Mt. Everest, which is 29028 feet above sea-level,is the highest mountain in the word. Many climbers have tried to reach the top on foot, but most of them have not been successful in their attempts.
In trying to climb the highest mountains, the climbers have to overcome many difficulties. The snow is deep. They have to cut steps in the ice in many places. The air is not only very cold but also very thin, so that men can hardly breathe until they get used to the conditions. There are almost always strong winds and the weather is very bad most of the time except during a few weeks in summer. It takes a long time to go a short distance.
In 1921 a party of climbers who hoped to conquer Mt.Everest reached a height of more than 24000 feet. Another party climbed up to a height of 27235 feet in 1922, but for various reasons they had to give up the attempt. Two years later, on june 8th, two Englishmen, Mallory and Irvine, went up as high as 800 feet from the top before they disappeared. They never returned. Whether they lost their lives on the way up, or, after success, on the way down, none can tell.
The first successful attempt to climb Mt.Everest was made by Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. They reached the top on May 29th ,1953.