We are not makers of history. We are made by history 02 Martin Luther King, Jr KNOWLEDGEPEDIA Tame the tallest peak THE HIGHEST PEAK IN THE WORLD, , LOCATED 8,848 M (29,035 FEET) ABOVE SEA LEVEL IN THE MAHALANGUR HIMAL SUB-RANGE OF THE HIMALAYAS HOLDS EVERYONE IN AWE. INTERESTINGLY THE HEIGHT OF THE PEAK MAY VARY WITH CHANGE IN POSITION OF THE TECTONIC PLATES. ALTHOUGH MOUNTAIN LOVERS DREAM OF SUMMITING THE PEAK, ONLY SOME HAVE ACCOMPLISHED THE FEAT AND A FEW HAVE SET RECORDS. NOW, LET'S TAKE A LOOK AT 15 FIRSTS ON THE WORLD’S BEST KNOWN PEAK First to set foot BRAVE GIRL First to make double First siblings (twins) on the summit oorna Malavath of 1 became the youngest girl ascent to scale the summit P to summit Mt Everest in 9 13 n May 29, 1953, Ed- 2014 when she was 13 years and mund Hillary 11 months. This agile mountaineer nshu Jamsenpa, a 37-year-old mother of two, ashi and Nungshi Malik of Ofrom New Zealand from Nizamabad district, showed from , did a double ascent UP have many records to and Tenzing Norgay, a potential at a young age, which was A10 days apart in 2011. She scaled the peak in Ttheir credit. On May 19, 2013, sherpa settled in India, quickly spotted by the Telangana Social Welfare 2013 too. She broke the record in 2017 with anoth- they became the first twins to set who were part of the Residential Educational Institutions Society where er double ascent, five days apart on May 16 and 21. foot on the peak. They placed the ninth British expedi- she studied. She was shortlisted for Operation national flags of India and Pak- tion to the peak, led by Everest along with Sandhana Palli Anand Kumar, istan to promote peace between John Hunt, made it to 16, a climber from Khammam district. Before the First with highest the two countries. Their other the top. After taking Everest venture, Poorna had climbed mountains firsts include first female siblings photographs and bury- in Ladakh and Darjeeling. Her life story is por- number of attempts to scale Everest, youngest to scale ing a cross and some sweets, they descended suc- trayed in 'Poorna: Courage Has No Limit', a film 10 the Seven Summits and first cessfully. The news broke on June 2 in Britain, the directed by Rahul Bose. South Asians to complete the Explorers’ Grand Slam. day Queen Elizabeth II was coronated. n May 11, 2011, Apa Sherpa from Nepal, Taking three reached the summit for the 21st time. Phur- Oba Tashi also accomplished this feat on May First to wed on First woman to different paths 19, 2013. In 2017, Kami Rita Sherpa conquered Mt 5 Everest for the 21st time. the peak summit peak 14 ne can reach the summit using different First double 2 routes. The first to have conquered all three em Dorjee and Moni Mulepati from Nepal got mar- unko Tabei, a passionate Japanese moun- Oroutes is Kushang Sherpa. He climbed via amputee to reach ried atop Mt Everest on May 30, 2005, the first cou- taineer was the first woman to summit Mt the South Col in 1993, North Col in 1996 and Kang- the summit Pple to wed on the peak. A Nepali Sherpa moun- JEverest. She is also the first woman to climb shung Face in 1999. Born in 1965, Kushang ran 11 taineer, Dorjee has been living near Mt Everest in the tallest summits in every continent. After grad- away from his village, Walung, when he was 14 to Khumbu. On his second trip to the peak, he tagged along uating in English literature from Showa Women's become a porter with a group that was travelling his motivational speaker, wine mak- his girlfriend and the two exchanged wedding vows. University where she was a member of the moun- through his village. er and researcher from New Dorjee does a lot of social work to improve the quality tain climbing club, she set up TZealand was bent on con- of life in his village and other remote areas in Nepal. Ladies Climbing Club (LCC) in quering Mt Everest despite his 1969 due to the gender injustice Oldest man and woman handicap. On May 15, 2006, the experienced during her ventures, New Zealander became the with the slogan, "Let's go on an to conquer peak first-ever double amputee to reach First visually overseas expedition by ourselves." 6 the summit. Mark Inglis began challenged person to After climbing Mt Fuji in Japan his career in 1979 in Mount Cook Nation- and Matterhorn in the Swiss Alps is heart surgery did not deter Yuichiro Miu- al Park as a search and rescue moun- summit Mt Everest she became a name to be reckoned ra of Japan to climb Mt Everest. At 80, he set taineer. He along with Philip Doole, an- 15 with in mountaineering in Japan. Ha record of being the oldest to scale the peak, other mountaineer, were caught in a cave Tabei's LCC members planned in 2013. But he was so tired at the end of it that he on Mt Cook for nearly a fortnight due to a S athlete, activist, adventurer, moti- to conquer Everest. A Japanese had to be airlifted from 6,500 m to the base camp. blizzard in 1982 and their frost-bitten legs vational speaker and author Erik Women's Everest Expedition In 1970, he became the first to ski on Everest. He had to be amputated below the knee. UWeihenmayer made it to the top de- (JWEE) with 15 members set out plans to reach the peak again at 90, in 2022. spite being blind from age 13, due to ju- on a journey in May 1975 after a DAREDEVILRY venile retinoschisis. On May 25, 2001, he long training session.While the Longest stay minus became the first blind man to reach the group was camping at 6,300 me- In 2012, Japan's Tamae Watanabe, 73, broke her summit. tres, an avalanche struck – the own record for the oldest woman to summit the auxiliary oxygen Born on September 23, 1968, the dare- women and their guides were buried under the peak. Earlier, she set the record in 2002. 