?What: An enquiry into 'Should a sustainable base camp be built on Everest?'
Why: To understand the processes that have formed Everest
To consider different perspectives
How:
Why: To understand the processes that have formed Everest
To consider different perspectives
How:
- The physical Geography of Everest (tectonics and glaciation)
- Tourism on Everest- the different groups that use Everest
- Sustainable development in extreme environments
What is everest like?
RGS – Fact SheetEverest is just one of 30 peaks of the Himalaya range which rise to more than 25,000 feet (7620 metres). The vast Himalayan complex covers an area of about 594,400 sq km (about 229,500 sq miles) and extends in an arc of about 2410 km (about 1500 miles). It stretches from the Indus River in northern Pakistan eastward across the disputed territory of Jammu and Kashmìr; down into northern India; across part of southern Tibet and over most of Nepal, the Indian state of Sikkim, and Bhutan.
The world’s highest mountain lies at the northern edge of the Solu-Khumbu administrative district and within the Sagamartha National Park (established in 1976) in Nepal. The park was identified as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1979 and is home to around 5000 Sherpas who live within the park. The word Himalayacomes from a Sanskrit term meaning “abode of snow”. NEPAL – FACT FILE
Nepal is officially known as the Kingdom of Nepal. Kathmandu is the capital city. It has some of the most difficult landscape in the world. Nepal is the one of the poorest countries in the world with 42% of the population living below the poverty line. One of Nepal’s main natural resources is its forests, which cover one-sixth of the country and provide timber, firewood, and herbs used in medicine. Forestry is an important industry. Wood supplies most of the energy used in Nepal. But this has led to widespread deforestation and erosion. Rice is one of the main crops grown. Corn (maize), wheat, potatoes, sugarcane, and millet are also widely grown. Nepal also produces herbs for medicine which grow on the slopes of the Himalayas. Cattle, buffalo, goats, and sheep are kept by farmers. Nepal’s population is growing and more than two-fifths of the population is younger than 15 years of age. Nearly everyone lives in rural areas. Kathmandu is one of the places where many people live. Tourism has grown over the last few years. The Kathmandu valley, however, is the only area which has all the facilities needed for foreign tourists. Tourism has brought major economic changes to the region, leading to wealth for many, but also changing patterns of people use the land. Nepal has many different ethnic groups that are facing many difficulties brought about by all the changes, especially in access to natural resources, education and development activities. As survival from farming alone becomes increasingly difficult, people believe that education is the best way for their children to find employment. |
https://play.kahoot.it/#/k/5677df38-8156-426a-adc5-5a55c35bd3ac
| ||
The making of everest
Objective: To find out about the conditions that surround the highest mountain in the world.
Tectonic processes
|
|
RGS – Fact Sheet
Millions of years ago neither Mount Everest nor the Himalaya existed. These high mountains were created by movement of tectonic plates. According to the theory of plate tectonics, the surface of the Earth is broken up into a series of plates, which move around on the surface of the earth. When the dinosaurs still dominated the Earth, the Indo-Australian plate began moving northwards. About 50 million years ago, the Indian continent (carried by the Indo-Australian plate) started to collide with Eurasia. This began to squash and thicken the edges of the plates and the result of this cataclysmic collision was the buckling up of the land to form the Himalaya. This vast mountain range stretches approximately 2,414 km (1,500 miles) and is home to the world’s highest mountains. In fact, the story doesn’t end there because the Indo-Australian plate continues to move northwards, carrying India with it, which pushes up the mountains further. This means that even today Mount Everest and the Himalaya are actually growing higher. The base of Everest is made up of metamorphic rocks, known as schists. These are rocks that started as muds and sands that have been crystallised as a result of the collision. Higher up the mountain is a there is also a huge band of granite.Nearer the top of the mountain, the rocks are mainly sedimentary. For example, within a few hundred metres of the summit is a formation known to climbers as the ‘Yellow Band’. This layer of shale, sandstone and limestone is made up of marine silts, clays and animal remains. In the past these formed the bed of the ocean that separated India from Asia before the collision of the plates. However, during the collision these deposits were lifted up to more than 8000 meters (over 28,000 feet) above sea level. The actual summit of Mount Everest stands at 8,848 metres (29,028 feet). It has the shape of a huge triangular pyramid. This type of mountain summit is known as a pyramidal or horn peak. It has three knife-edged ridges running down from it, known as arêtes. The summit is made of limestone and many sandy layers. When climbers stand on the summit and look out from the roof of the world they are perching on the remains of millions of years old marine animals and plants! |
Glaciation processes
Task: Create a cartoon strip to explain the making of Everest
Success criteria for cartoon strip
Link to processes:
Include tectonics theory
geology and
glaciation theory
Include a range of appropriate geographical terminology
Include well annotated diagrams
Include the correct processes in a logical order
Success criteria for cartoon strip
Link to processes:
Include tectonics theory
geology and
glaciation theory
Include a range of appropriate geographical terminology
Include well annotated diagrams
Include the correct processes in a logical order
The Death zone
|
| |||||
Mystery: Why was Green Boots in the same place until 2014 when he mysteriously disappeared and then reappeared and is back in 2017?
