Top of Everest: the unsolved mystery about the first conquerors. Who was the first to conquer Everest: history, interesting facts

The highest point of Everest (or Chomolungma) is located at 8848 meters above sea level. Exploration of this mountain peak, located in the Himalayas, began as early as the 1850s, when English surveyors working in India were creating maps. By the way, the name "Everest" was given to the top of the British geographer George Everest, who led one of the first expeditions in that area. In the same period, it was established that Chomolungma is the highest mountain, although specific data on its height were constantly being adjusted, being in the range from 8839 meters to 8872.5 meters.

Representatives of the Sherpa people are the most frequent guests of Everest as expedition guides. They also own almost all climbing records. For example, Appa Tenzing has been on top of the world 21 times.

Naturally, such a peak could not but attract the attention of climbers from all over the world. However, many obstacles arose in the way of those wishing to conquer Everest, including a ban on the part of most countries in which there are climbing routes to Chomolungma, for foreigners to visit them.

In addition, the problem of breathing at high altitude presented a significant difficulty, since the air there is strong and does not saturate the lungs with oxygen in the required quantities. However, in 1922, the British Finch and Bruce decided to take a supply of oxygen with them, which allowed them to reach an altitude of 8320 meters. In total, about 50 attempts were made to climb, but none of them were successful.

The first conqueror of Everest

In 1953, New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary took part in an expedition by the British Himalayan Committee. At the time, the Nepalese government allowed only one per year, so Hillary gladly accepted, realizing that this was a very rare opportunity. In total, the expedition included more than four hundred people, most of them were porters and guides from the local Sherpa people.

To date, more than four thousand people have conquered Everest, while about two hundred climbers have died on its slopes.

The base camp was set up at an altitude of 7800 meters back in March, but the climbers set out to conquer the summit only in May, having spent two months acclimatizing to high mountain conditions. As a result, Edmund Hillary and Sherpa climber Tenzing Norgay set out on May 28. In one day they reached a height of eight and a half kilometers, where they pitched a tent. The next day at 11:20 the highest peak of the planet was conquered.

Heroes of the expedition expected worldwide recognition: Queen Elizabeth II of Britain granted Hillary and the head of the expedition, John Hunt, a knighthood, and in 1992 New Zealand issued a five-dollar banknote with a portrait of Hillary. Tenzing also received the St. George Medal from the British government. Edmund Hillary died of heart failure in 2008 at the age of 88.

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 - the highest mountain on the planet, strewn with the corpses of its conquerors, which no one cares about

Mount Everest is the highest point on the planet. Its height, according to various sources, ranges from 8844 to 8852 meters. Everest is located in the Himalayas on the border between Nepal and China. At the top of Everest, located in China, the strongest winds blow at speeds of up to 200 km / h, and the air temperature drops to -60 ° C at night.

The history of conquering the highest point on the planet began in 1920, when the Dalai Lama first allowed British climbers here. According to statistics, since then about 1500 people have climbed the mountain ...

... and according to various estimates, from 120 to 200 people of different nationalities (including Russians) stayed there forever. On Everest, both beginners and experienced climbers die. But not many people know that the dead remain where fate has overtaken them. Everest has long been turned into a cemetery. The bodies lie on the slopes of Everest for years, and some for decades, and no one is in a hurry to lower them down for burial.

Anyone who plans to climb to the top must understand that he has a chance of not returning. When climbing, not everything depends on you. Hurricane winds, a frozen valve on an oxygen tank, incorrect timing, an avalanche, exhaustion, and so on - all this can lead to the death of a climber.

The first conqueror of Everest and his first victim was the British climber George Mallory. In 1924, he and his group went to the summit, but at an altitude of 8500 meters they lost sight of him, and for as long as 75 years. For many years, they wondered whether Mallory had reached the highest point, and only in 1999, his remains were found very close to it. The body with a broken hip lay towards the top, which means that until the last seconds of his life, the Englishman tried to literally crawl up the mountain of his dreams.

Alas, he was not the hero of Everest: only in 1953, the New Zealander Edmund Hillary, in conjunction with the Nepalese Sherpa, reached the peak of Everest. And after these two, daredevils from many countries of the world were selected from different sides to Everest. For some, this was just a personal feat, while others set historical records here.

