8000 meters and above
In 1950, a France expedition summited the first mountain
over 8000 m at the highest. It was Annapurna I, and although countless attempts
had been made on Mt. Everest the higher than the highest mountain in the world,
on the expedition had succeeded until then. These mountains are known as the
eight-thousands and all fourteen of them lie in Asia. Out of the fourteen,
Nepal has a big share of eight. They are Mt. Everest (8848m), Kanchenjunga
(8586m) , Lhotse (8516m), makalu (8463m), Cha Oyu (8201m), Dhaulagiri 98167m),
Manaslu (8163m) and Annapurna (8091m). These lofty Peaks are part of the
Himalaya ( The Above of the snows, Him= snow, alayadwelling place,) and from
the Natural boundary wall between Ne [a; and Tibet/China in the north and
between India and Nepal in the east, the highest peak outside Asia is the
Aconcagua (6959m) of the Andes in Peru, South America and the highest mountain
in Europe, Mt, Elbrus is significantly smaller, rising no higher than 5643m.
It is believed the Himalaya was formed around 50 million
years ago that, in geological time is considered recent, which is why this
gigantic chain of mountain is called the younger in the world. These
mountains are still rising. It is known
that the region occupied by the Himalayan range today, was once a shallow
Tethys sea. Countless fossils of mollusks are found even today proving the
point, Gigantic forces move the Indo- Australian Plates against the Eurasian
Continental Plates causing the land to fold upwards creating a massive chain of
mountain over million of years. The Himalayan stretches 2400 km across east to
west.
Four of the other eight-thousands are in Pakistan while
lying in China. Eight-thousands are the
ultimate challenge for any mountaineer, they have fascinated the avid climber
who is always on the lookout for fresh challenges. A towering figure among all
the climbers is the Tyrolean champion mountaineer, Rainhold Mesener. He took
mountain climbing to new highs when along with Peter Habelar he climbed oxygen.
This feat had previously been disappeared from the limelight, Massener went on
to accomplish a also climb of Everest and then astounded the world by climbing
all eight- thousanders. Inspired by the great man, the other followed in his
footsteps and there are mountaineers
still in the quest of achieving this great feat.
The zone above 8000m is called the Death zone as many have
perished in the thin cold air that taxes the body to its limits. Doubts were
raised before the conquest of Everest weather man could survive at such
dizzying high. But the Britist had been attempting to climb the world’s highest
peak from the early 1920s via Tibet.
Many perished in the attempt. Nepal had firmly shut its doors to outsiders, hence
all expedition took the longer and the more demanding route via Tibet, but none
were successful. However, in the early 1950s Nepal opened its doors to the
outside world and there was a mad rush to climb from the south. A few
expedition was permitted each year and it was only in May 1953s, that Edmund
Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the top of Mt. Everest becoming the first
humans to do so. The French who conquered the first eight-thousander seemed to
have set the ball rolling for the rest of the world to try and be the first to
climb a virgin eight-thousander. The mountaineers were surprisingly successful
during the 1950s and this decade subsequently become known as the Golden Decade
of Climbing. All but two of the fourteen eight-thousands were climbed during
the 1950s.
(1) Mt. Everest (8848m, Sagarmatha in Nepali: The highest mountain in the world
Ever since the highest peak in the world was identified by
an employee of the Geological Survey of India in 1852, the mountain has
fascinated and drawn climbers from around the world. Known simply as peak XV
when the historic discovery was made, it was eventually named ‘Everest. By the
then surveyor General, Andrew Waugh in honor of his predecessor, George
Everest.
The Tibetan and Sharp as (who lived close to the mountain)
knew it as Chhomolungma and the Nepalese Government later gave it the name ‘Sagarmatha’ The early climber like the famous duo, George
Mallory and Andrew Lrvine attempted to climb from the Tibetan side which on the
north side of Everest.
The first British Everest Reconnaissance Expedition to the
mountain was led by Lt, Colonel Charles Howard-Bury and George Mallory was part
of the team. The northern and eastern reaches of the mountain were explored ans
on 24th September 1921s, Guy Bullock along with Mallory became the
first climbers to reach a height of
7000m on Everest, They had claimed to the north col of the mountain
establishing the northern route. Nepal being completely cut off from the rest of
the world ( except for a few invited guests), no attempts could be made from
the south. In Tibet, the Dalai Lama of the time had given permission to the
foreigners to climb even though he wondered why wanted to do such a senseless
thing. To Asians it made no sense at all; risking one’s life to reach the top
of a mountain that is covered in snow under bitterly cold condition.
