May 9, 2008

Olympic Torch on Mt. Everest


The Olympic torch has reached the summit of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. The 19-member team broke camp at 8,300 metres before dawn on Thursday and reached the top of the 8,850-metre mountain about six hours later, around 9:20 a.m. local time. During the ascent, the Olympic flame was housed in a special metal canister. When the team was near the top, a wand was used to pass the flame to the torch, which was designed to withstand the frigid, oxygen-thin air.


Live television footage showed a Chinese mountaineering team holding up the torch and Chinese and Olympic flags Thursday at the top of the world. The final torchbearer, a Tibetan woman named Cering Wangmo, stood silently on the peak with the torch while her team members unfurled Chinese and Olympic flags.

Photo: Reuters

0 comments:

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...