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Recently we watched the IMAX movie Everest. This followed a small team who climbed to the summit of the “Top of the World”— while I would love to think this is something I could do...I soon discovered there was no way I would ever make it to the top of the world. The thing that cinched it? Walking across mile deep gorges over an aluminum ladder. |
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Things we didn’t know before the movie:
The Himalaya Mts were formed from India crashing into Asia approx 60 million years ago Mt Everest continues to grow taller, India is still pushing underneath of Asia causing the mountain to rise 1/4 inch each year. The reason you cannot just take a helicopter to the top of the mountain from sea level is because within minutes of leaving the helicopter you would be unconscious, and within an hour you would be dead. This is due to the lack of oxygen that high up, and climbers climb slowly to acclimate their bodies to the changes in atmosphere. (So, I guess the tour business is out for now.) Mt Everest is 5.5 miles above sea level. More than 120 bodies are on Everest, climbers who either never made it, or died upon their decent from the top. Both the Sherpa’s and the Buddhists believe Everest is the home of very powerful gods, and without proper offerings you will anger the gods and certain death will occur. On Mt Everest there is a river that is 500 ft deep...of course it is frozen solid, but it is one of the areas climbers must navigate over. |
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Links:
Challenger Deep: the deepest part of the ocean, which would cover Everest by 1.25 miles of water if you could drop Everest into the ocean
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