Even though the highest mountain in the world has been conquered many times in the last forty plus years since the first conquest in 1953, Everest is still as mysterious, beguiling and magnificent as ever. Standing incredibly tall silhouetted against the shared sky of Nepal and Tibet, this mountain has many names: Chomolungma, Sagarmatha, Qomolungma or Mt. Everest. Which ever name one chooses, its mystery still lives on. It was first climbed by Sir Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953.

Perhaps the most colorful story about the early attempts on Everest is the one involving Captain J. Noel and his native companions. He disguised himself as a Mohammaden and made a journey from Darjeeling through Northwest Sikkim and round the north of Kanchenjunga in an attempt to reach Everest. Unfortunately, not even the disguise could see him through. His mission was out short just sixty five kms from Everest when a posse of Tibetan soldiers forced them to turn back.

Although there are a dozen or so routes on Mt. Everest we follow the classical route, traditionally the most reliable way to the summit.