Mt. Everest lies in the Khumbu region of Nepal on the Northern
Border with Tibet and also falls within the Sagarmatha national park. After
many attempts had been made on the mountain, it was Tenzing and Admund Hillary
who finally proved to the world that it
could be climbed. At 9:30 AM on a sunny morning of 29th May 1953,
the New Zelander and Sherpa Sirder stood triumphantly atop the highest mountain
in the world. While Tenzing stood on the summit with a collection of flags,
Hillary took his picture, which graced the front pages of Newspapers around the
world. It was a great moment in history not only for the two climbers but for
mankind in general. Before the epic climb there had been much spectaclution as
doubts were raised if man could survive at such great altitudes. The previous
year, Tenzing had almost reached the top with Swiss climber Raymond Lambert,
but it was the British Expedition led by John Hunt that got the eventual honors.
Way back in 1924, Mallory and live-in had disappeared after they were last seen
240m below the summit. Although the Mallory’s well preserved body was found
high on the mountain in 1999. Nobody is really sure if the duo made it to the
summit or died on the way up.
Since 1953, many records have been broken and many Sherpas
has climbed more than ten times each. The record holder Apa Sherpa has climbed
the peak an astounding eighteen times. Many today climbs to set a new record such
as the speed record. Others have climbed to become the youngest or older. A
blind nab made it to the top and so did an amputee. With modern gear and Sherpas
to guide them, climbing has become so much simpler than in the early day when nobody
knew which way to go or even if it was possible to summit. The most common way
up to the summit is the southeast ridge route.
(2) Kanchenjunga ( 8586m) the third highest mountain in the world
There was a time when Mt. Kenchanjunga
was considered the highest mountain in the world. This was before starting the
discovery made by the chief Computer ( today they are replaced by machines) who
pointed out that peak XV was in fact higher than Peak IX, Kenchanjunga, later
it became apparent that peak IX was actually only the third highest mountain
after Everest and K2 (Karakoram, Pakistan). It lies 128 km east of Everest the
western face lies i9n Nepal while the other side lies in the state of Sikkim,
India. Kanchenjunga or Kangchenzonga in Sikkimese means “ five treasures of the
great Snows” as the mountain has five prominent peaks. They are Kanchenjunga
main ( 8586mm), along Khang (8505m), kanchenjubga west 8420m), and the Twin
peaks ( both 8476m). Unlike most the other Himalayan peaks, this mountain lies
north to south and the Kanchenjunga glacier drains into the Tamur River which
is a tributary of the Koshi.
Climbing Kanchenjunga had been
contemplated by many as far back as in 1882, yet no attempt was made until
1905. The first to go up the Yalung glacier was Alaister Crowley but he lost
four men in the mountain; a Lieutentant {ache and three porters. For fifteen
years, no one dared another attempt, in
1929, an American climber named Francis farmer the behind his porters and clime
duo the south face but was never seen again. Then Pail Baure led a Bavarian Expedition
up the n\mountauin later in the same year and reached the altitude of 7700m
following as an unsuccessful attempt by Gunther Dyhernfurth in 1930, Bauer made
a second attempt in 1931, Hans Hartman and DR. Kark Wien reached 7990m before
they were forced to turn back
With the outbreak of the Second World
war, there was no climbing in the Himalayas. The next attempt was made by
Gilmout\r Lewis and George Frey in 1951 looking for an easier route to the top.
He failed and returned two years later with John Kempe but met with no success. He returned once
again in 1954 with a new team of climbers but luck was not on his side.
Fifty years after the first attempt, in
1955, a British Expedition took off led by Charles Evans, who had been a member
of the successful expedition on Everest two years earlier. Two Britons, George
Nabd and Joe Brown finally made it to the summit of the difficult mountain.
Given the fact that the Sickness considered the mountain very scared, the
smelters refrained from stepping right up to the top. They stopped five
vertical feet below the summit I 25th May. Finally, Kanchenjunga,
the third highest mountain in the world had been this peak was a phobia Sherpa
on 14th May 1980.
(3) Lhotse ( 8516m): The fourth highest Mountain in the world
Mt. Lhotse is connected to Everest via
the south col and is the fourth highest mountain in the world, the main summit
is 8516m while Lhotse Middle ( East) is 8414m and Lhotse Shar Is 8383m. Very
often climbers making an attempt on Everest, go up the Lhotse so acclimatize.
In fact of Lhotse and then cuts across to the more famous mountains.
