Delhi to Hong Kong

Everest is visible in the centre of this satellite image with a plume of clouds floating over its peak.

This diagram illustrates how the Himalayas were formed. The plate on the left is the Indian continent colliding with the Asian continent on the right.

The rock at the peaks of the Himalayas was once the bed of a sea that lay between Asia and India.

1921 - Mount Everest from Rongbuk Glacier 9 miles north west of the peak. The Himalayas have been carved up by glaciers, huge ice rivers that flow down the mountains.

India was once separated from Asia by the Tethys Sea. The seabed became the peaks of the Himalayas when the continents collided 20 million years ago.

Mount Everest is the highest peak in the world, measuring 8,848m.

The Himalayas were formed by the collision of the Indian continent into the Asian continent.

The Himalayas were formed when the Indian continent collided with Asia, forcing the Earth's crust to crumple up into mountains.

As seen from the International Space Station, the Himalayas and Mount Everest look relatively small. In fact, they reach nearly the height of a commercial aircraft in flight.

1921 - Mount Everest showing North Peak and Col (22,750 ft/6,934m) from peak above advanced camp.

This diagram shows how the gradual subduction of the Indian plate beneath the Eurasian Plate forced the Himalayas to rise.

Glaciers have carved up the Himalayas creating the magnificent peaks we see today.

This satellite image reveals the glaciers that run down from Mount Everest that have carved away at the limestone top-layers over millennia to shape the mountain.

Satellite images reveal the crumpled up Himalayas which were formed by the collision of the Indian continent into the Asian continent.

The Himalayas began to form around 20 million years ago and are still rising today as India continues to push northwards into Asia.

This map shows the direction of the Indian plate into the Eurasian plate forming the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau.

The top of Everest is made up of limestone and contains fossils of marine life preserved in the rock, similar to this coastal cliff face.

Measuring Everest has been a challenge, as many disagree on whether or not to include the ice and snow at the mountain's peak in its height, which would make it four metres higher.

This satellite image is annotated with numbers representing the mountains in the Himalayas by their position on the list of highest mountains. Everest is represented by the number 1.

The peaks of Everest and Lhotse catch the last glimpses of sunlight at dusk.

The Himalayas is home to almost all of the world's highest mountains. Everest, Malaku, Cho Oyu, Shishapangma and Manaslu are all over 8,000m high.

Mount Everest is made of a huge slab of rock that was thrust upwards by the movement of Earth's tectonic plates.

Everest is located on the border between China and Nepal. The two nations disputed the measurement of the mountain for decades.

Mount Everest was first measured in 1852 with a theodolite like this. The machine measures angles using a series of telescopes.

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, almost as high as cruising altitude of a commercial aircraft.

1953 - The sunlight glints off the peak of Everest which is obscured by cloud.

From an airplane it is clear which peak is Everest, as it towers above the surrounding mountains.

It is very difficult to measure Everest as it is surrounded by peaks. Nuptse can be seen in the foreground here, which is 7,861m high.

Dhaulagiri was discovered in 1809 and thought to be the highest mountain in the world. Measuring 8,172m high it was 1,000m higher than the existing tallest mountain, Aconcagua, in the Andes.

At 8,598m high, Kanchenjunga was thought to be the highest mountain in the world before Everest was discovered. It is actually the third highest after Everest and K2.

28th May 1953 - Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the day before they approached the summit of Everest.

29 May 1953 - Tenzing Norgay on the summit of Mount Everest at 11.30am on 29th May 1953. Tenzing waves his ice-axe on which are hung the flags of Britain, Nepal, the United Nations and India.

1953 - Aerial photograph showing the route followed by the expedition. In the foreground is the Khumbu Glacier, into which runs the icefall from the snow-covered Western Cwn.

1953 - Tenzing and Hillary smiling after reaching the summit of Everest.

26th May 1953 - Tom Bourdillon on the South Summit of Everest on the first attempt at the summit which ended unsuccessfully.

1953 - Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay approaching the South East ridge at 27,300 feet (8,321m).

1953 - Sherpas at Camp IV eating and resting. Seven camps were established at different altitudes up the mountain.

1953 - Hillary's Sherpa party loaded with supplies en route for base camp. It took three weeks to reach base camp from the foot of Everest.

Members of the 1953 Mount Everest Expedition. Hundreds of porters accompanied the team to carry supplies and guide the party.

1953 - Noyce and Sherpa porters by the side of crevasse in the Western Cwm en route to Camp IV.

1953 - Camp IV - Advance Base Camp. Seven camps were established on Everest during the expedition to allow the party to acclimatise to the altitude.

29th May 1953 - West view from the Summit (showing Pumori, Cho Oyo, Lingtren and the West Rongbuk Glacier) taken by Edmund Hillary.

1953 - Sherpas in crampons cross log bridge over a crevasse, Western Cwm.