To the Top: The Story of Mount Everest

Breathtaking photos and an intriguing narrative capture the allure of the world’s highest mountain - and the spirit of the many adventurous souls who have dared to attempt the ultimate climb.


What compels human beings to risk their lives scaling the world’s tallest peak? What challenges do they encounter along the way? Who are the Sherpas, whose guidance and skill keep foreign mountaineers safe? What does it feel like to stand atop Mount Everest, high above Tibet and Nepal?

Esteemed author and climber Stephen Venables answers these questions and many more in a fascinating narrative, accompanied by spectacular photographs from the Royal Geographical Society in London. With a special focus on the first successful climb by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953, this magnificent book touches also on the history of the mountain, earlier failed missions, and the effect that growing Himalayan tourism has had on local people and on the mysterious Mount Everest itself.