In the year 1924, climbing Mount Everest was considered nearly as hard as going to the moon. Two British climbers, George Mallory and Andrew Irvine, tried to do it anyway.
On Mount Everest, the air is so thin it is almost impossible for humans to survive the journey. Even at the level of Mallory and Irvine’s base camp, 23,100 feet (7,041 meters) above sea level, humans struggle to breathe. Today, most people who try to climb Mount Everest have tools, thermal clothing, and other technology that did not exist when Mallory and Irvine set out 100 years ago. Yet, despite all the challenges they faced, they never gave up on their dream, making three different attempts to reach the peak.
Sadly, nobody knows if they made it up to the summit. The pocket camera in Andrew Irvine’s coat has not yet been found.
Scaling Mount Everest—and standing for a few minutes on Earth’s highest elevation—is a dream for many people. No matter the challenges and risks, climbers young and old come for the brief season when weather is clear and reaching the summit is possible.
Most people who come from around the world to climb Mount Everest need someone local to help them. Tourists hire experts called Sherpas to help them scale the dangerous mountain.