El Quijote hits Everest!

It's inspired ballets, operas, stage shows, countless works of art and generations of readers. They say it's the world's most translated book, after the Bible. Still, in its 401st year, Cervantes' Don Quijote de la Mancha has reached new heights.

On May 17, three modern men of La Mancha, members of Spain's Castilla-La Mancha 2006 Expedition, reached the summit of Mount Everest, and deposited there a copy of El Quijote, in honor of the other quest-driven Man of La Mancha.

They've posted a photo of El Quijote on Everest on the expedition's official website. You'll have to scroll a bit to see the photo, but the expedition's cronicas makes good Spanish reading, too.

If you are a Quijote fan, by the way, don Quijote's Virtual Quijote Museum is well worth a stroll. Gathered from the collection of don Quijote's founder and from entries sent in from all over the world, the museum's collection includes paintings, sculptures, press articles, links to Quijote-related websites and everything from delicate collectibles to kitschy souvenirs. There's even a Quijote Quiz to test how well you really know El Ingenioso Hidalgo.

The site's in English, but it'll link you to some Quijote resources in Spanish.