Overview

The sport of mountain climbing is known as mountaineering. It has garnered a significant amount of public interest because mountains are both majestic and dangerous at the same time, an unpredictable combination that intrigues and fascinates. Mountaineering began as a pursuit of prestige. Later, the focus shifted to the difficulty of the route taken to the top. In recent years the technique used to reach the summit has become paramount. In addition, new technology, equipment, and materials have increased mountaineering's popularity. The sport's triumph and tragedy have captured public imagination; the two best known examples are the ill-fated attempt of George Leigh Mallory and Andrew Levine to the attain the summit of Mount Everest in 1924, and the first successful ascent of the mountain by Edmund Hillary (1919- ) and Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) in 1953.

Background

Few people...