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The story of Everest begins simply enough, with the British survey of the Himalayan Range to determine if Peak 15 is indeed the highest mountain in the world. Balloonists prove that it could be possible to survive at such a high altitude, beginning the race for the peak. Thirty years of defeats, failure, and death passed before two men would stand on the roof of the world. Since then, there have been new routes to find, new nations that wished to claim the peak. The stories of these men and women and the expeditions they served is told in Into the Thin Air of Everest. From George Mallory to the 1996 tragedy, this series explores the major personalities and expeditions covering an 80-year span. Two faster-paced videos, Death on Everest and The Quest, are paired with the classic expedition documentary The Conquest of Everest, giving the series a great modern perspective with a good background of the history of the mountain. Those who know the mountain best tell the story of Everest: the guides, expedition leaders, and legends such as Sir Edmund Hillary. As much as mountain climbing is the story of man against nature, there is also special attention paid to the science and equipment of high-mountain climbing. The demonstration of the technological advances in clothing and equipment that give the climbers a better chance to succeed, and sometimes to survive, is presented in contrast to the equipment of the pioneers who braved the mountain in clothes better suited to a stroll in the Scottish Highlands. The film also covers the major controversies in Everest's history--the questions that will never be answered, such as did Mallory make it to the top, and the questions that have no answers, such as whether the commercialization of Everest should be allowed. The men, the women, the mountain, the dream, the nightmare, the quest, the conquest--all these are the stories told in Into the Thin Air of Everest. Among them are the heroes of Everest who made it and those who did not: Mallory, Hillary, Norgay, Hornbein, Unsoeld, Whittaker, Messner, Hoey. This documentary captures the timeless challenge of Everest: to stand on top of the world for no other reason than because it is there. --Aaron Abrams
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