But far from always a person triumphs over the harsh nature. Submitting to people, the mountain collects a ransom with their lives. More than 200 people have died on Everest in 60 years. Until the 90s, the mortality rate here was a record 37%, in last years dropped to 4%. Even on neighboring Himalayan peaks, also above 8000 meters, this percentage is higher. But it is on Everest that death takes on the most dramatic connotation. Here people die not only from injuries and fatigue, but often because of the conceited indifference of their neighbors.

A simple example: in 1996, a group of Japanese climbers while climbing stumbled upon three freezing Indian colleagues. The Japanese went further to the top, all the Indians died. In 1998, climber Sergei Arsentiev and his American wife Francis made an oxygen-free ascent of Everest, but the mountain did not let them go. The couple missed each other in a snowstorm, Sergei, in search of his wife, went missing, his body was found only a few years later. And Francis was dying for two days on the descent. Several groups passed by without offering any help. And only another British couple interrupted their expedition in an attempt to save the dying. They were no longer able to do anything, and almost dying from the cold, they returned back. A year later, the Woodhalls nevertheless made their ascent and saw a dead woman in the place where they left her last time. For the next 8 years, they saved up money to return to Everest in order to bury Francis. After all, climbing a mountain is not cheap. Only for access to the mountain, the Chinese side charges 5,500 dollars for a group of 20 people, the Nepalese - about 70 thousand for a team of seven climbers.

Another tragedy of Everest shocked the whole world in 2006. 42 people walked indifferently past David Sharp, who was dying without oxygen! One of them was the Discovery TV crew, who asked Sharpe a couple of questions, gave him oxygen, and left him alone. The other was disabled Mark Inglis, who made an unprecedented prosthetic climb. He did not sacrifice his unique expedition for the sake of a dying man. As a result, Inglis reached the top, becoming a hero with a tarnished conscience. The first conqueror of Everest Sir Edmund Hillary indignantly said then:

On our expedition, it was inconceivable that we would leave someone in distress to die. Human life was, is and will be much more important than the top of the mountain.

However, more than 120 bodies are still not buried on the slopes of Everest, over which the next conquerors have to literally step over.

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 remarkably 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, the average temperature in January is 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 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 they go to the Himalayan mountains 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. by the most difficult area is the one that is 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 to the highest peak is still far away. 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 self-confidence. 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.

Faktrum wants to tell you some stories about conquering Everest. Warning: the text is not for the impressionable!

1. 40 passers-by and one Discovery TV crew

For the first time, the general public learned about the "terrible" morals that prevail on the approaches to Everest in May 2006, when the circumstances of the death of David Sharp, a British climber who tried to conquer the summit alone, became known. He never made it to the top, dying from hypothermia and oxygen starvation, but it is noteworthy that, past the slowly freezing math teacher in total 40 people passed, and no one helped him. Among those who passed by was a film crew from the Discovery TV channel, whose journalists interviewed the dying Sharpe, left him oxygen and moved on.

The general public was indignant at the "immoral" act of the "passers", but the truth is that no one could help Sharpe at such a height, even with all the desire. It was simply not humanly possible.

2. "Green shoes"

It is not known when the concept of "green shoes" entered the everyday life of the conquerors of Everest and became folklore. But it is known for certain that they belong to the Indian climber Tsevang Palzhor, one of the victims of the "bloody May" of 1996 - a total of 15 people died on Everest that month. Exactly this big number victims in one season in the history of conquering the highest peak on the planet. For years, the green boots of Paljoros have been a guide for those who climb the mountain.

In May 1996, several commercial expeditions climbed Everest at once - two American, one Japanese, one Indian and one Taiwanese. There is still debate about who is to blame for the fact that most of their participants never returned. Several films have been made based on the events of that May, and the surviving participants have written several books. Someone blames the weather, someone blames the guides who started descending before their clients, someone else blames the expeditions that did not help those in distress or even hindered them.

3. Spouses Arsentiev

In May 1998, Francis and Sergei Arsentiev attempted to summit Everest without supplemental oxygen. The idea is daring, but quite real - without additional equipment (at least 10–12 kg), you can climb and descend faster, but the risk of complete exhaustion from lack of oxygen is very high. If during the ascent or descent something goes wrong and the climbers stay in the "death zone" longer than the physical capabilities of the body allow, they will face inevitable death.

The couple spent five days in the base camp at an altitude of 8200 meters, twice their attempts to climb ended in failure, time passed, and strength left with it. Finally, on May 22, they went out for the third time and ... conquered the summit.

