several years."

Climbers climb the ridge just below Hillary's Step on their way to the summit of Everest on May 18, 2013.

Arunima Sinha holds an Indian flag atop Mount Everest, May 21, 2013. Sinha, 26, from the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, who lost her leg two years ago, became the first disabled woman to summit Everest of the year.

13-year-old Jordan Romero (right) became the youngest climber to summit Mount Everest on May 22, 2010. He climbed the mountain from the Chinese side, accompanied by a group consisting of his father, stepmother and three Sherpa guides.

Two Japanese climbers rest on the summit of Mount Everest surrounded by Tibetan prayer flags on May 20, 2013.

Nepalese Sherpa Apa stands on top of Mount Everest on May 22, 2010. The climber climbed to the top of the mountain for the 20th time, breaking his personal and world record. He devoted his ascent to protecting the environment.

On May 29, Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest, the success of which served to destroy the fear of many climbers before conquering the highest mountain in the world.

Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags atop Mount Everest on May 18, 2013. On May 29, Nepal marked the 60th anniversary of the summit of Everest by honoring the climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Everest. A mysterious mountain peak, majestic and formidable at the same time. Everest inspires artists and poets, for example, Nicholas Roerich has a stunningly majestic painting “The Himalayas. Everest".

And at the same time, Everest, the mountain that claimed many human lives, did not forgive mistakes and neglect. Over 250 people have died in the known history of climbing Everest.

Collapses, avalanches, rarefied air, snowstorms, Everest has prepared many surprises and trials for climbers.

Chomolungma, as Everest is otherwise called, was discovered by Europeans back in the 19th century. At the same time, the height of the mountain was calculated and the assumption was made that it was the highest in the world.

In 1921, a British-funded reconnaissance expedition took place, including George Mallory, who became the first person to set foot on Everest. However, the summit was never conquered. This was followed by the second and third British expeditions.

With the members of the third British expedition, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, who died during the ascent, there are disputes that have not subsided so far. Were they able to conquer the summit of Everest? A question that still does not have a clear answer.

According to the existing official version Everest was conquered much later. Only in 1953 the mountain peak was conquered. On May 29, 1953, the members of the next, sixteenth expedition, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, reached the goal.

So who was the first in the world to conquer Everest? Will we agree with the generally accepted version and consider the discoverers of Everest Edmund Hillary and Tenzin Norgay, who left sweets buried in the snow at the top.

Or shall we try to unravel the riddle of the climbers of the third expedition? Perhaps this question should be answered by each of us.

Everest is the highest peak on Earth. They tried to reach it more than once, but due to the danger of such an event, it ended, as a rule, with the death of the members of the expedition. Yet there was a man who succeeded. Who was the first to conquer Everest? Whoever he was, he was an amazingly brave and strong man. About him, as well as about the difficulties of climbing Everest, you will learn in the article.

Geographic features

The height of the mountain peak, on the way to which several dozen climbers died, is 8,848 meters. It is located in the Himalayas. The fact that it is very cold in the mountains is known even to a child. Here average temperature in January, about -36 ° C. Everest itself has the shape of a pyramid, its slopes are quite steep. In the south there is almost no snow and firn (dense, recrystallized perennial snow). The strongest winds blow here. Their speed reaches 200 km / h.

For comparison: the strongest wind in Russia over the past century was recorded on Kharlov Island in the Barents Sea. It was February 8, 1986. The wind speed then was 187 km/h. It is impossible to live in such conditions. In 1998, a terrible hurricane happened in Moscow. Eleven people died. About two hundred were injured. The wind speed that day reached 31 m/s or 3.6 km/h.

Let's compare these figures with those recorded on the highest peak of the Earth - 200 km / h. Is it possible for a person to stay here even for a few minutes? Who was the first to conquer Everest? It was probably an extraordinary person with supernatural powers.

