When people ask where is Mount Everest, it is part of the Great Himalayan Range and it, therefore, stretches for many miles and has many peaks with the huge mountain range being on the border of Nepal and China with its north slope being in Tibet and the south slope in Nepal.
Everest (or Chomolungma, as it is called in Nepal) with its 8,848.43 meters, is every climber’s dream. At the same time, it is without a doubt the most dangerous challenge and the deadliest mountain on earth. Yes, it is the highest place on the planet and such a famous height that perhaps every child in every country knows it. However, the story of its discovery and of the brave people who tried to conquer it is often unknown to the public. With the pyramid-like shape it has acquired, thanks to the molten glaciers, Everest rises in the middle of the border between two Asian countries – China and Nepal.
The mountain is named Everest after the Englishman Georg Everest who performed geographical measurements of the Himalayas in the middle of the 19th century. About 60 million years ago, Mount Everest was the ocean floor. When India tore itself free from Africa and migrated towards Asia, the collisions between these continental plates created large folds. What was once the seabed became the Himalayas and Mount Everest.
The rocky silhouette has attracted countless brave people who have tried to reach the top. Unfortunately, many of them have had to stay in the snow-capped and rocky mountains forever. More than 235 climbers and locals have died in attempts to reach the highest point on earth. The exact number is still unknown as not everyone registers before they start climbing. The causes of death are pressure and thin air. Despite the danger, the icy cold, and oxygen-poor air, many people risk their lives to be allowed to stand on the highest peak on earth for a short time. What is so special about the experience? Let’s find out while we try to answer the question – where is Mount Everest?
The Mysterious Mount Everest
As mentioned earlier, Mount Everest is the highest mountain in the world, reaching 29,032 feet in height. Shaped like a 3-sided pyramid, thrill-seekers from all over the world are fascinated by it and determined to reach its summit. A massive percentage of people ask the question where is Mount Everest because they want to know more about this mountain climbing experience that is on the top of so many people’s bucket lists.
When people ask where is Mount Everest because they want to look at climbing it, there are 2 routes to the summit –
- The South Slope on the Nepal side. This is actually the slope that was climbed by Edmund Hillary and it’s why so many climbers choose this route.
- The North Col is the less used route. This route is by means of Tibet in China.
With this Tibet route, you get 6 camps for climbers, with Everest Base Camp being the lowest and Camp 3 being the highest at 27 400 feet. With the Nepal route, there are 5 camps with Base camp being the lowest and Camp 4 being the highest at 26,000 ft.
Wouldn’t it be interesting to know the oldest and youngest to have climbed this mountain? Let’s find out
Who Was The Oldest Person At 8,848 m?
The Japanese Yuichiro Miura is considered to be the oldest person to have ever scaled the highest point on earth. At the proud age of 80, he secured his place in the Guinness Book of World Records in May 2013, surpassing the performance of the previous record holder, the Nepalese Min Bahadur Sherchan, who managed the ascent in May 2008 at the age of 76. In 2017, at the age of 85, Sherchan made another attempt to climb Everest to regain his throne, but he died at the base camp – official diagnosis: heart failure.
Who Was The Youngest Person To Summit Everest?
On May 22, 2010, the then 13-year-old American Jordan Romero, together with his father Paul and stepmother Karen Lundgren, successfully scaled the highest point on earth, beating the record set by 16-year-old Nepalese Temba Tsheri. The expedition around Jordan followed the Tibetan northern route since the Nepalese authorities do not issue permits to young people under the age of 16. Jordan’s team at the time included an equally remarkable mountaineer, Apa Sherpa, who was known far beyond the borders of the Himalayas. With his then 20th Everest ascent, he also celebrated a personal record.
Where Is Mount Everest?
When people say ‘where is Mount Everest’ they aren’t always thinking about climbing the mountain as such. There are a host of other awesome activities that one can do in and around Nepal and Tibet that don’t include risking your life. Some people are more than content just to reach base camp and they combine a trip to Tibet or to Nepal with a trip to base camp.
The mountain offers romantic adventure and many adventurers pay a fortune to do what Edmund Hillary and sherpa Tenzing Norgay did in 1953. As part of a British expedition, they were the first people to reach the summit of the world’s highest mountain. But where is Mount Everest and does it still hold all the romance, thrills, and sense of achievement that it did all those decades ago? Mount Everest is a peak in the Himalayas mountain range and offers a mix of horror, awe, wonder, hate, and love for climbers and their families from all over the world.
How Is There Snow On Mount Everest?
Those who are interested in weather patterns might well ask how is there snow on Mount Everest especially when most of the time the clouds are below the mountain.
Occasionally there are clouds above the mountain and then snow does fall. The snow doesn’t melt and stays there. Storms bring howling winds and these winds whip up the snow. While it may look like it is snowing, it is essentially known as whiteouts – lots of snow that appear to be falling but isn’t.
