Mount Everest

Hi there! Here I am by Mount Everest, in the Himalayas, on the border between Nepal and Tibet. It is the highest mountain in the world but was not recognised as such until 1852 when Sir George Everest measured it. Everest used to be known in Tibet as ‘Chomolungma’ or "goddess-mother". The summit reaches five and a half miles above the level of the sea. On the upper slopes there is a lack of oxygen, a powerful wind and it is very cold. This makes it difficult for animals and plants to live there. Everest has seven glaciers. These huge ice sheets are fed by frequent avalanches and cover the slopes down to the base. I once climbed half way up a mountain in the Lake District but that mountain is tiny compared to Everest.

Lawrence