Everyone knows Mt Everest. It's of course the highest mountain by elevation in the world, and one of the most popular Himalyan peaks to boot. That of course means that it's known it's share of tragedies, as well as triumphs. And the history of such a peak is beyond fascination.
Mallory and Irvine
File:1921 Mount Everest expedition members (cropped).jpg ...commons.wikimedia.org
No one knows for sure if they made it all the way to the top, but many believe they did. With the gear and sophistication that they had back then, it's an astonishing feat that they made it anywhere near the top. Of course, Mallory and Irvine succumbed to the mountain after a few tries, but they were true pioneers of the sport.
Hillary and Norgay
File:Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.jpg - Wikimedia Commonscommons.wikimedia.org
The first undisputed climb of Everest goes to Englishman Hillary and Sherpa Norgay. They were the next generation of climbing's evolution from the wool coats and pipes of Mallory to the oxygen tank clad mega expeditions. While they may or may not have been the first on the top, they are the first to make the top and return to tell about it.
Current Day
Hundreds of people, from teens to the elderly now try Everest on a yearly basis. This of course has lead to what many consider to be horrible desecration of the mountain itself, as well as entirely foreseeable and avoidable deaths.
My Take
I say leave the mountain alone. As much as I, as a climber, would love to stand on top of the world, enough is enough. Trash, feces, bodies, not to mention the desecration of native peoples' holy land. Let's find another holy grail of climbing. Everest should be set free of us.