An early attempt on Lhotse was made by
the 1955 International Himalayan Expedition. It was led by Norman Dyhrenfurth
ans also include two Austrians, Erwin Schneider ans Ernst Senn as well as two
Swiss Climbers, Bruni Spiring ans Arthur Spohel. It was also the first
expedition in the Everest area to include Americans: Fred Beckey, George Bell,
ans Richard McGowan.
They climbed up the Western Cwm ans the
northwest face of Lhotse reaching an altitude of 8100m. They were beaten back
by unexpectedly strong wind ans cold temperatures.
Working under cartographer Schneider’s
direction, they completed the first map of the Everest area., They also made4
several short of films on Local cultural topic besides trying to summit Lhotse,
the expedition also made a number of first ascents of smaller peak in the Khmbu
region.
On this mountain, it was the Swiss who
were victorious—because in the 1950s there was much competition between nations
to summit a virgin peak before the others, on 18th May 1956, a Swiss
team of Ernst Reiss ans Fritz luchsinger from the Swiss Mount Everest/ Lhotse Expedition
reached the summit becoming the first climbers to do so. Lhotse Shar was
summited on 12th May by Zapp Maier and Rolf Walter of Austria. It
was some time before Lhotse Middle was climbing the highest unclimbed, named
point on earth. It was only in 23rd
May 2001, that member of a Russian Expedition made it to the top of this
peak. The victorious team members were Eugenia Vinogradsky, Sergei Timorfeev.
Alexei Bolotov and Petr Kuzysztof Wielicki on 31st December 1988 and
the first Nepali to climb it was Urkien Tshering Sherpa on 8th May
1977.
(4) Makalu
(8463m): The fifth highest mountain in the world
Mt. Makalu is 20 Km east of Everest in
the Khumbu region and is the fifth highest mountain in the world. The mountain
lies in the Makalu Barun national Park ans in Known for its perfect pyramid
shape with four sharp ridges. North of the mountain lies Tibet and it has two
notable subsidiary Peaks. Khangchungtse, or Makalu II 7678m lies
north-northwest of the main summit, the other is Chomo Lonzo which lies just
north of the main peak.
The first attempt on Makaku was made by an American team led by
William Siri in the spring of 1954, They attempted the southwest ridge but were
turned back at 7100m by a constant barrage of storms. In the fall of 1954, a
French reconnaissance expedition made the first ascent of the subsidiary summit
Khangchungtse on 22nd October. They were Jean Franco, Gyaltsen Norbu
and Pa Norbu.
Makalu was first climbed on 15th
May 1955 by Lionel Terray and Jean Couzy, members of a Franc expedition led by
Jean Franco. The very next day, Franco, G. Magnum and Gyaltsen Norbu also
submitted followed by Bouvier, s. Cope Leroux and A. Vialatte on the north face
and northeast ridge via the saddle between Makalu ans Kangchungtse which
subsequently became the standard route.
The first accent of the southwest ridge
was made by Y. Ozaki and A. Tanaka from a Japanese expedition on 23rd
May 1970. An American team had tried before them and failed. The very technical
west Pillar route was climbed in May 1971 by Franch-men B. Mellet and Y.
Seigneur. Makalu is one of the harder eight-thousander and considered one of
the most difficult mountains in the world to climb. The mountain has
challenging steep itches ans knife while the final ascent of the summit pyramid
involves technical rock climbing. In 2996,a Franch Mountaineer named
Jean-Christophe Lafailee disappeared on Makalu while trying to make the first
winter ascent. This mountain is the only Nepalese 8000m Peak which has yet to
be climbed in true winter conditions. The first Nepali to climb Makalu was Anf
Chepal Sherpa on the 1th May 1978. Note: Most of the Sherpas who climbed with
the expeditions in the 1950s were considered as Indian nationals as they had
been living in India.
(5) Cho
Oyu ( 8201m): The sixth highest mountain in the world
Unlike other attempts, the successful
expedition to Cho Oyu had its origins in very simple circumstances. Austrian
climber, Herbert Tichky along with Sherpas Adjiba and Pasang were gathered
around a campfire on a mountain and enjoying fried liver, when Pasang suddenly
asked. “Next year, Cho Oyu?” Tichky
could only nod and repeat, “Cho Oyu”. Thus it was decided that the mountain
would be attempted in 1954. In the previous years. Everest, Nanga Parbat and
Annapurna among the other eight-thousands had been climbed.
Cho Oyu lies 20 Km west of Everest, at
the border between Tibet and Nepal. In Tibetan, Cho Oyu means “ Turquoise
Goddess”.
