Mount Everest and its ascent

2013 will be the 60th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest. Find out about the historic 1953 expedition and discover what the impact has been on the people and places of the Himalaya region since the route to the top of the mountain was opened to the rest of the world.

Key questions

• Where is the Everest region and what is it like?
• How was Mount Everest formed?
• How was Mount Everest measured?
• Who lives in the Everest region?
• Who first reached the top of Mount Everest?
• Who are working towards a sustainable future?

Factsheets

These factsheets provide background information to each of the key questions. They can be used together with the associated downloadable activities to investigate each area.

• What is the region around Mount Everest like? PDF | MSWORD
• Who lives in the Everest region? KS2 PDF | MSWORD
• Tourism in the Everest region PDF | MSWORD
• Where is Mount Everest? PDF | MSWORD
• The making of Mount Everest PDF | MSWORD
• Measuring Mount Everest PDF | MSWORD  
• Who lives in the Everest region? KS3 PDF | MSWORD
• Reaching the Top PDF | MSWORD
• Impacts of tourism in the Everest region PDF | MSWORD

Gallery

Find out more about the images shown in the gallery above PDF | MSWORD

Online activities

Want to test your knowledge of Everest? Try our online quiz.

Want to learn more about mountain environments? Try our online activity.

Downloadable activities

The downloadable activities used with the associated factsheets can be used in the classroom to investigate each area.

• Teacher's Notes KS2 PDF | MSWORD 
• The Death Zone PDF | MSWORD
• The Impact of Tourism PDF | MSWORD
• Managing the Mount Everest region PDF | MSWORD
• Teacher's Notes KS3/4 PDF | MSWORD
• Views of Everest PDF | MSWORD
• Climbing Mount Everest PDF | MSWORD
• Managing the Mount Everest region PDF | MSWORD

Links

Below are some interesting links to other Everest themed websites.

• Everest History: timelines and biographies of past summit attempts on Mount Everest
• Mountain Forum: global network of resources and contacts for mountain communities, environments and sustainable development
• Mount Everest.net: lots of information about Mount Everest, including links to weather records and forecasts
• RGS-IBG Geography Outdoors: can offer advice and assistance in planning expeditions, including those to the Everest region
• RGS-IBG Picture Library: information about use of Everest images
• Science Update: news and activities on current issues from the Association of Science Education and the Centre for Science Education, Sheffield Hallam University.  Register for activities on Shrinking Everest? - Rocks and weathering
• Tourism Concern: works with communities in destination countries to reduce social and environmental problems connected to tourism and with the out-going tourism industry in the UK to find ways of improving tourism so that local benefits are increased

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