7-year old climbs Mt. Whitney

by Kraig Becker on

When he returns to school in a couple of weeks, 7-year old Tyler Armstrong of Yorba Linda, California will have plenty to say when he’s asked “What did you do this summer?”

Tyler recently became the youngest person to climb Mt. Whitney in a single day when he and his father Kevin hiked to the summit in just 7 hours and 50 minutes. Standing 14,505 feet in height, Mt. Whitney is the tallest mountain in the continental United States, and while it isn’t a technical climb, its height still makes it a considerable challenge for many.

The father-son climbing team set out from Base Camp, located at 8500 feet, at 2:05 AM and reached the summit around 9:55 AM. They both recorded their times in the summit log, and enjoyed the view, before turning back down the mountain. The descent wasn’t much easier than the climb however, as the return trip required more than nine hours to complete.

Kevin says Tyler first became interested in climbing Whitney after hearing him talk about how he had hiked the mountain with his father when he was 11 years old. While that was a memorable experience for Kevin, he adds that it was one of the proudest moments of his life to stand on the summit with his own son.

With a successful climb now under his belt, Tyler is hoping to turn his attention to other mountains in the future. For now, he’s content to stay close to home and hone his skills on other California peaks. But he says in the future he’d like to climb the highest mountain in Africa, Mt. Kilimanjaro, which stands 19,340 feet in height. Eventually, he’d like to turn his attention on Mt. Everest, the tallest mountain in the world at 29,029 feet.

[Photo credit: Geographer via WikiMedia]

Nepal to remeasure Mt. Everest

by Kraig Becker on

The government of Nepal has announced that it will remeasure the height of Mt. Everest in an effort to settle a dispute with China. This new survey is expected to take up to two years to complete and will likely provide the most accurate measurement of the height of the mountain ever.

Back in 1955 a team of Indian surveyors, using the best instruments available at the time, recorded the height of the mountain as 8848 meters or 29,029 feet. Since then, that has been the official measurement recognized by the Nepali government, despite the fact that both the Chinese and an American survey have offered differing numbers in the year since. Chinese surveyors argue that the snow on top of Everest shouldn’t be included in the measurement, and as a result, they list the mountain as being 8844 meters (29,015 ft) tall. On the other hand, a 1999 U.S. survey using GPS devices pegged Everest at 8850 meters (29,035 ft), a figure that is used by National Geographic when covering the Himalayan peak.

Mt. Everest falls along the border of Nepal and Chinese-controlled Tibet. In recent months, the two countries have been holding talks to discuss issues that have arisen along their common borders, with officials on both sides of the table continually using differing heights when referencing the mountain. This small point of contention has prompted Nepal to re-measure the height of the summit, which is a source of great pride for the smaller nation.

In order to gain the most accurate measurements possible, climbers will carry sophisticated GPS systems to the summit, where measurements will be taken in three different locations. Because of the challenges involved with scaling the world’s tallest mountain, officials say that it could take upwards of two years before they have a new reading on the height. Considering how sophisticated GPS tools are these days, this latest measurement is expected to be the definitive answer as to just how tall Mt. Everest really is.

Graphing the deepest ocean to the highest peak

by Justin Delaney on

The surface of the Earth plummets deeper than 35,000 feet in the Mariana Trench and reaches up to the lofty heights of the Himalaya mountain range. The rest of our planet exists somewhere in between. Every hill, coral reef, dance contest, and disappointing vacation takes place at some point between these two extremes. This amazing graph by NOAA and NASA details some of the more significant earthly markers in height and depth, such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the resting place of the RMS Titanic, and the highest peak – Mt. Everest.

Source OurAmazingPlanet.com, Exploring the wonder and beauty of planet Earth through exclusive news, features and images.

Image via Justin Delaney

Save Everest campaign removes 8 tons of waste

by Kraig Becker on

Way back at the beginning of April we told you about Nepal’s Save Mt. Everest campaign, a project sponsored by that nation’s tourism board that hoped to clean up the world’s tallest mountain, and the region that surrounds it. Now, two months later, the group has wrapped up their activity, at least for now, and reports that they have removed eight tons of garbage this spring alone.

In all, there were 29 Sherpas that were working together on the project, removing all manner of waste products from Everest. Much of the trash that they brought down consisted of pipes, old ropes, plastic bottles, and spent oxygen bottles. Most of the trash is left behind by the climbers and trekkers who visit the region. For instance, the oxygen bottles are used by climbers going to the summit, who require supplemental oxygen to help them complete their climb. Those bottles often discarded and left behind once they are emptied.

It is estimated that 20 tons of garbage still remains on the mountain, which leaves an awful lot to remove by the June, 2012 deadline that the Save Everest campaign has set as their goal. But the organization is not alone in their efforts, as the Eco Everest team, consisting of some of the most well known Sherpa guides on Everest, has also been removing trash from the Himalayan peak since 2008. Together, the two teams hope to preserve the mountain, which is considered a sacred place in Nepal.

The Nepali government has also done its part to ensure that Everest stays clean for future mountaineers as well. Over the past few years, the country has been doing a better job of enforcing garbage laws that have been in place since 1992, and all climbing teams are now required to carry all of their waste back out of the Khumbu Valley, where it can be recycled or disposed of properly. Failure to do so results in some hefty fines.