The first attempt on this mountain was
made by an expedition supported by the joint Himalayan committee of Great
Britain as preparation for an attempt on mount Everest the following year. With
Eric Shipton as team leader, the expedition also includes Edmund Hillary.
George Lowe, Charles Evans and Tom Bourdilon,
But technical difficulties at an ice
cliff above 6650m forced them to give up the climb. It was estimated that it
would take two weeks to get everyone across and it would also mean entering
Tibetan territory which it is believed Shipton was unwilling to do.
It was Dyhrenfurth ans Shipton who first
came up with measurements that put Cou Oyu sixth on the list of the highest
mountain in the world.
The Austrain Expedition led by Herbert
Tichy arrived in Birjung in1954 via India and flew into Kathmandu by means of
an Indian airliner of the time. Once they were packed and ready, they moved to
Bhaktapur from where the long trek to the mountain would begin. Tenzing and
Hillary had also begun their trek to Everest from this old city. As every
expedition has its peculiarities, this one was no exception. There were only
three foreign climbers and eleven Sherpas and the team.
Cho Oyu was finally climbed on 19th
October 1954 via the northwest ridge by Tichy. Joseph Jochler and Pasang Dawa
lama, were as Shipton and the team had been stopped by an ice cliff high on the
mountain, the Austrians were able to tackle the problem in an hour and head up
towards the summit. Pasang’s casuall remark had led to a successful expedition.
This was the fifth eight- thousander to
have been climbed. Cho Oyu is considered the easiest to climb among the most
popular. The first Nepali national to climb the peak was an Ang Phuri Sherpa on
29th April 1987.
(6) Dhaulagiri
(8167m): The seventh highest mountain in the world
Latitude: 28
The Dhaulagiri Massif lies northwest of
Pokhara and climbing this mountain was at first considered impossible. It
looked formidable and the French expedition that came to Nepal in 1950 and
successfully climbed Annapurna I, didn’t even give this peak a second thought.
Captain William Webb who came in 1809 was the first European to set eyes on Mt.
Dhaulagiri. When he calibrated the highest of the mountain, he amazed. Up until
then, the Andes in South America was considered the highest chain of mountains
in the world. The news of this new discovery left the rest of the world incredulous.
For many years since the revolution, Dhaulagiri was thought to be the highest
mountain in the world.
“The white mountain” as it was known to
foreigners, was one of the peaks that could not be conquered during the Golden
Decade. Although numerous attempts were made throughout the 1950s none were
successful. A string of expeditions arrived in Nepal: the Argentineans tried
their luck in 1954. A Swiss-German team gave it a shot in 1955, and were
followed by the Argentine as making a bid in 1956 once, again but with no
better luck. In 1958, the Swiss were back and returned yet again without
reaching the summit. Then it was the turn of the Austrians who could go no
further than 7802m.
In 1960, another Swiss expedition arrived
in Nepal led by Max Eiselin and the team include Kurt Diemberger and Norman
Dyhrenfurth who went on to earn a name for themselves. They brought along a
Pilatus Porter named ‘Yeti’ which was piloted by Ernst Saxer for making drops
in the French Pass up in the mountain. The expedition met with countless
problems ans was compounded by the crash of the Yeti. The Pilot and repairman
luckily escaped unhurt and walked all the way back to Pokhara from the
mountain, but the expedition preserved and 13th May 1960 proved to
be a lucky day for the mountaineers as it was a bright sunny day with
practically no wind blowing. Six members of the expedition reached the summit
to become the first claimed Dhaulagiri, and they were Kurt Diemberger Nawang
Dorje Sherpa, Ernst Forrer, Albin Schelbert, Peter Diener and Nima Dorje Sherpa.
Ten days later, Jssugo Weber and Michel Vaucher followed in their footsteps ans
made it to the top, Nawang Dorje became the first Nepali to climb the peak.
The numbers were amazing on this climb.
13 members set off so climb the mountain, summitted on the 13th and
it happened to be the 13 eight- thousander to be climbed. No bad luck there.
(7) Manaslu
(8163m): The eight highest mountains in the world
Mt. Manaslu lies on the border between
Gorkha and Manang Districts in northern Nepal and 64 km east of Annapurna. The
Manaslu region encompasses the sub-tropical foothills of the Himalaya to the
arid Trans-Himalaya high pastures bordering Tibet. Manaslu is derived from the Sanskrit word
Manasa and translates as “Mountain of the Spirit”.
Out of the fourteen eight-thousanders,
twelve were conquered by an expedition from the west while only two were
accounted for by Asians. Shisha Pangma (eight-thousander) which lies in China
was first climbed by the Chinese while Manaslu was first summited by a Japanese
Expidedition.
