Groundbreaking 'Firsts' From 2006 Expedition Captured Exclusively by Discovery Channel in EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT

Groundbreaking 'Firsts' From 2006 Expedition Captured Exclusively by Discovery Channel in EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT

- Six-Part Series Includes First Summit by a Double Amputee -

SILVER SPRING, Md., Oct. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- This year's climbing season on Mount Everest was the second deadliest on record and marked the first time a double amputee made it to the summit -- and the Discovery Channel was there. Using the latest high-altitude video technology to document an expedition organized and managed by one of the mountain's most experienced leaders, EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT documents the grueling April/May 2006 attempt to reach the summit by a group of people from all walks of life. The six-part world premiere series begins Tuesday, November 14, at 10PM ET/PT and new episodes air on consecutive Tuesdays through December 19.

Included in the series is Mark Inglis' historic summit, as the New Zealander becomes the first-ever double amputee to scale Everest after losing his legs to frostbite while climbing Mount Cook 24 years ago.

"For the first time ever in a television series, we use cameras attached to Sherpas' helmets to put viewers on the world's tallest and most alluring peak -- a mountain that represents the ultimate test of human will and determination," said Jane Root, executive vice president and general manager, Discovery Channel, The Science Channel, Military Channel and Discovery Times Channel, U.S. "From this unique vantage point, the intense danger surrounding this increasingly popular climbing passion becomes startlingly clear -- we are presenting the mountain's magnificence and deadly, menacing terrain to viewers in the most direct way possible."

For EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT, a 17-member production team followed an expedition of 11 climbers with three professional mountain guides, organized and led by New Zealander Russell Brice, who has 25 years of experience on the mountain. During the special, viewers will see and hear from climbers every step of the way as they deal with their own physical and mental struggles: a firefighter from Los Angeles tries for a second time to reach the summit, having previously mortgaged his home and sold his motorcycle to pay for the climb; an Oregon ER doctor on his first summit attempt heads a dramatic rescue attempt; and an asthmatic Iron-Man competitor from Denmark tries to summit without supplemental oxygen.

Angst-ridden and candid conversations among climbers give viewers an inside look at extreme adventurers facing very real health risks such as cerebral edema, frostbite, hypothermia, heart attacks and hallucinations, just to have one breathtaking moment at the top. Scientific knowledge presented in the series further explains the effects of altitude and extreme cold on the human body and the geography of Everest.

Each climber will face his fears, but not all will reach the summit. In a climbing season marked by controversy, Discovery Channel's exclusive account will show what it takes to attempt a rescue on Everest and gives viewers a firsthand look at the shockingly long wait lines at the top of the mountain in an area dubbed the "death zone." At levels above 26,000 feet, temperatures are routinely minus-40 degrees Fahrenheit, oxygen is 70 percent lower than at sea level, and the extreme altitude causes the body to consume its own muscle tissue for energy.

At http://www.discovery.com/Everest, viewers will have the opportunity to explore Everest even further, with a compilation of exclusive video segments and knowledge-based interactive resources. Immersive Sherpa helmet camera segments will allow audiences a climber's-eye view of the summit attempt at one's own pace; visitors can delve deep into facts on history, science, mountaineering and the Himalayas; and exclusive journals from crew members who managed the technical aspects in high-altitude conditions present another side of this true adventure story.

Encores of EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT will air on SURVIVAL FRIDAYS at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery Channel. Premieres of MAN VS. WILD will air at 9 PM ET/PT, followed by premieres of I SHOULDN'T BE ALIVE at 10 PM ET/PT.

EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT is produced for Discovery Channel by Tigress Productions. Dick Colthurst is the executive producer for Tigress. Tomi Landis is the executive producer for Discovery Channel.

Nationwide is a proud sponsor of EVEREST: BEYOND THE LIMIT.

Discovery Communications, Inc., is the leading global real-world media company. Discovery has grown from its core property, the Discovery Channel, first launched in the United States in 1985, to current global operations in 170 countries and territories with nearly 1.4 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 100 networks of distinctive programming represent 27 network entertainment brands including TLC, Animal Planet, Travel Channel, Discovery Health Channel, Discovery Kids, Discovery Times Channel, The Science Channel, Military Channel, Discovery Home Channel, Discovery en Espanol, Discovery Kids en Espanol, Discovery HD Theater, FitTV, Discovery Travel & Living (Viajar y Vivir), Discovery Home & Health and Discovery Real Time. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and Discovery Commerce, which operates more than 100 Discovery Channel Stores in the U.S. DCI also distributes BBC America in the United States. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB), Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman.

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FCMN Contact:

Source: Discovery Channel

CONTACT: Jill Bondurant, +1-240-662-2927, Jill_Bondurant@discovery.com,
or Katherine Nelson, +1-604-899-2179, Katherine_Nelson-CW@discovery.com, both
of Discovery Channel

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: High-resolution photography is available at www.press.discovery.com. Screeners for the first two episodes are available. Subsequent episodes will be available at a later date. Interviews are also available.

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