Having been to Everest, I’m glad to hear that these efforts are yielding positive results. It is a special, beautiful place, and one that definitely deserves to be protected.

Giving back in Nepal: Celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first Sherpa school built by Sir Edmund Hillary’s Himalayan Trust

by Don George on

May 29th marked the 58th anniversary of the first ascent of Mount Everest by Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary. Among those celebrating this momentous accomplishment were the staff and students at the Khumjung School in the Nepalese village of Khumjung. This is the first school built by the Himalayan Trust, the foundation Hillary established after his return from the mountain.

The school has a special reason to celebrate: This year is its 50th anniversary, and as such, it is an inspiring symbol of the enduring bond between Hillary and the people of Nepal, and of the vital, life-changing work – not only with schools, but also with clinics, monasteries and reforestation efforts – that the organization has done and continues to do.

Hillary passed away in 2008, but the work of his Trust continues in partnership with the American Himalayan Foundation. I recently had the pleasure of discussing Sir Edmund’s legacy and the Trust’s ongoing projects with Norbu Tenzing, son of Tenzing Norgay and Vice President of the American Himalayan Foundation, at the organization’s headquarters in San Francisco.

Don George: When and how did you first meet Sir Edmund Hillary?

Norbu Tenzing: I first met Sir Ed and his son Peter in Darjeeling when I was 3 or 4, but it wasn’t until I was 7 that I went on a trek to the Khumbu with my father for the first time. This was in 1969. While I remember celebrating my 7th birthday playing soccer at Everest Base camp and spending time with my grandparents at their village, I also remember that Sherpas back then lived very traditional lives and very few children were in school.How would you characterize Hillary’s relationship with and impact on the Sherpa community?

I first truly understood the impact Sir Ed had on the Sherpas during his funeral in Auckland a few years ago. In the way he was mourned, he was accorded the same stature as that of a High Lama. In fact, you will find photos of him in the prayer rooms of many Sherpas in the Khumbu region. A very visible indication of how he transformed the lives of the Sherpas will be seen in Khumbu on May 29 when Sherpas from all walks of life, from all over the world, will celebrate 50 years of education and pay their respects to the man who made it all possible.

In this regard, I think this quote from a speech Sir Ed gave at an American Himalayan Foundation dinner in 2003 is especially poignant:

“I have been fortunate enough to be involved in many exciting adventures. But when I look back over my life, I have little doubt that the most worthwhile things I have done have not been standing on the summits of mountains or on the North and South Poles – great experiences though they were. My most important projects have been the building and maintaining of schools and medical clinics for my good friends in the Himalayas – and helping with their beautiful monasteries too. These are the things I will always remember.”

How did Hillary’s involvement with schools in Nepal start?

On his return to the Everest region a number of years after his ascent of Everest, Sir Ed asked a Sherpa friend what he could do for them. The Sherpa friend replied, “Burra Sahib (big Sahib), our children have eyes but they cannot see. Therefore, we want you to open their eyes by building a school in our village of Khumjung.” He immediately began to raise funds for the school; it opened in 1961 with 50 students. That was the beginning of his work in the Everest region. In addition to the 50th anniversary of Khumjung School, this year marks the 28th anniversary of the American Himalayan Foundation’s partnership with Sir Ed’s Himalayan Trust.

How has the Hillary foundation and dream evolved through the years?

When our chairman Richard Blum first met Sir Ed more than thirty years ago, his work with the Sherpas – which he often called the most important of his life — was already underway. Sir Ed needed partners, and we said yes. Over the past three decades, our involvement has only deepened. We have been the Trust’s steadfast partner in their work: supporting 63 schools, where more than 6,000 Sherpa children receive a good education; medical care at 13 clinics and two hospitals; reforestation projects that have resulted in 2 million new trees; and ongoing maintenance and restoration of Tengboche and Thame monasteries. Our long-standing partnership with Sir Ed and the Himalayan Trust is one that we cherish. The real dream of Sir Ed was that the Sherpas should run the Himalayan Trust in Kathmandu, and he realized that dream several years ago.

What is the AHF’s current program in respect to schools in Nepal?

AHF makes it possible for children to be educated by funding the essential ongoing school expenses: books and supplies for the 63 schools (27 built by the Himalayan Trust) in the Mt. Everest region; teacher training, including English language training; teacher’s salaries; college scholarships; and the all-important components of school lunches for the Khumjung School hostel – a cook and food stipends for the poorest kids.

Is there any particular educational success story that stands out for you?

There are many, but one great example is Ang Rita Sherpa. He was part of the first graduating class, and he now runs the Himalayan Trust in Kathmandu and oversees all of their work in Nepal. Other graduates have become doctors, pilots, entrepreneurs, and environmental leaders. The big story here is that because of a good education, the Sherpas have been able to chart their own destinies. Sherpas really believe and they have proven, over and over, that education is the key to their future. They have done this while keeping their cultural identity strong. Sir Ed could not have hoped for anything better.

What is your dream/goal for the project going forward?

Our dream and goal is that the Sherpas continue to excel in their education while maintaining their cultural identity. But to make sure this happens, nothing would make us happier than to know that they will always be able to go to school. And for that we need financial support from friends around the world. We are deeply grateful for – and dependent on – the many people who still believe in Sir Ed’s dream.

For more information about the Himalayan Trust and the American Himalayan Foundation, visit the American Himalayan Foundation’s website.