In the previous segment, we introduced the two poles of the world, the North Pole and the South Pole. In this episode, we are heading to the third pole of the world—Mount Everest. Located in the middle section of the Himalayas, at the border between China and Nepal, Mount Everest has an average annual temperature of -20°F. It is the world's highest peak, with an elevation of 29,032 ft, and the entire Himalayan mountain range is still rising due to the squeezing of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.
Mount Everest is an awe-inspiring mountain that symbolizes humanity's relentless pursuit of the limits of the natural world. It attracts the gaze and challenges of numerous brave individuals. Since 1921, people have been attempting to summit Everest, but faced multiple failures. It wasn't until 1953 when New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay successfully reached the summit, becoming the first people to do so.
Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand, and from a young age, he was fascinated by mountaineering and exploration. After World War II, he dedicated more time and effort to mountaineering activities. In 1951, Hillary began his mountaineering expeditions and joined an expedition to the Himalayas in Nepal. It was during this expedition that he first encountered Mount Everest, an experience that deeply ignited his desire to climb this highest peak.
Norgay was born in the vicinity of Mount Everest and had always dreamed of summiting it. In 1953, he was selected as a guide for the British Mount Everest expedition. Their journey to the summit was filled with hardships and challenges. In April, the British expedition established a base camp at 17,600 ft on the southern slope of Everest. As they climbed to an altitude of about 27,887 ft, they encountered a treacherous zone known as the "Hillary Step." The wind speed was extremely high, and the weather conditions were severe. Hillary and Norgay set up an emergency high camp in this zone, waiting for a favorable weather window.
On May 29th, the weather improved, and Hillary and Norgay made their summit attempt. Starting from the high camp, they climbed the final steep ice slope. After five hours of arduous effort, they finally succeeded in reaching the summit, marking the first human ascent of Mount Everest. Their summit story became a legend, inspiring countless climbers to pursue their dreams. Despite the high risks involved in climbing Everest, over 4,800 people have successfully reached the summit, while over 300 unfortunate individuals have lost their lives in the process.
Summiting Mount Everest is an extremely challenging and dangerous task. The weather is extremely unpredictable, with sudden blizzards, strong winds, and frigid temperatures that can occur at any moment. The high altitude means climbers face an extremely low-oxygen environment and thin air. The steep terrain requires traversing glaciers and crevasses, where potential dangers such as ice block collapses, avalanches, and crevasses exist. Climbers also encounter steep rock walls, snow-covered slopes, and difficult climbing conditions.
In the eyes of climbers, without Sherpas, Everest cannot be climbed. Sherpas are an indigenous ethnic group in the Himalayan region, but for many people outside Nepal, the term "Sherpa" has become synonymous with mountain guides. Most Sherpas are young men who not only serve as laborers on the mountaineering journey, carrying additional equipment such as oxygen cylinders, water, and food but also serve as professional navigators. In temperatures ranging from -22°F to -58°F, they assist climbers in crossing icefalls, avalanches, and the extreme high altitudes.
From Camp IV to the summit, climbers enter an extremely dangerous zone. In the section above 26,246 ft, the vast majority of climbers heavily rely on oxygen cylinders. Sherpas must ensure that their clients have sufficient oxygen supplies for the descent and make strategic decisions on whether to proceed or descend in the face of extreme weather, avoiding any worsening conditions in the mountains.