What is The impact of tourism on Everest and NEpal?
|
Task:
While watching the video to the left make notes on: -What is the Everest region like? - What the positive impacts of tourism? -What are the negative impact of tourism? Extension: can you categories these into social, economic and environmental impacts? | ||||
The people of Everest
Objective: To find out who lives close to Mount Everest and how these people help mountaineers to climb Mount Everest.
|
|
|
RGS – Fact Sheet – Sherpa peopleThe people of the Everest region are mainly the Sherpa who live in an area called the Solu-Khumbu district. The district lies in the northern part of the Sagarmatha National Park which was established in 1976.
The word Sherpa means ‘people from the East’ and refers to their origins in Eastern Tibet. Early Sherpa settlements are thought to have been established in the 16th century. Subsistence farming was their main livelihood, supplemented by trading activities. Historically, Sherpa food is derived from high altitude crops such as potatoes, barley and buckwheat. Nepali foods like lentils and rice are also a staple of the Sherpa diet. The Chinese takeover of Tibet in the 1950s meant that trading across the Nangpa La pass was no longer possible. The route was used by Tibetan traders who would bring down yaks, salt and dried sheep meat from Tibet and return with goods from India, such as rice, corn and millet. This coincided with the first Western mountaineering expeditions in the region, which led to the introduction and rise of trekking tourism in the area.
Tourism is recognised to be of great importance to the well-being of communities of the Solu-Khumbu region, both in employment and income opportunities. But against this background there are many social and economic problems. These include the effects of tourism on religious traditions and monastic life, although recent research now suggests a more complex picture; that many Sherpas have managed to adapt to tourism successfully and without any great loss of culture. However, the environmental effects have been far greater.
Sherpa culture is distinctly different from the other ethnic groups of Nepal. Sherpa religion and culture have evolved from years of myths, stories and religious practice, and have always been subject to a wide range of influences. Since the expeditions to Mount Everest, Sherpas have become a ‘celebrated people’ and received a great deal of international fame. The Sherpa themselves are aware of this fascination with their culture and have been able to direct this interest towards the building and repair of local monasteries. However, lifestyles have changed from one village to the next, from wealthier to poorer households and it is women rather than men who have taken on greater farming and domestic responsibilities. It is usually the women and less wealthy who are likely to maintain the ‘traditional’ link with the past. Many examples, such as the refurbishment of Tengboche Monastery and a culture and climbing museum dedicated to the many climbers that have climbed Everest show a positive world view of Sherpa culture.
Nepal’s porters
Nepal’s people have always moved goods around the high alpine reaches of the Himalayas. The ‘traditional porter’ continues to work for local people. The job is not well paid and the loads are heavier but it is not so dangerous as it is usually carried out between villages at a lower altitude (although this has been changing with more hotels and restaurants being built up at altitude). What is new is the modern trekking and tourism economy in which they now work. It is a valuable industry that provides jobs in one of the world’s poorest countries on the one hand, while at the same time porters have been working under appalling and dangerous conditions.
The high altitude porters are often Sherpas who carry loads above base camp on expeditions. Most trekking porters are poor farmers from lowland areas, and are as unused to the high altitudes and harsh conditions as western trekkers. Many people don’t know this and a myth seems to have been created that porters are superhuman, that they carried massive loads in harsh conditions and they are used to cold and high altitudes meant nothing to them.
