Mount Everest - about now is the time teach it perhaps?

Our Year 7s explore Adventure Landscapes, and as part of that they create some work on mountains and the nature of mountains. We use a range of resources including extracts from a number of books, and some DVDs including ancient archive films. Students are asked to write about whether they think Mallory and Irvine reached the summit of Everest. I have a picture of Irvine's ice axe and also some of Mallory - have blogged before about connections at Shrewsbury and Charterhouse schools.

Several weeks ago there was the sad news of the deaths of a number of climbers while attempting to climb or having summited the mountain, but also the bravery shown by some of them, who turned back from their own summit attempts to help other climbers.

This is the main window for climbing the mountain, and each day when the conditions are right, there are hundreds of people on the mountain.

An article here on the sad medical issues that are facing a large number of climbers.
The Guardian has a dedicated section on Mount Everest stories.

Also check out Matt Podbury's 8850m resource if you are intending to teach this topic.
Other issues include litter, the 'death zone', the avalanche following the Nepal earthquake and the life of the Sherpa. 
Also Jan Morris' suggestion that the mountain should be left alone... which I've blogged about before.
Aim high...