Best books about climbing Mount Everest

Standing at 29,035 feet tall, and situated between Nepal and Tibet, Mount Everest is the most recognized of the Himalayan Mountains. Mt. Everest got its name from George Everest, a Surveyor General of India. However, the first people to climb Everest, at least on record, were Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

But many more adventurers, like Andrew Irvine and David Sharp, have since attempted the ascent of Everest. Some lived to tell the tale, while others never made it and were left for dead. For example, the fate of British mountaineer George Mallory remained unknown until the discovery of his body on Mt. Everest in 1999.

If you want to know more about the brave adventurers and the highest mountain of the Himalayas, the following books share some exciting stories.

Great books about climbing Mount Everest

Everest—Mountain without Mercy

In this book, Broughton Coburn pays homage to David Breashears. He was the first American to scale Everest, not only once but twice. What makes this journey to the top of the world and back legendary is that it was part of a film-making project.

Coburn traces the filmmaker and his team’s triumphant journey from base camp to the mountain’s peak. The audiobook version offers an even more immersive way to enjoy one of the most famous mountaineering books.

Lessons From Everest

Written by Dr. Tim Warren and available in audiobook format, Lessons from Everest follows the author’s failed attempt to conquer the mountain in 2007. Dr. Warren explains what he learned while hiking with damaged lung tissue in the Khumbu Valley and why he had an overpowering desire to scale the Big E again after a devastating first attempt.

Ultimately, the book offers universal insight into the difficulty of overcoming life’s many challenges.

Above the Clouds

A two-time National Geographic Adventurer of the year, Killian Jornet is a mountaineering legend. This book is a true story about the author’s life revolving around studying and scaling the world’s most challenging and tallest mountains.

There’s much to learn from a man who summited Mt. Everest without ropes or oxygen.

Summit

Summit is one of the longest audiobooks on the conquest of Everest. The novel follows two climbers from different continents and how their stories intertwine across history. One is a Nazi climber named Josef Becker, and the other is Neil Quinn, a man with eight successful climbs under his belt.

The author spent many hours researching the mountain’s history to give readers a thrilling yet factual experience of scaling Mt. Everest in different eras.

Into Thin Air

Many people have lost their lives trying to climb the world’s highest peak, and there’s no shortage of disaster stories from those who lived to tell the tale. Into Thin Air is a first-hand account from Jon Krakauer, a journalist for Outside Magazine, of one of the deadliest storms to hit the mountain during a prepared expedition.

Krakauer recounts the poor decisions, the unforgiving nature of high-altitude climbing, and the moments of heroism with masterful storytelling.

The Climb: Tragic Ambitions on Everest

The year 1996 saw one of the biggest tragedies occur on the Big E. The Climb by Anatoli Boukreev and G. Weston Dewalt is a faithful account of those events.

The crowded climbing conditions on the Southeast Ridge made things difficult for the mountaineers. It didn’t help that one of the parties met a deadly blizzard and lost their oxygen. Interestingly, the book is DeWalt’s response to Jon Krakauer’s Into Thin Air. Mountain climbing enthusiasts should listen to or read both to better understand the dangers lurking on the summit of Everest.

What made the 1996 climbing season particularly infamous was the fact that two expedition leaders, Rob Hall and Scott Fischer, lost their lives. It proved that under unfortunate circumstances not even the most experienced can escape the mountain’s wrath.

Touching My Father’s Soul

If you know anything about trekking, mountain climbing, and Everest, you know that few people can conquer the summit without Sherpas. Jamling Tenzing Norgay is the author of Touching My Father’s Soul, which gives unique insights into the world of these legendary climbers.

After all, the author’s father shares the record of being the first to conquer the mountain with New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary. Norgay also recounts his own experience on the mountain during the 1996 Mount Everest disaster.

The Conquest of Everest

The Conquest of Everest is one of many people’s favorite books on the experience of climbing Nepal’s deadliest mountain. Sir John Hunt’s account is a must-read for mountaineers and was published only one year after the feat.

Fans of hard copy Everest books can also enjoy breathtaking color and black and white stills from the expedition. The brigadier’s journey has historical significance as he led the first successful British expedition to the top of the mountain.

Notable mentions

• The Third Pole by Mark Synnott

• The Wildest Dream by Conrad Anker

• White Limbo by Lincoln Hall

• Into the Silence: The Great War, Mallory, and the Conquest of Everest by Wade Davis

• Everest: Expedition to the Ultimate by Reinhold Messner

• Dark Summit by Nick Heil

• Left for Dead: My Journey Home from Everest by Beck Weathers (used for the IMAX movie Everest)

Listen to books about Mount Everest on Speechify Audiobooks

A book on Mt. Everest always fits the bill if you want a riveting tale of real-world adventure. Even better, an audiobook narrated by the author of a personal account can almost transport you to the highest peak and back.

Speechify’s audiobook service has a large collection of adventure books and nonfiction literature available in excellent audio quality. It even has three of the most popular titles on the first ascent, tragic expeditions, and other Everest adventures.

Try the platform and get your first Speechify audiobook for free.

FAQ

Can a beginner climb Mount Everest?

In theory, anyone can climb Mount Everest today during the climbing season. However, good physical condition, awareness, and ability to take directions are vital for surviving an Everest expedition. It’s also best to avoid climbing the north face and use the south route.

How much does it cost to be able to climb Mount Everest?

Experienced climbers can scale the mountain while spending less than $20,000. That said, costs can go upwards of $80,000 or $100,000, depending on how much help you require.

Is climbing Everest harder than K2?

Many dub K2 as the most difficult mountain to climb, despite not being nearly as tall as Mount Everest. Its shape and challenging trails create many death zones for inexperienced climbers.

What are the dangers of climbing Mount Everest?

Many dangers await Everest climbers. Altitude sickness, bad weather, extreme cold, summit fever, avalanches, crevasses, and many other challenges make the mountain difficult to scale.

How many people have successfully climbed Mt. Everest?

At least 6,000 people have climbed Mt. Everest and made it back to the Everest base camp. That’s an astonishing number compared to the mere 370 to 400 who climbed K2.

What is Mount Everest’s other name?

Before being named after George Everest, the locals called the mountain Chomolungma. Its Tibetan translation means Mother Goddess of the World. In Nepal, Chomolungma is Sagarmatha. But many people today refer to it by its British name or Big E.