Introduction
Shishpangma, is the 14th of eight-thousanders. This is the lowest of all the eight thousanders. With two peaks mounting to 8027 meters and 8013 meters It is one of the less challenging mountains to climb from all the eight thousanders. To date, about 350 summits were made with around 35 of climbers losing their lives. I invite you to a thought Journey through the fascinating 14th eight-Thousander
14th Eight thousander is not Short at all.
Our minds trick us sometimes thinking that being a 14th in a list of 14 is bad. Clearly this is not the case. Let's analyze this phenomenon. Think that you are in a school. You learn enough to get through to the university and in the university you fail. You become the last in a group of a class. Does this mean you are the Last? How easily you forget all the effort you have pulled thorough to get to the position you are in. Only few ever go to the university.
Think about an Olympic 100m game. You are running with all the other competitors from all around the world. It is even harder to get selected to the Olympic games. And you are at the finals. We all look at the first second and the third. Maybe the fourth only because he is giving a good fight to become the third. Do we ever talk about the seventh? Does it even cross your mind, or even your eyes pick up who is seventh? Unless he is not from your country or some specific reason, we do not keep our attention to the seventh. Yet, it is a great achievement to become seventh in Olympic games which we take for granted. And this is true to any competition.
Mountain Shishapangma the eight thousander in its full glory.
Now, let's look at Mountain Shishapangma with this new wisdom we gained. Then we can fully appreciate the value of the mountain as it is.
If you think about any mountain you have seen in your country, It is likely that Mountain Shishapangma is bigger and taller than any of these. Truely speaking if you are not in India, or Nepal or in Pakistan, all the mountains all around the world are less tall than Mountain Shishapangma, and that is a fact. This includes, Rockey's Andes, Alps, even great mountain Kilimanjaro. So, becoming 14th in a list of 14 is a great achievement only if you are able to fully appreciate what it means. Not only by height and the volume. Mount Shishapangma is taller on death rates than any other mountain as well except the ones before it on the list. Even to reach the base of such a giant mountain is challenging than any other hike. Yet alone climbing one. Most of the men and women can only dream about it.
Story about a vegetable market.
Let's go back to our classroom lesson. There is a story once I was told about a vegetable market. Here, I will write to illustrate the above fact.
When fresh vegetables come to the market, It initially goes to the shop owners. They open up the bought vegetables and select good vegetables and they only buy good lots of vegetables. Imagine they buy Three loads of brinjal. In their shop these vendors sort most fresh and edible looking vegetables and they set their price high. They do this in turn and make separate quality of vegetable heaps from most fresh to least. And of course, they will find vegetables which are not aesthetically appealing and maybe little damaged on transport, over or under harvested ones, and these wholesale vendors sell the last heap of vegetables to a secondary seller who is willing to pay some small cash. These secondary sellers are not shop owners. Once they buy the poor-quality vegetable heap, they also separate vegetables into a quality groups and display by the side of the road outside the market, At a lower price. If you are not from an affluent country, you would see such a market. Even if you are from an affluent country if you are into business, you would have seen such black markets.
I was told by some wise teacher once. "It is far better to be a bad vegetable in a good heap of vegetables than a good vegetable in the bad heap of vegetables."
It seems obvious at first, but why does this happen? Why do we forget that fact it is a fact to be a bad vegetable in a good heap of vegetables is better?
Spectrums of nature.
I think part of the problem is we fail to look at the world as a spectrum. This is exactly what I tried to explain the in the following articles about spectrums of nature. It seems vegetables in a market is a spectrum than heaps. If we want to find out the value of something, we have to look at the full spectrum of the things rather than one specific subcategory.
Let's apply this new intuition to above examples from life and mountains.
When you are in an academic journey, we fail to recognize the fact that we are above the levels that we previously passed. If we keep our academic achievements on a spectrum if you are above high school level, that would be more than half of the world population. Yet we fail to recognize this and be happy about it. We always compare ourselves with few other people who are around us.
When it is Olympic games, we fail to look at all the men or women who are in the world. We just look at the seven on the race. So, we only see the first three or four who are the winners. This is true for each and every race. If we forget the fact there are thousands and thousands of athletes who do not even, make it to the stadium we will only just see a race only between handful of them.
Similarly, Eight-thousanders is only a small subgroup of mountains in the world. When we focus on the top 14 we fail to recognize the rest of the hundreds and thousands of them who did not even make it to the list. So, when I say it is a less challenging climb from all the eight thousanders, most of us even would not think about attempting. After all it is only a relative truth.
Fact Sheet:
Elevation and Ranking:
Mount Shishapangma stands tall at an impressive elevation of 8,027 meters (26,335 feet), making it the 14th highest mountain in the world1.
It is the youngest among all the 8,000-meter peaks.
Location and Names:
Situated in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China, Mount Shishapangma is known by various names, including Gosainthan, Gosaithan, and Xixabangma.
The name “Gosainthan” means “place of the saint” or “Abode of God” in Nepali2.
First Ascent:
The mountain remained unclimbed until May 2, 1964, when a Chinese expedition team led by Xu Jing successfully reached the summit for the first time.
They ascended the central summit, marking a significant achievement in mountaineering history.
Buddhist Pilgrimage:
Mount Shishapangma holds immense religious significance for Buddhists. It is considered the holy abode of the Buddhist deity Dorje Zongpo.
Many Buddhist pilgrims visit the mountain to pay their respects and seek blessings.
Unique Geographical Features:
What makes Mount Shishapangma stand out is its distinctive pyramid-shaped structure, with multiple towering ridges connecting to its main peak.
The prominent central summit is the highest point of the mountain.
Challenging Climbing Routes:
Mount Shishapangma presents a significant challenge to mountaineers due to its technical climbing routes.
The north face is particularly renowned for its steepness and demanding route known as the “Snake Ridge.”
Height Variation:
Mount Shishapangma experiences a significant height variation between its base and summit.
From the Tibetan Plateau, where its base is located, to its highest point, the mountain rises over 2,900 meters (9,500 feet)1.
Conservation Efforts and Winter Ascents:
Conservation efforts aim to protect its fragile ecosystem.
Winter ascents of Mount Shishapangma are considered remarkable achievements.
In summary:
Mount Shishapangma is not only a challenging climb for seasoned mountaineers but also a place of cultural and natural significance. Its pyramid shape, religious importance, and technical climbing routes make it a captivating destination for adventurers worldwide.
We fail to recognize importance of 14th eight-thousander as we fail to see the big picture of the spectrums of nature.
Thank you for reading: Eight Thousanders - Mountain Shishapangma
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