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Ever wondered what the world looks like from Everest Base Camp? In the last sixty years only a few thousand people have been able to look down on the world from Everest's peak, but access to the camp below is not restricted only to Sherpas and mountaineers with ambitions of reaching the summit. Adventurous holidaymakers can visit this historic staging area at the climax of the classic Everest Base Camp Trek through Nepal. The actor Brian Blessed, with his bulky beard and booming voice, is probably the most recognisable person to have attempted to climb Mount Everest’s massive 8,848 metres. He is no stranger to Everest base camp, having been part of three expeditions up the mountain. So you've arrived safely at Everest Base Camp, and are wondering what it would be like to ascend all the way and reach the pinnacle that is the dream of so many - to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Though treks to Everest Base Camp don't require as much time or effort as a three-month ascent to the top, not all of the preparations you can make are physical ones: a good attitude and mental preparation can be just as important as physical fitness. If you are thinking about an attempt to scale the mountain, here are a few things to keep in mind before you set out on your journey to the summit. Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is also one of the most amazing areas of natural power and beauty on earth. As you travel up the mountain towards the Everest base camp, the sights become more poignant and awe inspiring. We count down the top ten. Related Article Tags: , , It's your first Everest Base Camp Trek and you've packed your clothing, bedding, food, emergency supplies and sundries. But you've still got at least a litre of space left in your backpack. What do you really need? What indulgence do you deserve? What will baffle and irritate your trekking mates even as they burn with jealousy...? Related Article Tags: , , Everest, previously known just as Peak XV, was confirmed to be the highest mountain in the world in 1856. It was named after Sir George Everest (a previous Surveyor General of India) due to the fact that Tibet and Nepal were sealed off at the time, and so the local names couldn’t be discovered. From paraglider descents to weddings on the summit, Mount Everest certainly has some bizarre facts and stories associated with it. Learn more about seven of the strangest facts concerning the world’s highest mountain. Related Article Tags: , , An Everest Base Camp trek is, for many, the challenge of a lifetime and the culmination of much time spent in training and preparation. Scientists maintain however, that Everest is changing - better get that climb in quick before the mountain melts away... Anyone who has visited Everest base camp or who has an interest in the mountain will know that it stands at 8,848m. Something fewer people know is when this figure was discovered and who was responsible for it. The following is a question and answer session designed to satisfy your curiosity. Related Article Tags: , , Willi Unsoeld, a member of the first American expedition to conquer Mount Everest in 1963 once maintained, "You've climbed the highest mountain in the world. What's left?" However, it seems there is a Sherpa who would strongly disagree with this sentiment, having made the journey from Everest base camp to the mountain's summit a record-breaking nineteen times.
We all know that Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary were the first mountaineers to conquer Mount Everest (8,848 m), and many of us will have heard that Sir Ranulph Fiennes was the first British pensioner to make the summit in 2009. But there are always new records being set and new challenges being launched from Everest Base Camp. It seems everything about this historic staging area is dramatic: the determination and the accomplishments of the people that pass through Base Camp, and Everest's spectacular form towering above. The challenge of conquering the highest peak in the world is a common childhood dream. But only an elite and determined few actually carry that dream through to fruition to plant a flag atop the majestic Mt Everest. It takes more than just a yearning for adventure to summit a mountain as tough as Everest. Many months, if not years, of training and preparation are behind a successful climb of the mighty mountain. But for the rest of us mere mortals who perhaps do not have the time or physical attributes to aim for the top, there is another way to experience the exhilaration of success amidst the breath-taking scenery of the Himalaya - trekking to Everest Base Camp. The Everest Base Camp Trek, through the soaring Himalayan mountain range, presents a (manageable) physical challenge, a psychological reward, and an uplifting experience to treasure for a lifetime. Part of its appeal is that it taps into the innate human instinct of exploration and allows a reconnection to nature on a grand scale. In April 2010, every commuter in London knew the face of Bonita Norris after she made the papers by becoming the youngest woman to summit Mount Manaslu. Later that month, with her sights on the British Everest youth record, she began a series of training climbs from Everest Base Camp. Trekking progressively higher up the world's highest mountain, Bonita dreamt of trekking her way into the history books. For many people, television and film images are their only window onto Mount Everest (8,848m). However, TV pictures rarely manage to capture and preserve for prosperity the unique majesty of the mountain. The striking impact of good photography - such an expressive art form - is the only medium that truly does justice to this iconic landscape and the dramas played out on it. Mountain climbing can be a dangerous sport because of all the risks and hazards involved when trying to conquer a certain peak. That is why prior to the actual climb, intense preparation is required. Mapping out the route, checking weather conditions, purchasing and securing the necessary equipment (including goods), and other preparations are very important in the whole process of mountain climbing. Related Article Tags: , , , The Sherpa people of Nepal bear a name indelibly linked to the legacy of their mountain homeland. For the 400 or so years that the Sherpa have lived amidst the Himalaya they have explored this fierce environment and taken part in the greatest feats achieved on the highest peaks on earth. Yet despite their achievements they are often overlooked by a more Euro-centric press. For their achievements from Everest base camp to the wider Himalayan region, here are three short biographies of a trio of remarkable men. Related Article Tags: , , "Hello Mum. I'm calling from the top of the world." These were the words of 13-year- old Jordan Romero. He was calling home via a satellite phone before descending to the Chinese Everest Base Camp, trekking down the treacherous North Col route, and into the history books as the youngest climber ever to have successfully climbed Mount Everest (8,848 metres). By now, most people have heard of Bonita Norris who climbed her way into the record books by becoming the youngest Briton ever to summit the world's highest peak - Mount Everest. She made headlines around the world and her remarkable feat, coupled with her model good looks, have made her a household name - at least in her native United Kingdom. Remarkable things happen around Everest Base Camp. It is more than a staging point for mountaineering expeditions; it is a popular trekking destination, a forum for important global issues, and a place where people test themselves and achieve monumental goals. There's something about Mount Everest (8,848 metres) that repeatedly attracts members of the military to its slopes. No strangers to a challenge and hardship, soldiers have been testing themselves on the world's highest mountain for decades. Perhaps it's the pull of an extreme environment, or perhaps it is the thrill of seemingly insurmountable odds that brings enlisted men and women to the Khumbu looking for adventure.
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