Whether you call it Mount Everest, Qomolangma, Sagarmatha, Chomolungma, or even Deodungha, a journey to the highest mountain in the world is a once-in-a-lifetime addition to a Tibet tour and one close-up look at this majestic mountain will make it easy to understand where all those mystical names came from.
Mount Everest got its English name in 1865 from Andrew Waugh, a British surveyor-general who named it after his predecessor, Colonel Sir George Everest, when Waugh was on a Tibet tour for mapping the territory.
Perhaps your Tibet tour guide will explain that Chomolungma and Qomolangma are Chinese and Tibetan words that both translate to “Mother of the Universe.” The Darjeeling name, Deodungha, means “Holy Mountain,” and the Nepali name, Sagarmatha, translates to “Head of the Sky.” With names as evocative as these, why would anyone want to go on a Tibet tour and not go to Everest?
Not every Tibet tour of this magnificent mountain includes a trip to the treacherous top. In fact, most don't. But including the base camp on the northern, Tibetan, side of this mountain that straddles the Tibet – Nepal border is sure to fascinate aplenty.
If your Tibet tour does include a trip to the base camp on the northern side of Mount Everest, it is critical to take your time in getting there and to be fully acclimated to life in Tibet's high altitude.
The first in a series of six base camps is at an altitude of 17,000 feet above sea level and the concentration of oxygen in the air is less than half that at sea level. Breathing the air alone can be a physical ordeal and any physical exertion attempted before the body has adjusted can cause severe distress.
Often a Tibet tour of the base camp begins in the city of Lhasa and a landrover-style vehicle is used for travel. Even with motorized transportation over some of the best roads in the country, the journey from the city to the camp is likely to take a week. Allow a couple of days in the country acclimating to the elevation before embarking on the trek to the mountain. This is no time to be in a hurry.
Once your Tibet tour has reached base camp, enjoy the scenery and hike as far as you feel comfortable, keeping in mind, however, that what (and who) goes up must also come down. Don't over-exert yourself even though its bound to be phenomenally exhilarating to think that you are actually climbing the most exciting and challenging mountain in the whole world. You'll be sure to go home a hero.