<p style="font-size:1.25em;color:#666;">Himalaya, Nepal, China</p><p>Ever since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first proved in 1953 that standing atop the world's tallest peak was possible, the mountain has been synonymous with challenge and adventure. Now, each spring, despite the storms, avalanche hazard, bitter cold, and challenging technical climbing, dozens of people–from 13-year-olds to the blind and amputees–clamor to reach the summit and clinch a new record. Despite the hubbub, the mountain remains the pinnacle of mountaineering achievements, and standing on the top is indeed, quite literally, standing on top of the world.</p><p><a href="http://adventure.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/trips/ultimate-adventure-bucket-list/gallery/#/everest-base-camp-night_28295_600x450.jpg">The Next Best: Hike to Everest Base Camp »</a></p>
Summit Everest
Himalaya, Nepal, China
Ever since Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first proved in 1953 that standing atop the world's tallest peak was possible, the mountain has been synonymous with challenge and adventure. Now, each spring, despite the storms, avalanche hazard, bitter cold, and challenging technical climbing, dozens of people–from 13-year-olds to the blind and amputees–clamor to reach the summit and clinch a new record. Despite the hubbub, the mountain remains the pinnacle of mountaineering achievements, and standing on the top is indeed, quite literally, standing on top of the world.
