Google Maps adds view from Mount Everest

Google on Monday added views from some of the world's tallest mountains to scenes woven into its popular online map service. Arm chair explorers were invited to take virtual adventures with members of Google's Street View team to Aconcagua in South America, Kilimanjaro in Africa, Mount Elbrus in Europe, and Mt. Everest base camp in Nepal. "Whether you're scoping out the mountain for your next big adventure or exploring it from the comfort and warmth of your home, we hope you enjoy these views from the top of the world," Google adventurer Dan Fredinburg said in a blog post. "With Google Maps, you can instantly transport yourself to the top of these peaks and enjoy the sights without all the avalanches, rock slides, crevasses, and dangers from altitude and weather that mountaineers face." The mountains climbed by the Street View team were among peaks referred to as the 'Seven Summits;' the highest peaks on the Earth's continents. 'Googlers' who made the ascents took the pictures with tripod-mounted digital camera equipped with a fisheye lens to capture 360-degree views. Street View teams have cycled, driven and walked through cities and towns around the globe capturing images to add to online maps, letting people see what it might be like to stand at a spot they are curious about. Google has added images from a Nunavut community in the Canadian Arctic and a portion of the Amazon in Brazil.