Mark Synnott is a climber, writer, father, and The North Face Athlete. His newest book, "The Third Pole: Mystery, Obsession, and Death on Mount Everest," is an in-depth look into the history of Mount Everest and what drives people to climb the tallest mountain in the world. Mark shares his journey from being a big wall climber who would never think of climbing Everest to a convert who would risk it all to get to the top of the mountain and the bottom of the mystery of who was the first to climb Everest.

Bio from book release: Mark Synnott is a twenty-four-year member of the North Face Global Athlete Team. He is also an internationally certified mountain guide and a trainer for the Pararescuemen of the United States Air Force. A frequent contributor to National Geographic magazine and has written for Outside, Men's Journal, Rock and Ice, and Climbing, he is the author of The Impossible Climb. He lives in the Mt. Washington Valley of New Hampshire.