Mount Everest, the first attempts to climb Everest, early climbers, Everest expeditions, 8,000 meters, oxygen, the death zone and the road to the summit — this is the story of how humans spent decades learning to survive on the highest mountain on Earth.

This documentary follows the journey from the 1921 reconnaissance expedition to the first confirmed successful ascent in 1953. Discover how early expeditions searched for a route, why extreme altitude became more dangerous than many technical obstacles, what happens to the human body above 8,000 meters, and why climbers needed oxygen systems, high-altitude camps and an enormous logistical network.

We explore the records of 1922, the deadly avalanche, the mysterious disappearance of George Mallory and Andrew Irvine in 1924, the new southern route through the Khumbu Icefall, Tenzing Norgay and Raymond Lambert’s 1952 attempt, and the final ascent by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953.

This is not only a story about reaching the summit. Cold, wind, oxygen deprivation, heavy equipment, dehydration, exhaustion and limited time turned every meter into a problem that had to be solved.

Why did Everest remain unconquered for decades? And what was harder — reaching the summit or making it back alive?