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Join Wundery Plus in the Wundery App or on Apple Podcasts. I'm Cassie Depeckle and this is against the odds. Edmund Hillary and Tensing Norgae reached the top of Mount Everest in 1953.

Over the next 40 years, an average of about a dozen people a year followed in their footsteps.

But that changed in the early 1990s, when veteran climbers began leading amateur clients

up the tallest mountain on earth for a hefty fee.

Since then, traffic on Everest has soared and more people climbing Everest means more people die

depending on the year, which in turn has raised

alarms about the risk involved in bringing so many novices to the top of the world.

But despite the dangers, Everist continues to draw more people to its majestic heights.

Nearly 7,000 climbers have now reached its summit.

Journalist Will Cockrell is the author of Everest Inc.

The Renegades and rogues who built an industry at the top of the world.

His book chronicles the history of the Everest guiding industry, from the early Western led companies

to the Nepali-owned ventures that currently dominate the field.

It's a story of triumph, death, and dreams.

Will Cockrell, welcome to against the odds.

Hey, thank you, thank you for having me.

You're a self-described amateur climber,

and you've written about Everest

for many publications over the years, including Outside magazine.

Why did you want to write this book?

I had been reporting on adventure in the broad sense and specifically about Everest and the feats and some of the

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