Tales from the Smoke Room book launch

Tonight sees the launch of a new book Tales from the Smoke Room which looks at the history of the famous Pen-Y-Gwryd hotel in North Wales.

This small hotel is nestled at the foot of Snowdon, and was built in 1810 as a remote mountain farmhouse. Over the years it was extended and used as a coaching inn, until in 1953 it became the training headquarters and base for the first ever successful Everest climbing expedition in 1953. The hotel is still operational and is home to some fascinating artifacts from Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.

Xtreme Everest themselves have also used the hotel as a training base prior to our research expeditions due to the rich history it holds.

The new book features a chapter written by Xtreme Everest Investigator Kay Mitchell as well as other well known mountaineers, walkers, climbers and writers. They all offer their own special anecdotes, memories and tributes to this special hotel. Jan Morris, who is most famous for being the Times reporter who accompanied Hillary and Norgay on their successful expedition and broke the story to the world has written the introduction.

The book is available to purchase online via the publisher Gormer via their website.