The Steps to Heaven-Everest

Vocabulary Tectonic -relating to the structure of the earth's surface or crust. Subsequently-afterward, later Altitude-elevation especially above sea level or above the earth's surface. Latitude-the angular distance between an imaginary line around a heavenly body parallel to its equator and the equator itself. Longitude-an imaginary great circle on the surface of the earth passing through the north and south poles at right angles to the equator. Avalanche-a large mass of snow that falls down the side of a mountain. Ascend- move up, go up Descend-move downward or lower acclimatization - adaptation to a new climate (a new temperature or altitude or environment) . Monsoon-the season in Southern Asia when there is a lot of very heavy rain.  Jet stream- a very strong wind that blows high in the earth's atmosphere and has an important influence on the weather.

The Roof of the World-the Himalayas What created the Himalayan mountain range? It is caused by the tectonic plate on which India sits colliding with the tectonic plate to its north.

Where is Mt.Everest ? Everest is part of the Himalaya mountain range along the border of Nepal and Tibet,China. It is located 27 °59' North latitude, 86°55' East longitude.

Location on the Earth

Location of Mt.Everest

Why is it called Everest? In 1841, Sir George Everest, an Indian mathematician and surveyor from Bengal, was the first to identify Everest as the world's highest peak . It was subsequently named "Peak XV". In 1865, it was renamed Mt. Everest to honor Sir George. Everest is also called Chomolungma in Tibet,China and Sagarmatha in Nepal.

How tall is Mt. Everest? Mount Everest is the Earth's highest mountain, with a peak at 8,850 metres (29,035 ft) above sea level . Shifting tectonic plates continue to push Everest upward, along with the whole Himalaya mountain range, at 1.6 to 3.9 inches (4 to 10 centimeters) per year.

What is the highest and lowest temperature at Mt Everest peak What is the highest and lowest temperature at Mt Everest peak? and what the average temperature there? In January, the coldest month, the summit temperature averages -36° C and can drop as low as -60° C . In July, the warmest month, the average summit temperature is -19° C.

Is it windy at the top of Everest? Yes. Strong winds may arise suddenly and winds of hurricane force that may reach more than 285 km/h. The Jet Stream blasts the rocky, icy summit of Everest nearly all year long. The good season for mountaineers is from March to May .The mountain is most inviting in early May, when the Jet Stream is pushed northward over Tibet by the arrival of the monsoon.

Is the air very thin on Everest? As the altitude increases, the oxygen content of the air decreases dramatically. At 9,800 feet, for example, there's about 2/3 of the oxygen in the air than at sea level. At 20,000 ft, there is roughly half the oxygen content in the air. At 29,035ft, the summit of Everest, there is only a third of the oxygen in the air.

Routes to Mount Everest's summit The north (yellow) route is in China and the south route is in Nepal (orange) .

How high are the camps? The approximate elevations of each of the camps are: Base Camp - 17,500ft (5,400m) Camp 1 - 20,000ft (6,100m) Camp 2 - 21,300ft (6,500m) Camp 3 - 24,000ft (7,400m) Camp 4 - 26,000ft (8,000m) Summit - 29,035ft (8,850)

Highest cause of death: avalanche

The base camp

The world's highest emergency room

What is the hardest part about climbing Everest? Each climber has a different opinion about what is the most difficult part of climbing Everest. Most would agree that the altitude is tough to deal with. Altitude sickness could be fatal for mountaineers.

How does your body get used to the altitude? Mountaineers climbing Everest establish a camp at the base of the mountain, and four higher camps before reaching the summit. For the next 30 days or so, they will move up, then down again, allowing their bodies to get used to the reduced oxygen content of the air. This process is called acclimatization.

Acclimatization Climbers acclimatize by ascending slowly, resting one day for every 1,000 feet they climb in one day. They drink plenty of liquids and eat healthy food. They also practice a rule of thumb: climb high, sleep low. Climbing high, then descending to lower altitudes allows the body to build up and gain strength with fresh oxygen, digest food better, get sounder sleep and any wounds can heal and they'll feel much stronger by descending.

death zone The death zone is a certain point – around 8,000 m (26,000 ft), where the oxygen level is not sufficient to sustain human life. In the death zone, the human body can not acclimatize, as it uses oxygen faster than it can be replenished. An extended stay in the zone without supplementary oxygen will result in deterioration of bodily functions, loss of consciousness and, ultimately, death. Most deaths have been attributed to avalanche, injury from fall or ice collapse, exposure, or health problems related to conditions on the mountain. Over 200 climbers have died . Most deaths(70%)happened during descent. Most bodies (about 120)remain on the mountain.

Recorded deaths The first recorded deaths on the mountain were the seven porters who perished in an avalanche in the 1922 British Mount Everest Expedition. The most infamous tragedy on the mountain was the 1996 Mount Everest disaster on May 11, 1996, during which eight people died while making summit attempts. That year is the deadliest single year in the mountain's history. Another notable incident occurred in 1998 when Francys Arsentiev and her husband, Sergei Arsentiev, became separated and then died while looking for each other.

Mt. Everest History/Facts First Ascent: May 29,1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary, New Zeland and Tenzing Norgay, Nepal, via the South Col Route First Chinese ascent : On May 25, 1960, three young Chinese mountaineers: Wang Fu-chou, Konbu, Chu Yin- hua reached the summit of Mount Everest . First Ascent by a Woman: May 16,1975, Junko Tabei, Japan, via the South-Col Fastest Ascent from South: Babu Chhiri Sherpa 34, Nepal-16 hours and 56 minutes (5-21-2000) Most Ascents -Appa Sherpa, Nepal, became the first person to climb Everest 11 times Longest stay on top: Babu Chiri Sherpa ,Nepal,stayed at the summit 21 hours and a half Fastest descent: In 1988, Jean-Marc Boivin of France descended from the top in just 11 minutes, paragliding. First Oxygenless Ascent: May 8, 1978- Reinhold Messner, Italy, and Peter Habeler, Australia, via the South-East Ridge

A Chinese woman Xiaodan Li reached the summit of the Everest on May 19,2012

The way to the summit

A Long Line to the Mountain

Aerial photograph of Mt. Everest www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU-XmTuOM18