Section 65
Mountains
The highest mountain in the world is in Asia.
It is called Mount Everest.
The first man to climb to the top of it was Sir Edmund Hilary.
He was an Englishman who used the services of the local shepherd guides.
The most famous of these shepherds was Shepherd Tenzing who helped Hilary.
Since the 1950s when Mount Everest was first conquered, many others have tried.
Many people have died trying to climb Everest and other mountains.
When asked why he climbed it, Hilary simply answered, “Because it is there.”
This pioneering attitude has driven countless others to attempt mountaineering.
When we go very high, the air contains less oxygen.
We call this thin or rare air.
It makes breathing very difficult and drains the energy of climbers.
However, when these people reach the mountain peaks, they are rewarded with the cleanest air and the most panoramic views.
Of course, as we climb higher, so the temperature decreases, and extreme cold is felt.
The challenge of defeating a mountain is what drives on most mountaineers.
This drive to succeed where no one has is a tremendous characteristic of humans.
