When were the first attempts to summit Mount Everest? Did Mallory really say he wanted to climb it just “because it’s there”? How did climbing expeditions spark diplomatic crises in the 20th century – and what was the ‘Affair of the Dancing Lamas’? To mark the 70th anniversary of the first summit of Everest on 29 May 1953, Dr Jonathan Westaway answers listener questions on the history of Everest mountaineering.

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Authors

Dr David MusgroveContent director, HistoryExtra.com

David Musgrove is content director of the HistoryExtra.com website and podcast, plus its sister print magazines BBC History Magazine and BBC History Revealed. He has a PhD in medieval landscape archaeology and is a fellow of the Royal Historical Society.

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