The mid-20th Century's two greatest explorers were deeply private men, who led lives marked by willful independence and a strong inclination to follow their own personal paths. In this exclusive Outside Television production, Sir Edmund Hillary recounts his conquest of Everest and looks back on a storied life, one filled with harrowing adventures and important achievements that are as fascinating as the singular accomplishment for which he is famous. The film includes rare footage of the1953 Everest expedition and even rarer footage of George Mallory's ill-fated 1924 expedition.

Sir Wilfred Thesiger, author of the classic adventure book, Arabian Sands takes us on his 40 years of fabled, often dangerous, travels into the hidden corners of the Middle East, documented in stunning, historic photographs. Author and filmmaker David Attenborough wrote of Thesiger, 'He's one of the very few people in our time who could be put on the pedestal alongside the great explorers of the 18th and 19th Centuries.'