"Mother of the Gods" Jomolungma - the largest mountain in the world

In the title of the article, the name "Mother of the Gods" is not for nothing, after all, in the translation from Nepalese Jomolungma it is called that way. Although she would have more suited the name "Mother of the Mountains", since the largest mountain in the world of Jomolungma reaches a height of 8,848 meters. Everest, as it is still called, has already become a symbol of the Himalayas, and every year attracts more attention of the public and tourists.

From the history of education, discovery and name

The largest mountain in the world was formed 20 million years ago as a result of the rise of the seabed. The rocks were layered for millennia, and as a result, formed a mountain range, which, by the way, is still growing. According to surveyors, every year the Himalayas are added 5 cm in height. In the middle of the nineteenth century, English scientists made great efforts to measure the height of the Himalayan peaks. And only in 1865, the surveyor Andrew Waugh estimated which is the highest mountain in the world. At the same time he suggested calling the summit the name of the scientist, the chief surveyor in the Indian colony of England in 1830-1843, and made a huge contribution to the study of the summit - George Everest. Prior to this, the peak was called "Peak XV".

The southern peak of the mountain lies on the border of Nepal and the PRC, its height reaches 8760 m, while the northern one is on the territory of the PRC, and is considered by right the highest with a height of 8,848 m, which is very proud of the Chinese.

Tourism on Chomolungma

"The forbidden fruit is even sweeter" - this statement describes exactly the situation with the thirst of man to conquer Everest. The love of mountaineering, or, perhaps, ambition pushes a person to such risky exploits. In a terrible cold (at the top, the temperature reaches -60 degrees), the force of the wind, reaching 200 km / h, carrying heavy clothing, climbs up the rocky snow-covered areas of tourists, risking their health. The highest peak is also famous for its insidiousness, the last 300 meters pass the hardest because there is no possibility to insure each other. This steep snow-covered slope is popularly called "the longest mile on Earth".

Every year, about 500 people rise to the summit of Mount Everest. This pleasure is also worth a lot of money: 50 thousand dollars, if you communicate through a company of intermediaries. In the pleasure to climb to the top do not deny yourself and a woman, the first in 1976 was able to look at the whole world downhill climber Junko Tabe. In the history of the ascent to Mount Everest, about 200 people could not cross the path. The largest mountain in the world took their lives because of colds, lack of oxygen, lung disease or cardiovascular system, as well as avalanches and insidious sites. Only morally and physically persistent people could get to the top.

Mount Olympus

If the status of "the largest mountain in the world" has the right of Jomolungma, then the highest in the solar system is Mount Olympus. Its height is 26.2 km, and the width is 540 km, so you can see it completely from the orbit. Olympus is an extinct volcano, the last eruption of which occurred about 2 million years ago. Due to the lack of tectonic plates on the planet, Olympus will survive yet more than one human generation. It is interesting that the slopes of the mountain are sharp and steep, it suggests the existence of an ocean on Mars, which washed Mount Olympus, making it unassailable.