The word "Sherpa" can refer both to the profession (guiding paying clients up Mount Everest) as well as the ethnic group in Nepal. They chronicle the amazing strength of the Sherpas and climbers, and provide insight into the controversy surrounding this unusual and incredibly risky sport. In honor of the mountain's climbing season, here are some of the most engrossing books about tackling Mount Everest. Because of the unprecedented scale of the tragedy in April, it is unclear how many people will summit Everest in the 2014 season. But following the death of 16 Sherpas in an avalanche in April, reports indicate that major teams have left the mountain. Teams of climbers usually make their bid for the summit of the mountain in May in order to avoid monsoon season. The sub-genre is also an unusual one because it is largely defined by a few key disasters, in particular the deadly 1996 season. As a result, the nature and unreliability of memory often plays a large role in these narratives. Particularly in what is known as "the death zone," climbers can lack mental clarity because of the high altitude and high-stress atmosphere. The recollections of climbers (and, as a result, authors) are always called into the question by the availability, at any given time, of oxygen. Everest books are a peculiar sub-genre of nonfiction.
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