That’s 21000 feet. There are Pakistani posts which are at 24000 feet and one Indian post even higher.
The answer probably is some post in Siachen.
I heard discussion some years ago about putting a ‘structure’ at the summit of Mt. Everest.
This was not really a structure – just a couple-meters square insulated container to hold emergency supplies of food (candy bars, nuts, dried fruit), full oxygen bottles, and possibly water(?). It would provide climbers with some food supplies, and they could exchange their empty oxygen cylinders for full ones.
Since they now have been able to get a helicopter to the top of Mt. Everest, this container could be restocked by someone from the helicopter.
Part of the idea was that the container would have cameras on each side, sending a view from the top of Mt. Everest – this would be available live at any time over the internet. Much of the discussion was about the technical feasibility of this. You would need a power source, but some batteries could be kept charged via a small wind-powered generator – there is almost constant wind there. you would probably need to have a protective glass screen in front of the cameras, and that would need to be heated enough to keep ice off it. And power for a wireless transmitter to send to a ground station to connect to the internet – there probably isn’t a convenient ISP along the slopes of Mt. Everest. All of this equipment would have to be developed & tested to withstand the harsh environment of that mountain top.
Another big part of the discussion was the economics of paying for this.
Mainly it would have to be paid for with advertising dollars. So a computer company (IBM was mentioned) could provide the cameras & internet hardware, with the site being hosted on a site with their logo. Possibly a company like Cisco could provide router hardware, in exchange about being able to boast in their ads about providing ‘the highest server on earth’s surface’.The supplies of candy, etc. would be a minor expense; probably some company like Hershey or Cadbury would be willing to donate them for the advertising value. Transport costs to restock them would be a bigger problem. Perhaps the military of one of those countries could be persuaded to do this. Or perhaps a commercial company would do so, financing the trips by taking a couple rich passengers along.
I don’t know if this was ever a serious possibility at all, but I found it an interesting discussion.
I dunno. I think it would be easier to just keep these idiots off the mountain in the first place. But the Nepalese government makes a fortune off these lunatics, so that’s like never going to happen. I mean, who the fuck would climb a mountain when there is a one-in-four chance of getting killed in the process? Twenty-five percent mortality rate and you still want to climb the damn thing? Are you HIGH or something? I’m not sure if I would even want to do any of the Seven Summits. Just too damn dangerous. Even Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro are high enough to cause cerebral embolism. No thanks. I’ll stay here in the comfort and relative safety of the Batcave and watch the IMAX Blu-ray discs.
If Mount Kosciuszko (the highest mountain in Australia) counts as one of the Seven Summits, it’s not dangerous at all: just very pleasant walk to the top from the nearest road or the nearest ski-lift.
I see what you did there…
Aucanquilcha, Ollagüe, Chile was a mountain top sulfur mine. The photo is of mine buildings at 19500 feet. The mine is currently closed. The barracks for the miners was at about 18000 feet.
I believe there may be buildings that are higher in elevation on the Saichen glacier but I haven’t found any written or photographic evidence yet.
There is a hut at the Thorong La pass in Nepal. Elevation 17769 feet. Word has it the hot tea there is bad ass!
The link is to a photo of a Pakistani Army post near the Saichen glacier. I don’t know the elevation but I bet it’s up there.
http://thepakistanexplorer.com/siachen-glacier-gilgit-baltistan/
You can now get 4G LTE service at the peak of Mt Everest.