Each climber will possess a good quantity of risk-taking genes, too, as this climb involves both the risk of death and the risk that you’ll bag a great story but no summit.
George Mallory, who died on the mountain in 1924, famously said he wanted to climb it, ‘because it’s there’. For today’s climbers, reaching the summit is often a lifelong dream that inspires a deep sense or reverence, as well as demanding intense preparation and incredible physical and mental toughness. Each climber will possess a good quantity of risk-taking genes, too, as this climb involves both the risk of death and the risk that you’ll bag a great story but no summit. In fact, only half of all climbers make it to the top, and some of these will be Sherpas, professional climbers and guides, as well as paying clients.