Mt. Everest

Mt. Everest is the highest point on the face of the earth: 29,035 feet high. It's called "Forehead of the sky" in Nepalese and "Mother goddess of the earth" in Tibetan. It was first ascended in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hilary (New Zealand) and Tenzing Norgay (Nepal). A previous attempt had been made by George Mallory in 1924, though it is unknown whether he and his climbing partner summited before falling to their deaths. It is George Mallory who--when asked why he wished to climb Mt. Everest--replied with the immortal words, "Because it is there."

In a good year, your most likely chance of survival is 16:1. In the worst year, your chance of survival is 6:1. The number one cause of death is avalanches--about twice as likely as death-by-falling. There are 120 corpses remaining on the mountain.

Pemba Dorjie, a Sherpa, currently holds the world record for the fastest assent of Mt. Everest: 8 hours, 10 minutes. The first solo ascent was accomplished by Reinhold Messner, who was also the first to ascend without supplemental oxygen and is considered the most accomplished climber of all time. In fact, Messner has ascended the world's 14 highest peaks. He has also climbed the highest peak on all seven continents. He wrote a book called Crystal Horizon and claims to have met the Yeti on two occasions.

The only book I've ever read about Everest is Into Thin Air, by Jon Krakaur.

I have no desire to summit Mt. Everest, but I would like to climb Mt. Kilmanjaro or Mt. Whitney. I love climbing mountains--especially when I'm alone or (at most) with one other person. Three's a crowd. I don't know why I like being up high. I don't think it's arrogance. I think it's the silence I enjoy. But more than just silence: I like hearing the sound of the cars and the city in the distance, but muted and so far away. Tiny. I like the perspective it gives me...not that I'm better than anyone else...but that none of it really matters, me included.

Post-script: One final datum...The Marianas Trench is deeper than Mt. Everest is tall. In fact, you could place Mt. Everest in the deepest point of the Trench and it would still be submerged by another mile of water. The thought of it scares me to death.
Mt Everest