WINNER OF THE OUTSTANDING GENERAL SPORTS WRITING AWARD, BRITISH SPORTS BOOK AWARDS
WINNER OF THE BOARDMAN TASKER PRIZE
WINNER OF THE MOUNTAIN & WILDERNESS PRIZE, BANFF FESTIVAL
WINNER OF THE TONY LOTHIAN AWARD, BIOGRAPHERS- CLUB
For the first time, drawing upon previously unseen diaries and letters, rare archive material and interviews, Everest - The First Ascent tells the remarkable story of Griffith Pugh, the forgotten team member whose scientific breakthroughs ensured the world-s highest mountain could be climbed. A doctor and physiologist, Griffith Pugh revolutionised almost every aspect of British high-altitude mountaineering, transforming the climbers- attitude to oxygen, the clothes they wore, their equipment, fluid intake and acclimatisation.
Yet, far from receiving the acclaim he was due, he was met with suspicion and ridicule. His scientific contributions were, quite simply, at odds with old-fashioned notions of derr