Where 1A is produced, in Washington, D.C., is about 250 feet above sea level.
Today, we’re going much higher – to 17,000 feet above sea level. That’s the height of Everest Base Camp in Nepal.
Hundreds of climbers and guides are gathered there now before attempting to ascend another 12,000 feet to the world’s tallest point, the summit of Mount Everest.
Since New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay first climbed to the top of Mount Everest in 1953, nearly 7,000 people have accomplished the feat.
The number of climbers has skyrocketed in recent years, and along with it, a bustling industry to support the most adventurous among us.
What has the boom meant for the Nepali Sherpas, the climbers, and the mountain itself?
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