To save the day when the crevasse hits the fan; to be chased by AK-47-wielding bandits; to be the one guy who's gotta say, "Time to turn around, everybody"—this is what it means to be a professional guide. (Still interested?)

In an exclusive excerpt from the book by the men who led the quest to solve the mystery of George Mallory's disappearance, the authors for the first time reveal the evidence they uncovered—and offer their chilling re-creation of Mallory and Irvine's last hours.

Alaskan eccentric Trigger Twigg attempts the first winter ascent of the world's tallest face

And other tales from the urban climbing gym

As a young climber, David Roberts believed in the greatness of risk. Then death came suddenly, too easily. And it came again and again.