EVEREST, INC. The Renegades and Rogues Who Built an Industry at the Top of the World

Will Cockrell interviews a plethora of Western and Sherpa guides and climbers to illustrate how the business of climbing Mt. Everest has changed. Pete Simonelli's performance is perfect. His voice is slightly gruff yet eminently likable, and he has just the right combination of enthusiasm and notes of wry amusement. Without trying on accents, Simonelli does an excellent job of differentiating the numerous quotations from guides that pepper the narrative. Cockrell explains that Everest was once the preserve of skilled mountaineers representing national expeditions, but in the 1980s a new guiding industry began coaching less experienced climbers up to the top of the world. More recently, those Western companies that dominated the guiding landscape--while relying heavily on Sherpa labor--have been replaced by Nepali-owned organizations. A.B. © AudioFile 2024, Portland, Maine [Published: JUNE 2024]