Google launches virtual tour of Everest region

Google has launched a virtual tour of the Everest region, in partnership with a Nepali website, the Story Cycle, the operators of the web portal said on Thursday.
The software enables the viewer to have a 360-degree view of the area.
"The idea was to offer people who cannot visit the Everest region, a window to the region, even if only virtually," said Saurav Dhakal, one of the founders of the Story Cycle.
The software traces the details of the home village of the record Everest climber, Apa Sherpa, who has been on top of the mountain 21 times. It also provides tourists a view of the lodges, monastries and other local scenes, German Press Agency dpa reported.
The project was accomplished during a trek by a team from Google and the Story Cycle in 2014, led by Apa Sherpa himself.
The Everest region is home to the Sherpa community, who make a living guiding foreign climbers up the world's highest peak.
Last year, 16 Sherpa guides died in an avalanche on the mountain.