King of the mountain.

At 7:00 a.m. (Nepalese time) on May 27, 1998, Tom Whittaker fulfilled the dream of his life. After a grueling eight-hour trek up treacherous rock and ice, Whittaker made it to the top of the world--Mr. Everest's summit! Whittaker, who lost his right foot and kneecap in a car accident in 1979, becomes the first disabled person ever to successfully scale the world's tallest peak. Not bad for someone who days before was told by doctor's he'd die if he didn't give up his climb--and dream.

Whittaker's historic trek has all the elements of an adventure flick. He and four climbing partners faced a host of life-threatening dangers (see SW 2/23/98, p. 8): While still at Base Camp (5,371 meters/17,623 ft up Everest), a raging storm with winds gusting up to 161 km/h (100 mph) destroyed tents and equipment at the higher Camps II (6,584 m/21,600 ft) and III (7,315 m/24,000 ft). These camps had been set up so the climbers could rest for a few days and acclimatize themselves, or get used to less-available oxygen at higher altitudes.

Then Whittaker was laid low by a flu-like virus, which left him too weak to climb. Days later, somewhat recovered, Tom reached Camp IV (7,925 m/26,000 ft), known as the Death Zone. Meanwhile three of his companions, Angela Hawse, Gareth Richards, and Tommy Heinrich, stood on Everest's south summit, about 274 m (1,228 ft) short of the ultimate prize. Raging winds turned them back. Safety before glory!

But Tom had to retreat from Camp IV to Camp II, this time stricken with High-Altitude Pulmonary Edema (HAPE)--a severe mountain sickness in which fluids collecting in the lungs can "drown" a person. Doctors at Base Camp radioed Tom at Camp II, urging him to come down to save his life. Tom moved back to Base Camp to recuperate.

After much debate, Tom decided to grapple with a last attempt to scale Everest. On May 24 at 6:00 a.m., Tom, friend Jeff Rhoads, and four Sherpas (native Himalayan mountain guides) set out for the pinnacle. Three agonizing days later, Tom and Jeff stood 8,848 m (29,028 ft) on top of the world. What was Tom thinking? "Thank God there's no more up in front of me!"