Climbing Everest: Tales of Triumph and Tragedy on the World's Highest Mountain

These gripping accounts of adventure and danger will mesmerize readers from cover to cover Stunning illustrations and compelling text provide an up-close look at six famous ascents of the world' s highest mountain. Detailed chapters cover the enduring mystery of George Mallory' s death on Everest; Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay' s triumphant first steps on the summit; the Chinese team' s scaling of the mountain from Tibet; Reinhold Messner' s two monumental climbs (one without supplemental oxygen, the other solo); the 1983 American summit via the treacherous East Face; and the heartbreaking 1996 tragedy that claimed the lives of eight climbers during a lethal storm. Sidebars provide a wealth of additional information--from Everest' s unique geography to the effects of altitude, to the Sherpa culture--while extensive backmatter includes a chronology, glossary, an Everest records chart, Everest " Hall of Fame" profiles, and other reference materials for climbing aficionados.