A history of those who have scaled Mount Everest-and the advances in mountaineering over a century. At one time, the summits of the world's highest peaks-Everest included-were beyond reach. Pioneering attempts to overcome the dangers of climbing at extremely high altitudes ended in failure, sometimes with disastrous consequences. Yet today, high-altitude ascents are frequent, almost commonplace. Everest can be conquered by relatively inexperienced...