Introduction

MT. EVEREST (SAGARMATHA), 8,848 M.

Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) is the World's Highest Mountain. Sagarmatha rises to 8848 Meters (29,030 Feet) above the sea level. Originally Mount Everest was called Peak XV. As it turned out, Peak XV already had two other names one name came from South side of the Mountain, from the Nepalese who referred to it as Sagarmatha or "Goddess of the Sky". The other name came from North side of the mountain from the Tibetans, who had name to it as Joloungma, or "Goddess, Mother of the world". Later the mountain has renamed in honor of Sir George Everest. Although today it is rarely called Joloungma or Sagarmatha, it is clear from their names for the mountain that the Nepalese and Tibetan people worshiped this special place on the earth.

Mount Everest looms above the valleys of the Khumbu Region of Nepal. The world's tallest mountain has lured trekkers and mountaineers since Sherpa Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary, a New Zealand beekeeper, made the first ascent in May 1953. While it has been more than 50 years since it first achieved international celebrity, Everest continues to fascinate the adventurous as a world-class mountain destination.

Snow Lion Expeditions has been leading trekkers to the base of the world's highest mountain for nearly two decades. The company offers three different trekking routes through the Khumbu to breathtaking viewpoints of Everest: Kala Pattar, Everest Base Camp, Gokyo Ri and Thyangboche Monastery.

Magnificent mountain panoramas set the scene for your ascent through charming Sherpa villages where the residents' warm hospitality receives you with openness and generosity. Because the Sherpas have been blessed with economic resources from commercial trekking and mountaineering that has provided them with both education and wealth, they have not embraced the Maoists which have dominated other parts of the kingdom for the past six years. Accordingly, the Khumbu remains a world-class mountain destination--a safe haven for both trekkers and pilgrims.