Everest

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Story Behind the Photograph: Everest

I was heading due west, from the kingdom of Bhutan in the Indian subcontinent to the capital of India, New Delhi. Having made sure I had an “F” window seat on the plane, away from the wing, camera at the ready, I prayed for clear skies (and a clear window pane) and kept my eyes peeled. From the moment we took off till we begin to descend two-and-a-half hours later, the Great Himalayan range unfolded in front of my eyes.

From the Eastern Himalaya with its lofty peak of Kanchenjunga to the Western Himalaya, the whole range stayed in view, soaring high above a thin veneer of clouds. About a quarter of the way into the trip, there she was. Chomolongma (as the Tibetans call it) or Sagarmatha (the forehead of the skies, as the Nepalis call it) — Mount Everest, the highest mountain on earth, at 29,035 feet (8,850 meters) above sea level.

What was stunning that day was that all the glaciers and icefalls were visible, the peaks to the north and the south were visible, the summit was clear, and there was just enough cloud cover to keep me peering. I was flying fresh from meeting the son of the first sherpa who summited Everest. He had us in rapt attention as he related stories of his father Tenzing Norgay, who had accompanied Sir Edmund Hilary on the way up in 1953.

As the peak passed slowly in front of me, my mind wandered to all the stories I’d heard of people saving up to attempt this Herculean task. Of successful and aborted attempts, the ultimate sacrifices were made, with unspeakable triumphs against odds.

The awe in me for the mountain range dissolved into a humility in the face of Nature’s supreme power.

About Untamed Photographer

Untamed Photographer is an online art gallery that brings together wildlife photography and stories from a range of international environmental artists, both emerging and established.

Structured as an online marketplace, Untamed Photographer offers a selection of handpicked, limited-edition works of art, alongside the photographers’ compelling stories of what occurred in the wild to get the shot. The exclusive limited-edition pieces are printed in Miami and come with an artist-signed certificate of authenticity from their respective worldwide locations.

The Nature Trust of the Americas (NTOTA) was founded with the mission to give back. While building awareness for NTOTA’s causes, the founders met talented nature photographers who are passionate not only about photography, but also about saving the planet. Their life’s work and stories are inspiring, and their art, passion and stories deserve to be shared on a platform that benefits the environmental causes they are dedicated to.

Just as the photographers preserve the beauty of the planet in their art, Untamed Photographer is dedicated to preserving the planet for the future. All profits from photographs go to Untamed Photographer's two pillars: the artists and causes that protect the environment, ecosystems, and wildlife.

About the Photographer: Arati Kumar-Rao

Arati Kumar-Rao is a National Geographic Explorer, an independent environmental photographer, writer, and artist documenting the slow violence of ecological degradation. She communicates through photos, long-form narratives, and art.

Arati crisscrosses the South Asian subcontinent following a single story, across seasons, sometimes over years, in order to chronicle South Asia’s changing landscapes and climate, and its effect on livelihoods and biodiversity.

Arati is currently on a National Geographic Explorer grant to document forced human migration and is working on her first book.

Arati’s work has appeared in The National Geographic Magazine, The Hindu, #Dysturb, The Guardian, BBC Outside Source, Hindustan Times, Mint, and other outlets. She contributes to @EverydayClimateChange and @EverydayExtinction on Instagram and has been exhibited in India and internationally.

When not in the field, she calls Bangalore home where she raises three rescued cats.