Analysis Of Mount Everest

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It is the ultimate climb. Days in the Death Zone, hurricane force winds, unpredictable changes in conditions, and the sheer size of Mount Everest makes it king of mountain climbing. Regarded by so many as the greatest feat to be achieved in mountaineering, Mount Everest nearly grazes the troposphere at a height of 29,035 feet (Britannica 2017). The climb obviously takes a large amount of time and camps are positioned on the mountain at strategic points. Even the Base Camp, positioned at an elevation of 17,500 feet, requires proper acclimatization or the journey to it could prove fatal (Britannica 2017). From there, climbers work through a series of steps to acclimatize during the ascent. A critical level is reached when a climber is above 26,200 …show more content…

Everything revolves around the changes of the season. Extremes on Mount Everest are their worst during the monsoon and winter. Because of this, nearly all climbing takes place during May (Britannica 2017). During this small window of time, climbers at Camp IV can expect the lowest winds and lowest precipitation of the season (himalayanwonders.com). Wind is a major factor at Camp IV. Since it is situated in a very exposed low point between Everest and Lhoste, hurricane force winds (above 75mph) are typical and extreme values upwards of 175mph have been predicted (wundergound.com). These drastic winds usually take place when the jet stream is over Mount Everest so when the jet stream has shifted north during the month of May, climbers make their attempt. Tying yourself down is not an uncommon thing and must be considered in facing the weather at Camp …show more content…

Humidity is often a gauge of the likelihood of precipitation and this remains true for Mount Everest. Near the summit of Mount Everest, the humidity is relatively low year round and does not normally exceed 60% but the lowest values are found from April through May (mounteverest.net). This is another factor contributing to frostbite as higher humidity will affect the skin greater. Seasonal shifts in precipitation are also critical for climbers. The monsoon during the months of June to September is when a majority of snow falls and the amounts vary greatly (himalayanwonders.com). In favorable locations, as much as 100” of snow will fall in a year but only 18” falls on Base Camp (wunderground.com). Up at Camp IV, the dramatic winds sweep away a large portion of the snow but heavy snowfall poses a serious threat to getting stuck, lost, or caught in an avalanche. Human survival will rely on minimal snowfall but the presence of snow for

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