Free sample essay on The Himalayas. The Himalayas is perhaps one of the oldest mountains in the world. It has the tallest peak measuring about 28,000 feet from the sea level. Many attempts have been made to scale the peak, called the Everest. The route to the Everest is full of very cold, icy ranges of mountains.
Many trekkers to the Everest have met with accidents on the way and died. Snow storms which are very powerful can cover the trekkers in chilling snowfall and submerge them. They freeze them to death. It is very difficult to walk on the ice-capped paths with the bare feet.
The trekkers have to wear special shoes. As it is snow all around the human eyes seeing the snow for a long time go blind. This is called snow-blindness. So the trekkers have to wear special goggles to protect themselves from the blinding glare of snow. The temperature in the upper reaches of the Himalayas may be 400 Celsius or so. So specially made clothes to withstand the freezing temperature are needed for those who scale the Himalayas. The trekkers set up tents in different places and rest there now and then. For, it is not possible to continue the journey in the Himalayas without a break. It may take several days for the trekkers to reach the Everest. Only the most physically fit scale the Everest.
Image Source: upload.wikimedia.org
ADVERTISEMENTS:
The glaciers which form in the Himalayas are sometimes deceptive. They are accumulations of thick snow and sometimes the deposits of snowfall or the glaciers may have formed over a crevice. When a trekker passes over it, the glacier, which is not hard enough if it is fresh, gives way sucking him into the depth. He meets with a dangerous accident or dies. Many trekkers generally tie themselves with one another by strong cords.
The Sharps, hardy mountaineers, who live in the Himalayas, help as guides and as carriers of baggage to the members of the expedition to the Everest. The two persons who scaled the Everest for the first time years ago were Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norway. Thereafter there were many expeditions to the Everest, some successful and some unsuccessful. The Himalayan Institute of Mountain Climbing trains adventurous persons in trekking on the Himalayas. Mountain trekking is a very adventurous sport. It was a wonder that a foreigner whose legs were amputated and who had artificial legs scaled the Everest some time ago. He was praised by the whole world for his extraordinary spirit of adventure, self-confidence and courage.