Junko Tabei: First woman to scale Everest

Mount Everest from base camp one (photo: flickr.com)

On May 16, 1975, Japanese mountain climber Junko Tabei became the first woman to scale Mount Everest. One of fifteen women chosen to make the climb, Tabei, who is now 70 years old, reached the summit of the world's highest mountain peak after being buried in an avalanche and rescued by a Sherpa guide. According to Wikipedia, her expedition followed the same route taken by in 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first persons known to have reached the summit.

She conquered Mt. Everest

For centuries known to Tibetans as Chomolungma, Everest is considered the highest mountain peak in the world. Everest is approximately 8850 feet high, forms part of the Himalaya mountain system, and is located in Nepal. The mountain attracts climbers of all levels.  It is said that, at least compared to other peaks, the mountain does not pose technical climbing difficulties on the standard routes, so much as it presents the many dangers inherent in its weather and altitude.

Everest climbers are a significant source of tourism income for Nepal. A government-issued climbing permit costs up to $25,000 so it may well be that a serious mountain climber would have to get a personal loan from a payday lender before attempting Mount Everest. Many climbers have perished along the standard climbing routes. ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Junko Tabei: First woman to scale Everest"