 The Place
The Himalayas, (which, in Sanskrit means "abode of snow"), form the earth's highest mountain range system, which separate the Indian subcontinent from the Tibetan plateau. Here, you'll find 9 of the 10 highest peaks in the world, including Mount Everest, the highest, at 29,035 feet. The best rock height level is (8846.10 +2.55m of snow) 29,017 made in 2005 by Chinese and Italian teams. The height is generally considered to be 8848 meters or 29,035 - Coincidently, this is the height as legislated by the government of Nepal and endorsed by the Nepal Mountaineering Association.
The Himalayas comprise three zones: the Great Himalayas, the Middle Himalayas, and the Sub-Himalayas. While nearly 40 million people inhabit the entire Himalayan region, some high valleys in the Great Himalayas are occupied by small, clustered settlements. People living in the remote, isolated valleys have generally preserved their cultural identities, although outside influences via satellite television and improved transportation are affecting traditional social and cultural norms.
The main Sherpa settlement of the Himalaya consists of three sub-regions: Solu, Pharak, and Khumbu. The Khumbu is located in northeastern Nepal, and its elevation ranges from 11,000 feet all the way to the top of Everest. The famous Buddhist monastery at Tengboche is located in the Khumbu. The Sherpas are traditionally farmers and traders, herding yaks and cultivating their high altitude fields of potatoes, barley, wheat, and buckwheat.
Many Sherpas and other people of the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalaya are Buddhists. Remote Buddhist monasteries and gompas in the area sport colorful decoration, artifacts and statues. In most villages and alongside many mountain passes are prayer flags and chortens - small monuments that often contain relics.
The Ten Highest Mountains
Everest 29,035 ft. (8,848 m) (Nepal/Tibet)
Qogir (K2) 28,251 ft. (8,611 m)(Pakistan/Tibet)
Kangchenjunga 28,169 ft. (8,586 m) (Nepal/India)
Lhotse 27,940 ft. (8,516 m) (Nepal/Tibet)
Makalu 27,838 ft. (8,463 m) (Nepal/Tibet)
Cho Oyu 26,864 ft. (8,201 m) (Nepal)
Dhaulagiri 26,795 ft. (8,167 m) (Nepal)
Manaslu 26,781 ft. (8,163 m) (Nepal)
Nangna Parbat 26,657 (8,125 m)(Pakistan)
Annapurna 26,545 ft. (8,091 m) (Nepal)
The “Eight Thousanders”
The 14 mountains measuring 8,000 meters and higher, all located in the Himalayan and Karakoram mountain ranges. The first person to climb all 14 was Reinhold Messner of Italy, who completed the feat on October 16, 1986.
Everest 29,035 ft. (Nepal/Tibet)
Qogir (K2) 28,251 ft. Pakistan/Tibet)
Kangchenjunga 28,169 ft. (Nepal/India)
Lhotse 27,940 ft. (Nepal/Tibet)
Makalu 27,838 ft. (Nepal/Tibet)
Cho Oyu 26,864 ft. (Nepal/Tibet)
Dhaulagiri 26,795 ft. (Nepal)
Manaslu 26,781 ft. (Nepal)
Nanga Parbat 26,657 ft. (Pakistan)
Annapurna 26,545 ft. (Nepal)
Gasherbrum I 26,509 ft. (Pakistan/Tibet)
Broad Peak 26,414 ft. (Pakistan/Tibet)
Gasherbrum II 26,362 ft. (Pakistan/Tibet)
Shishapangma 26,335 ft. (Tibet/Nepal)
Everest Facts
Elevation: 29,035 feet
Location: Nepal and Tibet
Range: Khumbu Himal
Coordinates: Latitude 27° 59' N, Longitude 86° 56' E
Easiest route: South Col (Nepal)
Everest Camps
Base Camp: 17,585 feet
Camp One: 20,015 feet
Camp Two: 21,500 feet
Camp Three: 23,621 feet
Camp Four: 26,000 feet
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