Everest Calling

On 27 May 1993 Dawson Stelfox became the first Irish person to reach the summit following the route used by Mallory and Irvine in 1924. That first success sparked off a fever of adventure. The author reflects on how a trend towards individual achievement, twinned with commercialisation of sport in western society, has left its own mark on the area.

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On 27 May 1993 Dawson Stelfox became the first Irish person to reach the summit of Everest, following the route first attempted by Mallory and Irvine in 1924. This updated edition of the 1994 account recalls that groundbreaking success. It also chronicles many achievements since, including the first Everest success by an Irishwoman, Clare O’Leary, and Pat Falvey’s ascents by two different routes. In 2012, Irishman Noel Hanna completed his fifth Everest ascent. Other highlights include ascents of Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Kanchenjunga, Broad Peak and K2. Mike Barry became the first Irish person to walk to the South Pole, and an Irish crew completed the first east–west circumnavigation of the Arctic in a small yacht. Members of the first Everest expedition still climb and Irish adventurers continue to attempt objectives such as the North Pole on foot. In conclusion, the book reflects on the perspectives of the original eight climbers and on how a trend towards success at the expense of challenge, coupled with commercialisation of sport, has left its mark on the Himalaya.