Men on top

 

 

Climbing Mt. Everest is obviously a big challenge and it requires courage too. In the past, there weren’t much of technical facilities available which led to the loss of many lives during the climb. However Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, with their successful expedition, inspired and thrilled mountaineers around the world.

20th century has been the century of exploration and this expedition was almost like a part of exploring the world. On May 29, 1960, a human set foot on the highest mountain for the first time, setting a record. In those times, one carried heavy luggage, oxygen cylinders etc. – an entire life support system – to survive above 24,000 feet. Now, advancement has been made in the area of mountaineering equipments which has definitely eased the climb.

Changing weather is an important factor in mountaineering, and so logistical support plays a major role. In the initial phases, there were no light weight suits, which was another challenge. So it was human endurance that essentially kept one going.

As a mountaineer, I would not say that climbing is less challenging now, but it has definitely become easier. There have been various advancements in the kind of equipments that are used today such as lighter suits which reduce the total weight; logistics have become easier etc. Such conditions encourage more people to scale the Everest, and also set off solo climbs.

In fact, there are many other uncharted mountains which are more difficult to climb even though they are not as high as Everest. This is because of the kind of routes and the type of climb. For instance, Kanchenjunga is a difficult climb.

As far as the future of mountaineering is concerned, it should become a part of the education system. There are already institutions which provide training to aspiring mountaineers and now I see more youngsters eyeing the peaks. Determination, inclination and endurance is what makes one a successful mountaineer.