Reflected Summit

(The peak is seen in the glasses of a climber at a base camp in Tibet, China. )

The Goal

Mount Everest, or Sagarmatha, is the highest peak in the world, with an altitude of 29,035 feet.

Doorway to the Climb

Commercial tents line the road near the entrance to Everest National Park, in Tibet, China.

Comforts of Home

Inside the domed tent of an expedition outfitter at Everest Base Camp, climbers can watch DVDs on a plasma screen television.

Everything in Check

Dutch guide Werner De Jong uses a medical device at Everest Base Camp to check his blood oxygen level and make sure he is sufficiently acclimated.

Record Breaker

Veteran Sherpas Apa, left, and Lhakpa Gelu display the Nepalese flag after scaling the mountain, May 16, 2007. Apa, who goes by one name, reached the peak for the record 17th time.

Youngest American Ever

Samantha Larson, 18, a senior at Polytechnic High School in Long Beach, California, journeyed to the top with her father David, 51.

Climbers Down

A member of a South Korean expedition tends a pyre for two colleagues who died in an avalanche on May 16, 2007. 

The Height of Success

The Mayor of Prague, Pavel Bem, stands on the peak of Mount Everest holding a Czech Republic flag after summiting on May 18.