Mount Everest The most famous mountain peak in the Himalayas is also the highest of them all -- Mount Everest. It is known by the name of Sagarmatha among the Nepalese and Qomolangma (Chomolangma) in Tibet, meaning goddess-mother.The highest point on earth, Mt Everest rises majestically up to a height of 8,848 m (29,028 ft) above sea level. This is the official figure as recorded by the 1954 Indian Government Survey, although recent surveys have suggested slightly varying figures.

The Everest spectacle. (Download Realplayer)

Mount Everest, as seen from Kalapattar Credit: Stan Armington

On Mt Everest, three mountain ridges -- the Southeast, the Northeast, and the West - - meet to form two summits: the main Everest summit at 8,848 m (29,028 ft) and the South Summit at 8,748 m (28,700 ft) above sea level. The North face of Everest rises about 12,000 ft above the Tibetan Plateau. Viewed from the Nepal side, Everest forms a cluster of high mountain peaks along with other Himalayan giants -- Changtse from the north (7,560 m), Khumbutse from the northwest (6,665 m), Nuptse from the southwest (7,861 m), and Lhotse from the south (8,501 m).