The famous Manaslu trekking route goes
around the Manaslu massif over the pass down to Annapurna. The trekking trail
follows the classic salt-trade route along the Budhi Gandaki river.
The first Japanese Manaslu Reconnaissance
Expeditrion ventured up the mountain in 1952 when the mountain was still a
virgin peak. Following this, the first climbing expedition in 1953, went up the
river Budhi Gandaki’s course to reach the mountain. They were able to climb up
to 7750m before turning back. The expedition that came after them in 1954 was
not so fortunate. Inhabitance of Samu village which lay on their route denied
them access to the mountain believing they would bring them misfortune. The
mountain they said was sacred to them. As a result, the climber was forced to
turn to Jones Himal instead.
After the Nepalese government managed to
pacify the villagers of Samu village, an advance party for the next expedition
was able to make their way up towards the mountain. The third Japanese Manaslu
Expedition led by Veteran climber, sixty-two year old by Yuku Maki arrived in
Kathmandu in 1956. The team comprised Katsuro Ohara, Toshio Imanishi, Dr.
Hirokichi Tatsunama, Sonosuke Chitani, Kichiro Kato, Junijiro Muraki, Kiroyoshi
Yoda accompanied by Gyasten Norbu as Sherpa sardar.
The expedition had unique equipments, one
of which was on oxygen generator which was set up in a separate tent from the
climbers, from their oxygen was pumped to all the other climbers in their
respective tents. But this required the dedication of the expedition doctor,
who had to remain awake all night changing oxygen candles every one and a half
hour.
On
9th May 1956, Lmanishi and Gyltsen reached the summit of
Manaslu becoming the first to do so. They could see Gunesh Himal. Annapurna,
Dhaulagiri and Machhapuchhre poking through the clouds. Following them, Kato
and Higeta also climbed to the top two days later. The Japanese team was the
first Asian expedition to make a first ascent
of an eight-thousander. The first Nepali national to climb the peak was
an Urkien Tshering Sherpa on 22and April 1973.
(8) Annapurna I (8091m): the tenth highest mountain in the world
The Annapurna range is a series of peaks
stretching 55 km to the highest point, Mt. Annapurna I, being the tenth highest
summit in the world. It lies east of a great gorge cut through the Himalaya by
the Kali Gandaki River separates it from the other large massif, the Dhaulagiri. Dhaulagiri I is 34 km west of
Annapurna I. In Sanskrit Annapurna literally means “ full of grains” but is
normally taken to mean “goddess of harvest”. The Hindu Goddess of fertility is
also known as Annapurna. The entire massif lies within the Annapurna
conservation Area Project (ACAP). Mt. Annapurna I is the main peak of this
chain of mountains which includes three other peaks that share its name. They
are Annapurna II ( 7937m), Annapurna III ( 7555m) and Annapurna South (7219m).
Unlike other giants, the Annapurna I barely stand out, most of it is hidden by
other peaks in front of it.
The conquest of Annapurna I was
remarkable in many ways. For a start, the French climbers spent weeks just
crying to locate the mountain as it was still unexplored. It was the first
eight-thousand to be climbed, and even more remarkable was the fact that they
did it on their first attempt. This was highly unusual as on most mountains of
this size, many exploratory teams went up to study the possible routes up to
the summit. Only after several expeditions had tried and failed would one eventually
succeeds.
When Annapurna I was climbed, Nepal was
still under Rana and the country was strictly closed to outsiders. The climb
made Maurice Herzog, the expedition leader very famous, this being the first
eight-thousander to be climbed. No expeditions had taken to the mountains from
Nepal before this team and so Sherpas had to be hired from Darjeeling from
where many expeditions were launched via Tibet. Even before the ream arrived in
Nepal, they had given themselves two options: Climb Dhaulagiri or Annapurna,
finding the former too difficult to climb, they turned their attention to the
latter,
As we have seen over the years of
climbing history, the best time to climb in the Himalaya is May. However, by
the time Herzog and his team were leading up to the summit it was the beginning
of June. Having received news that the monsoon was to be from 5th
June, they were racing against time and made the summit just two days before
the weather changed for the worse. Herzog and Louis Lachenal reached the top on
3rd June via the north face. The two summiteers paid a heavy price
for the climb, losing their toes and some fingers to frostbite, Herzog would
not climb any major peak following this historic climb. The first Nepali
climber to summit this peak was Sonam Wolang Sherpa on 13the October 1977.
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