The aesthetic value of a mountain landscape: A study of the Mt. Everest Trek

Among the most revered landscapes are those in mountain areas. However, the 'mountain' is an idealised western construct; where one's aesthetic understanding and appraisal of them predicates judgement. In Nepal, western exploration and appreciation of the Mt. Everest (i.e. Chomolungma) region is a recent development; commencing mid-twentieth century. This study investigates 10 landscapes found along the Mt. Everest Trek to identify the aesthetic value foreign tourists and local residents place on these mountain environments in 2002-2003. Fifty-three Australian tourists and 73 Sherpa evaluated 68 photographs that represented each landscape from which mean ratings, photo correlations and respondent perceptions of observed imagery were linked to a semantic differential scale. The study identified that the aesthetic value of landscapes found along the Mt. Everest Trek consists of a specific phenomenological structure. Yet, this structure is not limited to bio-physical features (e.g. mountains, trees) but also include concepts (e.g. wilderness) and emotion (e.g. excitement); all of which are discussed in terms of four aesthetic dimensions. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.