However, during the descent, the couple lost sight of each other and Sergei was forced to go down alone. Frances lost too much strength and just fell, unable to continue on her way. A few days later, an Uzbek group passed by freezing Francis without helping her. But its participants told Sergei that they saw his wife and he, taking oxygen cylinders, went in search of ... and died. His body was found much later.

The last people who saw Francis and who, accordingly, saw her alive, were the British climbers Ian Woodall and Cathy O'Dowd, who spent several hours with the dying. According to them, she kept repeating “do not leave me”, but the British could no longer help her and left, leaving her to die alone.

4. Perhaps the first true conquerors of Everest

It is not for nothing that those who seek to conquer Everest say that it is not enough to climb - until you descend, you cannot consider the conquered peak. If only because there will be no one to tell that you really were there. Such is the sad fate of climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irwin, who attempted to conquer Mount Everest in 1924. Whether they reached the top or not is unknown.

In 1933, at an altitude of 8460 m, the hatchet of one of the climbers was found. In 1991, at an altitude of 8480 m, an oxygen cylinder was found, manufactured in 1924 (and, accordingly, belonged to either Irwin or Mallory). And finally, in 1999, Mallory's body was found - at an altitude of 8200 m. Neither a camera nor a photograph of his wife was found with him. The latter fact makes researchers believe that either Mallory, or both climbers, nevertheless reached the summit, since Mallory, before going to Everest, told his daughter that he would definitely leave a photo of his wife at the top.

5. Everest does not forgive "not like everyone else"

Everest severely punishes those who try to act "not like everyone else." It is not for nothing that most successful ascents are made either in May or in September-October - the rest of the year the weather on the mountain is not conducive to ascents and descents. Too cold (before May), weather conditions change too fast, risk of avalanches too high (summer).

Bulgarian Hristo Prodanov decided to prove that climbing Everest in April is quite possible - to do what no one has done before him. He was a very experienced climber who had scaled many iconic peaks.

In April 1984, Christo undertook the ascent of Everest - alone and without oxygen. He successfully conquered the summit, becoming at the same time the first Bulgarian to set foot on the very high mountain planet and the first person to do so in April. However, on the way back, he fell into a severe snowstorm and froze to death.

6. The creepiest corpse on Everest

Hannelore Schmatz became the first woman and the first German citizen to die on the approach to the summit of Everest. It happened in October 1979. However, she is known not only for this reason and not because she died of exhaustion on the descent, having successfully conquered Everest, but because for another good 20 years her body frightened those who tried to conquer Everest. She, blackened in the cold, froze in a sitting position in the direction of climbing Everest, her eyes wide open and her hair blowing in the wind. They tried to lower her body from the top, but several expeditions failed, and the participants of one of them died themselves.

In the end, the mountain took pity and during one particularly strong storm at the beginning of the "zero" Hannelore's body was thrown into the abyss.

7. Keep Anniversaries Alive

Sherp Lobsang Shering, nephew of Tenzing Norgay, the first official climber of Everest, decided in May 1993 to make the ascent in memory of what his uncle had done. Fortunately, the 40th anniversary of the conquest of the mountain was just approaching. However, Everest does not really like "anniversaries" - Schering successfully climbed the highest mountain on the planet, but died during the descent, when he already believed that he was safe.

8. You can climb Everest as much as you want, but one day he will take you.

Babu Chiri Sherpa is a Sherpa legend, a guide who has been to Everest ten times. The man who spent 21 hours at the top of the mountain without oxygen, the man who climbed to the top in 16 hours and 56 minutes, which is still a record. The 11th expedition ended tragically for him. At an altitude of 6500 meters, "childish" for this guide, he photographed the mountains, accidentally miscalculated his movements, stumbled and fell into a crevice, in which he crashed to death.

9. He died, but someone survived

Brazilian Vitor Negrete died in May 2006 during the descent after conquering Everest. This was Negrete's second ascent, and this time he planned to be the first Brazilian to summit the mountain without oxygen. Climbing, he made a cache in which he left food and oxygen, which he could use on the descent. However, on the way back, after a successful mission, he found that his cache had been devastated and all supplies had disappeared. Negreta did not have enough strength to reach the base camp and he died not far from it. Who took the supplies and the life of the Brazilian remained unclear.