What was Everest's original designated name?

What was Everest's original designated name?

• A. Peak XV
• B. Everest I
• C. Summit One
• D. Peak Alpha

Answer: (A)

When explorers first cataloged the high peaks of the Himalayas, they gave each major summit a simple numerical label based on where it appeared in their survey. For the peak that would later be known as Everest, the official record called it Peak XV—the fifteenth peak measured along that survey line. That numeric designation was the original label used by the surveying team, long before any personal name was attached to the mountain. The other suggested names weren’t part of the initial survey labeling, and the mountain wasn’t officially called Everest until later, after Sir George Everest. So the original designation is Peak XV.

When explorers first cataloged the high peaks of the Himalayas, they gave each major summit a simple numerical label based on where it appeared in their survey. For the peak that would later be known as Everest, the official record called it Peak XV—the fifteenth peak measured along that survey line. That numeric designation was the original label used by the surveying team, long before any personal name was attached to the mountain. The other suggested names weren’t part of the initial survey labeling, and the mountain wasn’t officially called Everest until later, after Sir George Everest. So the original designation is Peak XV.