Many people have tried to conquer Mt. Everest, but they've all been adults. Now a group of kids take on the challenge to become the youngest person to climb the deadly but intriguing mountain.

The author relates his experience of climbing Mount Everest during its deadliest season and examines what it is about the mountain that makes people willingly subject themselves to such risk, hardship, and expense.

Desperate to attract subscribers to his fledgling website, "Journey to the Dark Side," ex-adrenaline junkie and slacker Simon Newman hires someone to guide him through the notorious Cwm Pot caves so he can film the journey and put it on his site. After a brutal struggle for survival, Simon barely escapes with his life, but predictably, the gruesome footage he managed to collect down in the earth's bowels goes viral. Ignoring the warning signs of mental...