The Himalayas are home to the 14 greatest mountains on the planet—each towering over 26,246 feet. In breathtaking images and panoramic mountain maps, Himalaya marks the 60th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay"s landmark ascent of Everest, as well as the 50th anniversary of the first successful American expedition. It examines the region"s geographical origins, peoples, and discovery by the West, along with heroic pioneering ascents—including K2, Nanga Parbat, Annapurna, Kangchenjunga, and Lhotse—and new frontiers, routes, and mountaineering techniques. Includes contributions from the world"s preeminent mountaineers and alpine writers including Stephen Venables, Mick Conefrey, Peter Gillman, Stewart Weaver, and Amanda Faber as well as legendary passages from the likes of Maurice Herzog, Edmund Hillary, and Hermann Buhl. A series of 20 brand-new “vulture"s eye"”panoramic mountain maps bring the world"s highest peaks, and the routes by which they were conquered, into sharp focus for the very first time.