To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest on 29th May, 1953, by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, Ammonite Press, in association with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), presents a lavish photographic record of this historic event. The Earth’s highest mountain, with a peak 8,848m (29,029ft) above sea level, located in the Himalayas between Nepal and China, has long been a lure for mountaineers and explorers. The dangers of altitude sickness, adverse weather conditions and ferocious winds make the peak tantalisingly difficult to attain. The ninth British expedition, led by John Hunt, made two attempts in 1953. The first climbing pair came to within 100m (300ft) of the summit on 26th May, but were forced to turn back after experiencing oxygen problems. Two days later New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali Sherpa, made a second assault, reaching the summit at 11:30am on 29th May via the South Col Route. The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)‘s extensive archives contain an astonishingly detailed and intimate record of the unsuccessful expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s, and the landmark 1953 expedition, with many fascinating and beautiful images captured by the photographers who accompanied the climbing teams. SELLING POINTS: . Over 400 unique photographs, hand-picked by RGS-IBG’s own Collections staff, and along with descriptive captions, transport the reader from base camp to the snow-clad slopes and ridges of Mount Everest, and to the peak itself. . Included are galleries of more than 150 images of the expeditions in the 1920s, 1930s and the successful 1953 expedition that are not included elsewhere in the book. . Ammonite Press is proud to be the Society’s choice for its official publication on the expedition in 2013, marking the 60th anniversary of the climb. . It is the first time that the RGS-IBG has worked in association with a publisher to produce a photographic art book on the subject. . Publication is timed to coincide with a major exhibition on Mount Everest by the Society to be held at London’s Oxo Tower Wharf from 22nd May to 9th June.