Mountains have been a source of wonder, adventure, hardship, and livelihood since the dawn of humanity. They are given epic names that command awe and respect, such as Aconcagua (“sentinel of stone”) and Mawenzi (“the crumpled, jagged, broken one”). The highest mountain on Earth is Mount Everest in the Himalayas of Asia, soaring into the sky at 29,035 feet. Everest’s English name comes from Sir George Everest, a British surveyor and geographer who served as surveyor-general of India from 1830 to 1843.
