On May 29 1953, two men stood on top of the world for the first time. Their names were Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. They had reached the highest elevation in the world. They had reached the summit of Mount Everest.
Mount Everest is the tallest mountain in the world. It is part of the Himalaya mountain range. At its highest point, it is 29,035 feet (8850 m). It sits in between two countries. To the south is Nepal. To the north is China.
People started to climb Everest in the 1920s. It took over 30 years for people to climb to the top. Since then, over 5,000 people have climbed the mountain. But many have not survived.
Because Everest is so high, people cannot breathe the air. They must adjust to the elevation. To do this, people must stay at Base Camp for 40-60 days. Base Camp is a camp of tents for the climbers. There, their bodies change. They find it easier to breathe.
When the weather is right, people can try to climb to the summit. But the weather changes fast at the top of the world. During the monsoon season, it snows lots.
That snow might create an avalanche. That is when snow slides down a mountain. People can get buried in the snow.
If you reach the summit, you cannot stay long. It is cold at the top of Everest. It is as cold as -60 degrees Celsius.
If you stay too long, you risk getting frostbite. Frostbite is when your skin freezes. It can happen to your fingers, toes, nose, and other parts of the body. If it is bad, you might lose that part of your body forever.
Now, lots of people try to climb Everest. But they cannot do it alone. A very special group of people help. They are called the Sherpa.
The Sherpa live near Everest. They are very fit and healthy. They can breathe the air that other people cannot breathe.
Some of them work as mountaineers. They climb Everest to make money for their families. It is a very dangerous job. They are amazing people.
Climbing Everest might be the ultimate adventure. But it is very risky. You must be prepared before you try to climb the world's tallest mountain!