Discusses the lives and accomplishments of five women who traveled and explored the mountainous regions of the world in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

A veteran mountaineer recalls some of his most dangerous climbs as he pursued the goal of reaching the summit of the world's fourteen 8,000-meter peaks, discussing some of his own close calls and rescues, and errors in judgment on the part of fellow climbers.

A lavish visual survey of more than 80 of the world's greatest mountaineers--who they were, where they went, and how their expeditions shaped the course of human history--"Mountaineers" will explore the history of expeditions, from the Alps and other European peaks to Everest and other peaks in Himalayas, and the Andes.

"While tension steadily rose between European powers in the 1930s, a different kind of battle was raging across the Himalayas. Contingents from Great Britain, Nazi Germany, and the United States had set up rival camps at the base of the mountains, all hoping to become recognized as the fastest, strongest, and bravest climbers in the world. Carried on across nearly the entire sweep of the Himalayas, this contest involved not only the greatest mountain...