Mount Everest Day or International Everest Day is celebrated every year on 29 May. The day commemorates the first ascent of human on the top of the world. The two brave climbers Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa climbed the highest mountain in the world on 29 May 1953.
In Nepal, Mount Everest’s called Sagarmaathaa. This is also widely known as Qomolangma. It has several other names, like Peak XV or Deudhunga.
The significance of Mount Everest Day is to inspire people to achieve their dreams, and to raise awareness about the environment’s importance.
Thus, it is believed that International Everest Day presents an important opportunity to appreciate the beauty and fragility of the natural world. Creating interest in the mountain will make sure that future generations can also enjoy nature. Everyone should observe International Everest Day and spread awareness.
Since the first ascent, over 8,000 people have successfully climbed Mount Everest.
The Department of Tourism states that 424 people were provide permits to climb Everest this season, with more than 600 climbers, including Sherpas, reaching the summit. Notably, Kami Rita Sherpa has set a world record by climbing Mount Everest 30 times.
Additionally, climber Purnima Shrestha has set a new record by summiting three times in a single season while Phunjo Lama also set a record as the first woman to climb Mount Everest in approximately 14 hours 31 minutes.
Prime Minister Pushpa Kamal Dahalhad extended his best wishes on the occasion. He expressed hope that Everest Day will attract adventure tourists from around the world to Nepal. He highlighted the impacts of global climate change on Everest and other mountains, stressing the need for cooperation and coordination to keep the mountains pollution-free and to manage the challenges posed by climate change and mountain waste.
The Day was celebrated in Kathmandu, as members of the Sherpa community paraded through the streets. The Ministry of Culture, Tourism, and Civil Aviation also gave awards to several climbers, guides, and expedition operators.
By observing the International Everest, the season is also ended.
Mount Everest, located in the Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Himalayas. The China-Nepal border runs across its summit point. Its elevation (snow height) of 8,848.86 m (29,031 ft 8+1D 2 in) was most recently established in 2020 by the Chinese and Nepali authorities.
Mount Everest attracts many climbers, including highly experienced mountaineers. There are two main climbing routes, one approaching the summit from the southeast in Nepal (known as the “standard route”) and the other from the north in Tibet. While not posing substantial technical climbing challenges on the standard route, Everest presents dangers such as altitude sickness, weather, and wind, as well as hazards from avalanches and the Khumbu Icefall. As of May 2024, 340 people have died on Everest. Over 200 bodies remain on the mountain and have not been removed due to the dangerous conditions.
The first recorded efforts to reach Everest’s summit were made by British mountaineers. As Nepal did not allow foreigners to enter the country at the time, the British made several attempts on the north ridge route from the Tibetan side. After the first reconnaissance expedition by the British in 1921 reached 7,000 m (22,970 ft) on the North Col, the 192 expedition pushed the north ridge route up to 8,320 m (27,300 ft), marking the first time a human had climbed above 8,000 m (26,247 ft). The 1924 expedition resulted in one of the greatest mysteries on Everest to this day – – George Mallory and Andrew Irvine made a final summit attempt on 8 June but never returned, sparking debate as to whether they were the first to reach the top. 1n 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary made the first ascent, using the southeast ridge route.
However, climbing Mt Everest is challenging experience for the mountaineers from around the world. Hundreds of mountaineers and their guides gather every season at the base camp to camps onwards. They generate waste and litters and also dead bodies of the mountaineers are also there hidden in the ice cover. Likewise, the crowd of mountaineers en route ascending and descending create a traffic jam situation causing even lives require serious attention to address. (By Ram Dangol)
