"Celebrating a rich tradition of bravery, thirst for knowledge, and pursuit of glory, Mountaineers tells the stories of the pioneers who first scaled the heights of this planet."--P. [2] of jacket.

Includes index.

The early mountaineers. Climbing for survival ; What mountains mean ; Mountains and Christianity -- Climbing for science and art. A new frontier ; The cultural heights ; The first summiteers -- The Golden Age of alpinism. A fashion for climbing ; The price of adventure ; "An easy day for a lady" ; Birth of modern alpinism -- Beyond the Alps. The greater ranges ; Climbing in the New World ; Alpinism in Japan -- Slaying the giants. The greatest show on Earth ; Back of an envelope ; The Himalayan Golden Age -- The age of extremes. The North faces ; The unwritten rules ; Women mountaineers ; Fast and light -- Mountain directory.