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Article: The making of a mountain: journey to the Himalayas and discover what happens when continents collide. (Earth Science Geology).
- Article from:
- Science World
- Article date:
- March 7, 2003
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 Scholastic, Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Fifty years ago, on May 29, 1953, mountain climbers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first humans ever to scale the icy summit of Mount Everest (elevation 29,035 feet), the world's highest peak. Since then, more than 1,500 other adventurers have reached this pinnacle in the Himalayan mountain range, which sprawls 2,550 kilometers (1,600 miles) along the border of India and Tibet. And at least 170 people have died while attempting the climb.
If a mountain is a landform standing 300 m (1,000 ft) above sea level, then Mount Everest is a towering giant. It stands 8.85 kilometers (5.5 mi) high--roughly the cruising altitude of a modern jet. But Everest ...