Lada Bakal, Tatyana Ukleyko. Mountains of the World: A History of Ascents and Discoveries

Luckily for restless adventurers and travelers, there are mountains on Earth—from the very small to the incomprehensibly enormous. For a time, people avoided them, but then decided to climb them and see what lay above. Thus began a love affair between man and the mountains that continues to this day. This book tells the story of how people first climbed the Alps, the Caucasus, and the Himalayas, of conquering Everest and all the eight-thousanders, of dangers, courage, and adventure. And, of course, of love for mountains, beauty, and the meaning of life. How are mountains constructed? What flags did pioneers plant on their peaks? When did women first set out into the mountains? Why do climbers need crampons, ice axes, and oxygen tanks? Who is called "the Great One" and why? You will find the answers to these and many other questions within the pages of this amazing book.