That spring claimed the lives of 12 climbers, a spring that will be remembered for many years to come. The spring of 1996 would turn out to be the most murderous season in the mountain’s history. Jon didn’t realize that this trip was going to be one that would bring him closer to death than he had ever been before. Jon had always dreamed about climbing Everest ever since he was a child, now he had a chance. Jon was offered a place on an upcoming Everest expedition by his publisher, Outside (a climbing magazine), to cover a story about the commercialization of Everest.

May 29, 1953, Hillary and his Sherpa Tenzing were the first men to stand on top of the world. The first man to reach the summit was Edmund Hillary, later knighted by the Queen for his feat.

It would take 101 years for the mountain’s summit to be climbed. Everest after the late general surveyor Sir George Everest. This measurement would later prove to be inaccurate throughout the use of modern lasers and satellite data pictures, the actual height of the mountain was determined to be 29,029 ft. The mountain was first dubbed Peak XV the first measured height of the mountain was 29,002. It was in 1852 in the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India when the highest mountain in the world was discovered. The story starts out with a brief history of Mt Everest.

Into thin air by jon krakauer