Mount Everest

Most people can only dream of seeing the earth from space; and reaching the summit of Mount Everest (8,848 metres) is a formidable challenge that fewer than 3,000 people have ever achieved. In May 2009, American astronaut, Scott Parazynski became the first human to have done both. In 2008, NASA astronaut Scott Parazynski embarked on his first expedition from Everest Base Camp, trekking towards the summit. He was forced to turn back on that occasion, but this year he returned for a second try. On May 20th, with the support of his NASA trek team at Everest Base Camp below, he reached the summit ... Read Full Story

Chinese scientists have begun operating an earthquake monitoring station at the foot of Mount Everest in a bid to learn more about the world's highest peak, an official said Monday. The station, which began operating over the weekend, is located at about 14,000 feet (4,255 meters) in Tibet's Tingri County, said Shang Rongbo, a deputy director with the regional seismology bureau. The station will support real-time collection of data about seismic events along the China-Nepal border, sending it by satellite to research centers elsewhere, Shang said. Everest sits where the Eurasian plate abuts the Indian plate, the collision of which, over the ages, formed ... Read Full Story

Poles in the Himalayas in Winter . The 17th of January 1980 was one of those days in the history of the world when humankind managed to break another barrier, to push back the boundaries of the impossible yet again – using skill, intelligence and determination. Throughout the centuries there have been many such days for science, art, sport or the exploration of the globe. On the 17th of January two Poles, Leszek Cichy and Krzysztof Wielicki, joined the exclusive club of the discoverers of the undiscovered, the explorers of the unexplored, the conquerors of the unconquered. They became the first people in the ... Read Full Story

The pioneering but unsuccessful summit attempt of George Leigh Mallory is one of the most famous Everest treks in history. Mallory is credited with saying the immortal words “because it?s there”, his justification for taking on the challenge of Everest. Trekkers, mountaineers, and outdoor enthusiasts ever since have adopted this enigmatic adage to capture some of his adventurous spirit. 1920s Everest Trekking Equipment Mallory was a pioneering mountaineer. When he tried to summit Mount Everest (8848 m) in 1924, things were quite different on the mountain. The equipment he used would surprise a modern mountaineer: he climbed the world?s mountain without a down jacket ... Read Full Story

Yaks are synonymous with life at high altitudes. They are strong creatures capable of carrying heavy loads, but more than this, they are the ultimate all-purpose beasts of burden. In Nepal, you are likely to encounter them on the Everest Base Camp Trek where they are used as pack animals on the trail. They are easy to spot: they can be two metres tall at the shoulder and up to a metric tonne in weight, looking like the cow equivalent of a hairy mammoth, or perhaps a buffalo with a Beatles? mop-top haircut. The herds of yaks you will see in Nepal are domesticated ... Read Full Story