12 devil has covered the Seven Summits. He co- snow. Tabei lost consciousness for around six min- founded 'No Barriers', a non-profit organisation in utes before her sherpa guide dug her out. Twelve abu Chhiri Sherpa has scaled the peak 10 2005 to help people from diverse backgrounds to build days later, on May 16, 1975, Tabei became the first Fastest up from base times. He holds the record for spending 21 a no-barrier mindset. Even as he has achieves many woman to reach the summit. Bhours on the summit minus auxiliary oxy- feats, he gives talks on living a ‘No Barriers Life’. camp to summit gen in May 1999. This mountaineer dreams of build- ing a school in his village. Self-taught, he began to First cancer survivor to 7 work as a trekking porter when he was 16 because he route from the base camp to the summit, a there were no schools in the neighbourhood. reach the peak vertical ascent of about 3.5 km takes about 34 3 Tto 48 hours, as one moves from camp 1, 2, 3 and 4, with intermittent stops, before traversing the fi- ean Swarner from the US dreamt of reaching nal lap which takes about 14 hours. In 2004, Lakpa the top of the world when he was diagnosed Gelu from Nepal stunned everyone by covering the Swith cancer a second time. Full of hope, grit distance in 10 hours, 56 minutes and 46 seconds Everest fast facts and faith he overcame many challenges to summit from base camp to summit. That was his 10th trip the peak on May 16, 2002, when he was 27. He be- to the summit. came the first cancer survivor to climb the world's LARGEST OPEN GRAVEYARD difficulties involved, tallest peak, despite having only one functioning verest is said to be the world's the mantra is every lung. “You can let everyone know that Seth Swarn- largest open graveyard with man for himself. It's er's (well known swimmer) brother made it to the First female amputee Eover 250 bodies strewn around really tough to save top of the world!", he radioed his younger brother in the snow. The adventurers had lost oneself on Mt Everest from the top. Sean left a flag of hope with names to set foot on the peak their lives in avalanches, falls, and ex- and it often becomes ar- of some suffering from cancer at the peak. Swarn- 8 posure to the harsh climate, especial- duous to help others. er has climbed the ‘Seven Summits’, the highest ly in Death Zone where the oxygen lev- peaks in seven continents. orn in 1988 in UP, was a na- el is low and leads to people feeling tional volleyball player before taking to moun- disoriented and tired. It's difficult to GOT THE MONEY? Btaineering. Pushed from a moving train by retrieve bodies and so they are left ou can climb the peak ruffians in 2011, she survived serious injuries to a frozen in their final moments. from India, China, and Ti- Youngest boy and girl leg – it had to be amputated just below the knee. Ybet. It's slightly less expensive Strong-willed and brave, she dreamt of scaling the from the Tibet side, whether guid- to conquer Everest Seven Summits and hoisting the tricolour in each SACRED AREA ed or unguided. The price may vary 4 one. Arunima became the first female amputee to ccording to Nepalese law, Ever- from Rs 25 lakh and go higher de- summit Mt Everest. She was honoured for her feat. est is sacred and so, the bodies pending on the nature of the expe- ven youngsters dream of climbing Mt Ever- Now she is using the award money to set up Sha- Aare to be removed immediate- dition. est. American climber Jordan Romero be- heed Chandra Shekhar Vikalang Khel Academy ly. As it is near impossible to retrieve E came the youngest boy to reach the top in for the needy and differently abled. Her book 'Born bodies from the Death Zone, the bod- MOST ASCENTS ON 2010 when he was 13 years and 10 months. Eager again on the mountain' launched ies are taken to the Rainbow Valley. to climb Mt Everest, he conquered five of the sev- by PM Modi is inspiring. She is ONE DAY en tallest peaks in seven continents when he was the recipient of many 15. He summited Everest from Tibet because climb- awards including the EVERY MAN FOR HIMSELF? oday, people are making a bee- ing through Khumbu icefall in Nepal route could Padma Shri. n general, people help a line for the peak and breaking lead to unpredictable situations. His GPS track- person in distress, but Trecords. May 19, 2012 marks the ing device and satellite phone were of great help I that's out of the ques- day when most trips were made – some in this venture. tion on the summit. 200 reached the top. Owing to the