You Don't Fool Around with Mountains

On the morning of Thursday, 18 May 2006, with the summit of Mount Everest in full view, Selebelo ‘Sele’ Selamolela gathered all his strength for the last hard push to reach the top of the world. You Don’t Fool Around With Mountains is the story of that day, and of the personal odyssey that led to it. Sele’s slow ascent began in childhood, in one of the least likely places in the world for dreams of high-altitude climbing: Soweto. A passion for mountains would take him far from home, on daring adventures across the globe. But his goal was always Everest, mountaineering’s ultimate challenge. This dream would be realised when Sele won a place on the ten-member 2006 Everest Peace Project expedition – and nearly met his fate on the summit, surviving only through teamwork, courage and a deep will to live. The second black African to summit Everest, Sele gives a gripping account of his journey and near-death escape. These pages bear witness to the strength of mind and body required to climb the highest mountain in the world – and live to tell the tale.