Top 10 interesting Himalayas facts
The Great Himalayas have always had a touch mystique to them. Standing tall and majestic, with snow capped mountain peaks, valleys, glaciers, rivers, and varied and rich vegetation, this mountain range is a symbol of beauty.
It is this mystic beauty of the Himalayas that has attracted people from across the globe(including some of the world’s greatest mountain climbers) to experience and explore this natural masterpiece.
Here are some lesser known interesting facts about Himalayas:
- The Himalayan mountain system is believed to be one of the youngest mountain systems stretching across six different countries namely Bhutan, Tibet, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Afghanistan.
- Geologists have performed tests over years to prove that The Himalayas are geologically alive. The mammoth mountain range is said to be moving approximately 20mm every year!
- Owing to this constant change and development of the Himalayan Mountains, the entire region is highly prone to landslides, earthquakes and tremors.
- It is believed that around 70 million years ago, there was a massive collision between India and Asia resulting in globe changing repercussions. The Great Himalayas was one such creation, caused by the explosive collision of the two land masses.
- This huge mountain range, served as a natural barrier for thousands of years preventing early interactions between the nationals of India, China and Mongolia.
- This snow capped mountains were rightly named as Himalayas. This translates into ‘the abode of snow’.
- Himalayas stretches over 75% of Nepal. Of the fifteen highest mountain peaks in the World, nine of them are contained within the Nepal Himalayas.
- The Nepalese prefer to call Mt. Everest as “Samgarmatha” which translates into ‘Goddess of the Universe’ or ‘Forehead of the Sky’.
- Tenzing Norgay, the first person to ascent to the summit along with Edmund Hillary, is said to have buried his daughter’s red and blue pencils on the top of Everest.
- Climbing up [Prefer Skiing? Here are 10 places where you can go skiing in India] to the peak of Mount Everest on the Himalayas is every mountaineer’s ultimate test of endurance and stamina. Everest has a death rate for climbers in the region of 9%. And it is recorded that approximately 150 people have died in their expedition of climbing up the Mount Everest so far.
- The three major rivers of the world, namely the Indus River, The Ganges and Brahmaputra and River Yangtze originate from the Himalayas range. And it is also believed that these Himalayan Rivers are older than the Himalayan peaks itself. [Click here to know about trekking on frozen river]
The lofty Himalayas make a dramatic statement on the topography of the Earth. An enchanting gift of Mother Nature, [Wanna go for Trekking in Ladakh] this mountain system is not just a popular holiday destination, but also a treasure chest of unexplored areas waiting to be found by adventurous mountaineers.
Want to know about the best treks in the Himalayas? Check our post on the 50 top treks in the Himalayas.
If you are looking to walk down green and flowery meadows and climb your way up the rugged snow capped mountains and explore, then the Himalayas is the perfect destination for you.