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Economic impact on Everest
The easiest way to get a grip on how much money Nepal takes in from tourism is to take a close look at what the Everest tourist spends. If you're one of the 25,000 annual Everest tourists, getting into Nepal for more than a three-day stay will only run you $30. If you want to climb one of the major Himalayan mountains, you need a government-issued climbing permit. Although you can hike more than a hundred of the smaller peaks for free, who wants to play in the sandbox when the beach is next door? Mountains taller than 21,300 feet (6,501 meters) are premium property.
That base height costs $1,000 and increases $500 for every 1,640 feet (500 meters). Since Mount Everest stands at a staggering 29,029 feet (8,848 meters), the permit will run around $3350. Now that you've got your permit, you're ready to start climbing, right? Not quite. If you want to take the most common route to the top of Everest, you'll owe the Nepal government a $25,000 royalty fee for yourself or up to $70,000 for a seven-person expedition crew. Can't afford it? Wait until the off-season. To increase Everest tourism during the colder months of the year, the Nepalese government announced in 2007 that it was trying to cut royalty fees for people interested in climbing Everest during fall and winter.
Climate on Everest
The climate of Mount Everest is naturally extreme. In January, the coldest month, the summit temperature averages about -36° C (about -33° F) and can drop as low as -60° C (-76° F). The climate of Mount Everest is naturally extreme. In January, the coldest month, the summit temperature averages about -36° C (about -33° F) and can drop as low as -60° C (-76° F). In July, the warmest month, the average summit temperature is -19° C (-2° F).
At no time of the year does the temperature on the summit rise above freezing. In winter and spring the prevailing westerly wind blows against the peak and around the summit. Moisture-laden air rises from the south slopes of the Himalayas and condenses into a white, pennant-shaped cloud pointing east; this "flag cloud" sometimes enables climbers to predict storms. When the wind reaches about 80 km/h (about 50 mph), the flag cloud is at a right angle to the peak. When the wind is weaker, the cloud tilts up; when it is stronger, the flag tilts down.
Preparation for climbing
Prospective Everest climbers train in a variety of ways. Swimming, running, biking, weight lifting and climbing are all excellent ways to improve physical condition. Endurance, stamina, and strength are all necessary. In anticipation of weight loss on Everest, most prospective climbers try to gain a little weight before their trip. Although Everest does not require the technical climbing skills of some shorter mountains, a thorough grounding in climbing techniques is important before attempting it.
Because of the extreme conditions and unpredictable nature of Everest, even the most experienced mountaineers can get into trouble. Today, more people than ever are attempting to climb Mount Everest, but only about one in four will succeed. There are an estimated 120 bodies still on Everest; while many have been respectfully relocated, it is too difficult and dangerous to attempt to remove all of them.
Youngest Person Summits Everest By Holly Angelo
On May 30th the youngest person summited the largest peak in the world…Mount Everest. Sun-Jo Sherpa summited Mount Everest a day before his 14th birthday (May 31st). Sun-jo climbed up Mount Everest from the south side in Tibet and crossed in Nepal and climbed down the north side. Sun-jo Sherpa is now a free Nepalese. Sun-jo Sherpa says “I climbed Mount Everest for me and my sisters” Sun-jo is very happy to go back to school with his sisters again.
Zopa Sherpa, Sun-jo’s grandfather, is still a Sherpa in Kathmandu. Along Sun-jo’s hard climb up Mount Everest, he did get very sick but, Sun-jo pushed through it. Sun-jo says “At times I wanted to quit and climb back down the mountain but my grandfather kept pushing me to keep going.” Sun-jo had a lot of fun on the mountain even though it was a hard climb.