Google Maps Everest Region

When a good friend of mine said he was going to Nepal to make the long and arduous trek to Everest Base Camp, I must admit, I thought to myself ‘rather you than me mate!’ The Everest region has some of the most hostile environments known to man. I’m not talking about the people, although if you are afraid of multiple languages then I would suggest you don’t travel to Nepal as it’s a melting pot of people from all walks of life. I am, of course, talking about the actual landscape; The South Base Camp of Everest is located in Nepal at an altitude of 5,364 metres (17,598 ft). The rocky terrain and sheer altitude requires climbers to stay in the region for at least a few days to reach acclimatisation.

It’s really fortunate then that if you want to check out the Khumbu region of Nepal, where Mount Everest is, you don’t have to travel thousands of miles; thanks to Google Street View, you can now see just what this area of the planet looks like.

Google Street View have teamed up with Apa Sherpa, who holds the record for reaching the summit of the Everest more than anyone else.  Google worked closely with the Apa Sherpa Foundation and the Nepalese nonprofit organisation, Story Cycle, to photograph and map the area on a 10-day expedition. Whilst there, Google created these new Street View images and made improvements to the company’s maps in the region.

Of course, this is the nearest you can get to Mount Everest without getting on a plane! The images taken by Google are near Gorak Shep and the Google team also collected some indoor imagery from the Everest Summiteer Lodge, which was actually constructed by Apa Sherpa back in 1996.

There are some other interesting sights including monasteries and schools. Not forgetting the local yak populous too. Why not spend a few moments checking out the tallest mountain on our planet? Go on, you know you want to.

[Image via famouswonders]

SOURCE: TechCrunch