Research

As always, it all started with a theoretical study. Indian topographer and mathematician Radhanat Sikdar established where the highest mountain peak is located. This was in the early fifties. There was a scientist in India, 240 km from the subject of his study. A few years later, the geodetic service gave information about the height of Everest. They weren't exactly accurate. According to the conclusion of Indian scientists, the height was 8,839 meters. Perhaps this will not seem so important to a person who is far from science, but the surveyors argued, clarified, and investigated for a long time. Finally, they called the exact figure - 8,848.13 km.

Extreme tourist route

The first people who conquered Everest proved that it is possible to do it and still stay alive. Before they succeeded was recorded many deaths. "Who will be the first to conquer Everest?" - this question haunted climbers for a long time. Each of them wanted to become a pioneer and go down in history.

The first man conquered Everest over sixty years ago. A lot has changed since then. The mountains, of course, stand in the same place and are just as high. But climbing to the top is still dangerous. However, thanks to deep research, experts now know how to do it with less risk to life.

The question of who first conquered Everest has lost its relevance. Now in Himalayan mountains sent for thrills. Such an excursion lasts about two months and costs more than 80 thousand dollars. They rise to the top in spring or autumn. At this time of the year, there are no monsoons, that is, steady winds that periodically change their direction.

Tourism infrastructure is developing. In the 21st century, there are more and more people who want to climb the once inaccessible peak. Many hours of traffic jams and conflicts between climbers have even been recorded here (almost like on the highways of megacities). Nevertheless, such a journey remains quite dangerous. The most difficult section is the one that is located near Everest. Its length is 300 meters. The climbers nicknamed the last finish line "the longest mile on Earth".

Much depends on the weather and equipment. Before heading to the mountains, tourists are instructed, trained, and prepared for several weeks. Experts possess all this knowledge thanks to the pioneers. Their invaluable experience allows today thousands of people who want to make a journey that was considered deadly even half a century ago.

First attempts

Before Everest was conquered, about 20 expeditions took place. French climbers have reached Annapurna. But from this mountain range before the highest peak still far. The British managed to achieve a better result a little later - they used oxygen on the way. In the 20s of the last century, more than one climber died here. In 1924, Andrew Irwin and George Mallory made an attempt to summit. The body of the latter was discovered in the late nineties. Perhaps the English climbers managed to reach the summit. At least, this is still being debated to this day.

Among the daredevils there were quite eccentric personalities. So, in 1934, a man without special equipment went to the mountains, believing that supernatural forces would help him achieve his goal. He died, rising to a height of seven kilometers. This man's name was Maurice Wilson. The conquest of the highest mountain peak took place 20 years after his death. And it ended successfully. So, who conquered Everest first in the world?

Edmund Hillary

He had no supernatural powers ordinary person. Edmund Hillary was born in 1919. I have been interested in mountaineering since childhood. Edmund made his first ascent at the age of 20. As a child, the future conqueror of Everest was very shy. He read a lot and dreamed of adventure. As a high school student, he began boxing, which gave him some confidence in own forces. He took up mountain climbing at the age of 16.

In 1951, Hillary participated in the British expedition to Everest. But then the climbers did not reach their goal. After two years, Hillary again took part in the expedition. In the middle of the 20th century, the Chinese closed the road to Everest from Tibet. The climbers set off from Nepal, whose government had nothing against mountain expeditions.

Tenzing Norgay

Of course, it is impossible for one person to conquer a mountain peak. We named Edmund Hillary. But in reality there were two discoverers. Hillary managed to get to Everest together with Tenzing Norgay. It is worth saying that it was a very experienced climber. Perhaps it was thanks to him that Everest was conquered in 1953. Norgay later admitted that from the highest point on earth opens amazing view- beautiful, wild and terrible.

Women's expeditions began to storm Everest in the mid-seventies. And quite successfully. The first woman to summit Everest was Junko Tabei, a Japanese citizen. This was in 1976. Four years later, Wanda Rutkevich from Poland climbed to the top. In 1990 - our compatriot Ekaterina Ivanova.