Commonly called Sagarmatha by the natives, Everest is the tallest mountain in the world, rising well over 8000 meters at 8848m(Jefferies 98).

The climb really starts in Nepal, trekking to Base Camp, but most people say it starts at Base Camp. The climbers acclimatize, and get ready to go up the mountain. The Base Camp team stays anywhere from two months on. They organize gear and send up the heaviest loads with the strongest Sherpas. The team moves on to middle camp, where dehydration and adema are more prevalent. After five weeks at this camp, the climbers push on. The next camp is high camp, three quarters of the way up, where the climbers have an easier shot at summiting the mountain. It takes, depending on the climber’s ability, weather, and determination, among many other factors, about 12 or more hours to summit. This exhausting jump to the summit is where the climbers are in the most danger. Staying at these high altitudes causes brain and muscle deterioration. That is why this part of the climb is known as the death zone.

There are three main danger zones in climbing Everest. The first is the Khumbu Icefall, where huge ice towers tumble without warning. Above that is the steep and icy Lhotse Face, which rises nonstop for 4,000 feet. The third danger zone is the southeast ridge, near the summit (Jamling Norgay ch. 8).

There are many dangers that come with the gratification of climbing Everest. All of the climbers who attempt must be aware and able to handle these dangers. These dangers include: a harsh subtropical jet stream, the need of a highly experienced guide, experience above 8000 m., a serious lack of required oxygen the body needs, crevasses that are over a mile deep in some places, and a broad knowledge of equipment.

The reason that climbers have a vast knowledge of equipment is the same reason that you don’t go driving around without a driver’s license. You need to know how to use the things that will end up saving your life. First of all you need to know what to wear. There are many layers of clothing that will keep the climber from getting too cold and protect from frostbite. Boots are probably the most if not the second most important thing that the climber has. The boots need to be stiff so that you can put crampons on the bottom and climb icefalls and be able to walk on ladders over crevasses. At the high altitudes, it takes a climber almost an hour to put on their boots and tie them, because of the lack of oxygen. Oxygen isn’t as important to some people as it is to others. But more often than not you need to use oxygen and that involves knowing how to change tanks, check the pressure, change masks, and even packing it. Some of the climbers really don’t like the oxygen masks because you have to wear goggles and the goggles fog up, so most climbers prefer to wear sunglasses and not use oxygen until they are on the last pitch of the climb. The most important piece of equipment is definitely the ice axe. This is the climber’s last safety. They use it in what’s called an “arrest” to stop them when they are sliding down a snowfield. It’s also used as a stabilizer when they are climbing because their packs are so heavy. The packs they carry only have the essentials they need. This includes clothes, sleeping bag, tent, and oxygen. Most of the time they don’t carry food because porters are always “leap-frogging” supplies to all the camps, including camp V. The reason that climbers don’t carry their food, other than the fact that the porters are carrying it up, is because everything else just adds to the weight of the pack and makes it more difficult to make it up without suffering extreme exhaustion. When the climbers have to climb icefalls, cross crevasses and just for climbing the mountain in general, they need extensive knowledge if the rope system. For when climbers are trekking on a snowfield, they are all roped together at about a 20 or 30 foot interval for safety. When they climb icefalls or cross crevasses, they need to know how to belay and in some cases lead climb. When crossing crevasses, they use lad

Some topics in this essay:
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