There are around 100,000 trekking porters working in Nepal in a good trekking season. They mostly come from the lower altitude middle hills and are typically poor farmers who need the cash. They often carry above the tree line into snow conditions, at altitudes up to and above the height of an expedition base camp. As a result they are at high risk of hypothermia, frostbite and Acute Mountain Sickness. This occurs when trekkers gain altitude too quickly and don’t drink enough water. The symptoms can range from bad headaches or nausea to pulmonary oedema, a dangerous accumulation of water in the lungs.
In 1997, the International Porters Protection Agency (IPPG) was formed after a young Nepali mountain porter fell sick and was dismissed while still at high altitude. After being paid off and sent down on his own, he died at the side of the trail. The aim of the IPPG is for every porter to have access to adequate clothing, boots, shelter and food, appropriate to the altitude and weather, plus medical care when ill or injured. The organisation also raises awareness of the problems endured by trekking porters and to educate and change the practices where necessary. This applies to trekking companies and their employees, (especially the leaders and sirdars who are directly in charge of porters), trekkers and the porters themselves.
A recent campaign by Tourism Concern ‘Trekking Wrongs; Porters’ Rights has led to a dramatic increase in the number of UK ‘porter friendly’ trek operators. As a result of this, 40 of the 81 tour operators contacted by Tourism Concern now have policies to provide essential protection and humane working conditions.
Task: Use the information on above, the videos and the files below to complete the information on 'Life in the Mountains'
| sherpas_prepare_to_clean_up_everest.docx |
| sherpa_language.docx |
| sherpa_history.docx |
| sherpa_religion.docx |
| traditional_dress_homes_and_diet.docx |
| sherpa_economics.docx |
| sherpa_culture.docx |
Sherpa task
Choice 1:
You need to create a person profile (like you find on the back pages of magazines) for the Sherpa. A photo should be in the middle and this should be surrounded by important information to enable the reader to gain as much information as possible about the people*
*Hint – most people think that ‘Sherpa’ is a name given to people who carry the equipment of climbers and have no idea that they are a race of people.
Choice 2:
The Hardest Job on Earth?
You must now carefully read the fact sheet and watch the YouTube video above.
Create a job advert for a Sherpa Guide on Everest.
The mortality (death) rate of a typical Sherpa working on Everest is around 1.2%. That means one out of every 100 Sherpa will die doing their job.
Choice 3:
Write a follow up article for the newspaper who reported ‘Sherpas prepare to clean up Everest’ from the perspective of one of the Sherpas who has just returned from ‘The Death Zone’
You need to write at least three detailed paragraphs about how you prepared for the trip before leaving, why you are helping on this trek and what you so whilst on the trek
Choice 1:
You need to create a person profile (like you find on the back pages of magazines) for the Sherpa. A photo should be in the middle and this should be surrounded by important information to enable the reader to gain as much information as possible about the people*
*Hint – most people think that ‘Sherpa’ is a name given to people who carry the equipment of climbers and have no idea that they are a race of people.
Choice 2:
The Hardest Job on Earth?
You must now carefully read the fact sheet and watch the YouTube video above.
Create a job advert for a Sherpa Guide on Everest.
- The average wage in Nepal is $1300 per year.
- The average wage for a two month Everest expedition is between $5000-6000.
The mortality (death) rate of a typical Sherpa working on Everest is around 1.2%. That means one out of every 100 Sherpa will die doing their job.
Choice 3:
Write a follow up article for the newspaper who reported ‘Sherpas prepare to clean up Everest’ from the perspective of one of the Sherpas who has just returned from ‘The Death Zone’
You need to write at least three detailed paragraphs about how you prepared for the trip before leaving, why you are helping on this trek and what you so whilst on the trek
Debate: Should a PERMANENT base camp be built on Everest?
| ks3_impossible_resourcesheet-roleplay_cards.doc |
| public_meeting_notes.doc |
| ks3_impossible_resourcesheet-public_meeting_note_taking.doc |
Assessment: sustainable building design
| plan_for_the_settlement_instructions.doc |
| creating_a_permanent_settlement_at_base_camp.pptx |
