Journey to the Top of the World

The wind howls. You gaze up in wonder at the snowy mountain in front of you. It’s the highest point on Earth: Mount Everest. It towers more than 29,000 feet into the sky. (Many small planes can’t even reach this height!) 

Your goal? To climb this massive mountain. The journey to the summit, or top, will take several weeks. Hundreds of climbers try to reach the top every year. Some never make it home. Do you have what it takes to reach the top of the world? 

The wind howls. You look up in shock at a snowy mountain. It’s the highest point on Earth. It’s called Mount Everest. It’s more than 29,000 feet tall. Many small planes can’t reach this height!

Your goal is to climb this huge mountain. You want to reach the top, or summit. It will take several weeks. Hundreds of climbers try to reach the top every year. Some climbers never make it home. Do you have what it takes to reach the top of the world?  

Climbing Mount Everest is one of the most daring adventures in the world. That’s why you’ve spent months preparing. Wearing the right clothes and bringing the right tools are a matter of life or death on Everest. 

Luckily, you won’t be climbing alone. You’ll rely on Sherpa guides. Sherpas are a group of people born and raised in the area. Many lead climbers like you up and down Everest. You’d never make it to the top without them!

Along your journey, you’ll stop at camps. (It’s too long and risky to climb all at once!) The first camp is at the base, or bottom, of Everest. It’s a 40-mile hike through lush forests and across roaring rivers to get there. When you arrive, you find a city of tents bustling with cooks, doctors, and climbers. 

A few weeks later, you set out again. Soon you face one of the most dangerous parts of the mountain: the Khumbu Icefall. It’s a river filled with huge blocks of ice!

Using a thin ladder you climb over it. Careful! Strong winds almost blast you into icy water. But your Sherpa guide grabs you at the last second. Phew! 

Climbing this mountain is a very dangerous adventure. That’s why you’ve spent months getting ready. You’ll wear the right clothes. You’ll bring the right tools. It’s a matter of life or death on this scary mountain. 

Luckily, you won’t be going alone. You’ll get help from Sherpa guides. Sherpas are a group of people. They were born and raised in the area. Many of these people lead climbers up and down the mountain. You’d never make it to the top without them!

You’ll stop at camps on your climb. The climb is long and risky. So you can’t do it all at once! The first camp is at the bottom of the mountain. This is called the base. You hike 40 miles to get there. You pass thick forests and big rivers. You get there and find a city of tents. There are cooks, doctors, and climbers. 

A few weeks pass. Then you start climbing again. Soon you will face one of the most dangerous parts of the mountain. It’s the Khumbu Icefall. It’s a river filled with huge blocks of ice!

You use a thin ladder to climb over it. Careful! Strong winds almost push you into icy water. But your Sherpa guide grabs you. Phew!  

Day after day you climb. You carry 30 pounds of supplies on your back. (Your Sherpa guide carries 100 pounds!) You brave temperatures of –30 degrees Fahrenheit. Blinding snowstorms appear out of nowhere. And avalanches—huge piles of snow that slide down the mountain—can happen at a moment’s notice!

At last, you reach the final camp. You’re exhausted. But you still have to make it through the scariest part of the mountain: the Death Zone. You can survive at this height for only two or three days. Bare skin can freeze in minutes! 

The biggest danger is the air itself. The air gets thinner as you climb higher. That means every breath contains less oxygen than the one before it. This makes you feel dizzy. You have trouble thinking clearly.

Thankfully, you’ve carried bottles of oxygen with you. You place a mask over your face and gulp down safe air. 

Still, your body can’t handle this much longer. You want to stop and rest. But you’re so close. 

“Just keep going,” you tell yourself. 

You climb for days. You carry 30 pounds of supplies on your back. Your guide carries 100 pounds! The temperatures are well below freezing. Huge snowstorms come out of nowhere. And avalanches can happen too! Avalanches are huge piles of snow. They slide down the mountain.

You reach the final camp at last. You’re so tired. But you still have to make it through the scariest part of the mountain. It’s the Death Zone. You can live at this height for only two or three days. Bare skin can freeze in minutes! 

The biggest danger is the air itself. The air gets thinner as you climb higher. What does that mean? Each breath has less oxygen than the one before it. This makes you feel dizzy. It’s hard for you to think clearly. 

Thankfully, you have bottles of oxygen with you. You place a mask over your face. You breathe in safe air. 

Still, your body can’t take this much longer. You want to stop and rest. But you’re so close. 

“Just keep going,” you tell yourself.