So how is there snow on Mount Everest? Whenever you get to a seriously high mountain, as you get to a higher altitude, the atmosphere gets thinner as air pressure decreases with altitude. As warm air rises, the rising air expands and cools bringing rain and snow. Mount Everest is always covered in snow. With all the snow and ice, it is May that is described as the most favorable month for a climb.
Is Mount Everest A Volcano?
No, if people ask the question where is Mount Everest and is Mount Everest a volcano, the answer is no. Mount Everest is a regular mountain and it isn’t a volcano. Volcanologists tell us that to answer the question ‘is Mount Everest a volcano’, they will tell you that the mountain doesn’t have any characteristics that could suggest that it is a volcano.
It doesn’t have any magma chambers underneath its snowy and rocky exteriors and there is no pressure building up inside the mountain ready to spew volcanic debris around. It pretty much means that Mount Everest isn’t ever going to erupt.
Is Mount Everest a volcano? No, but even though it doesn’t offer that danger to climbers, it offers a host of other challenges to climbers, many of whom have lost their lives on the mountain.
Khumba Icefall
Look at the Khumba Icefall as an example of its dangers. Crossing the Khumbu Icefall is seriously dangerous and even though there are rope ladders now that didn’t exist in Edmund Hilary’s time, this part of Everest has seen many experienced climbers succumbing to the dangers of the mountain. This part of Everest has particularly seen a great loss of life.
Just in 2014, an avalanche in this part of Everest killed 16 people. It’s not as though you have to take the Khumba Icefall route though and one can avoid it. You can choose some other route to climb to the peak. The Khumbu Icefall is a part of the South Col route.
Where is Everest in terms of the most dangerous place? To climb Mount Everest, climbers have to go through the most dangerous part of the mountain known as the death zone where the altitude is higher.
When climbers reach 26,247 feet in height they’ve entered this death zone. It’s where the oxygen levels fall drastically. Some climbers experience swelling of the brain that leads to high altitude cerebral edema. Climbers may not be able to think clearly, they are nauseous and the climb at this stage can become life-threatening.
All of the highest mountains of the world have these death zones where oxygen levels aren’t enough to sustain human life.
Everest Situated Between Top Tourist Destinations
This mountain is located between Nepal and Tibet. Tibet and Nepal are top tourist destinations, sharing the western Himalayas which includes Mount Everest. These two destinations in Asia share different cultures, tourist activities, religions, and travel policies, but are both top tourist destinations.
Because of the changing climate and different terrains, there is a big difference regarding your Everest climbing experience, depending on whether you enter Tibet or Nepal. Everest’s north face is located in Tibet while the south face is situated in the country of Nepal.
So where is Mount Everest in terms of the north slope and the south slope? The Tibetan side or the north slope is found in the Mt. Everest National Nature Reserve, Tibet.
Lots Of Attractions Around Everest
On the Nepal side, the south slope, the mountain is found in the Sagarmatha National Park. When people are longing to find out more about Everest and visit the base camp, many say where is Mount Everest, using it as a blanket term to say where is the Sagarmatha National Park?
The park is certainly worth a visit when you’re in the area of Everest as it is an exceptional area of beauty and of course, it offers dramatic mountain views and valleys, all dominated by Mount Everest of course.
Wildlife enthusiasts are blown out of their minds at the thought of the possibility of seeing the very rare snow leopard. It’s not surprising that the amazing area has been recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage site in 1979.
The climbing route from the Tibet side is known as the Northeast Ridge route while the climbing route from the south side of the Nepal side is known as the Southeast Ridge route. Those who have already climbed Mount Everest will say those beginner climbers should choose the route from Nepal to Mt. Everest. You climb through Sagarmatha National Park and arrive at Everest Base Camp about 14 days later.
When people ask where is Mount Everest, the name Namche Bazaar will always be mentioned as it happens to be an important stop on the trail up to Everest Base Camp. If you ask “Where is Mount Everest”, you’ll always get the answer ‘close to Namche Bazaar’ and lots of climbers and holidaymakers opt to spend a day or two in the town before moving onwards and upwards?
Certainly, if you climb up to the viewpoint above the town, if you’re not a climber yourself, you will still get a wonderful view of Everest and the drama that unfolds on it every April and May.
Where Is Mount Everest In Terms Of Governments?
Located at the border of China and Nepal, Mt. Everest is governed by both of the two countries’ governments. Hundreds of mountaineers manage to scale the mountains because of better knowledge and the help of expeditions that provide a route up the mountain for those willing to take on the risks. And pay the massive price.
People interested in the highest peak in the world will often ask where is Mount Everest and is it in India. While some of the Himalayas extend into India, Mount Everest itself is not found in India.
Where is Mount Everest? Its location deserves to be imprinted on every mountain climber’s mind as it is a serious achievement to reach the treacherous mountain’s summit and many have died trying.
The fact that the two climbing routes originate in two different countries causes some confusion. Climbers and the many interested who follow the events of Everest every April and May often get mixed up about which country is the starting point to an Everest expedition. The mountains may stretch for hundreds of miles but it’s the summit of Everest between Nepal and China that holds everyone’s interest.
