This Day in History (May 29)

Sutherland Shire Libraries Wednesday, May 29, 2013

Sir Edmund Hillary
Mount Everest - conquered!

At 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay, a Sherpa of Nepal, become the first explorers to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which at 29,035 feet above sea level is the highest point on earth. The two, part of a British expedition, made their final assault on the summit after spending a fitful night at 27,900 feet. News of their achievement broke around the world on June 2, the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation, and Britons hailed it as a good omen for their country's future.

Mount Everest sits on the crest of the Great Himalayas in Asia, lying on the border between Nepal and Tibet. The summit of Everest reaches two-thirds of the way through the air of the earth's atmosphere (at about the cruising altitude of jet airliners) and oxygen levels there are very low, temperatures are extremely cold, and weather is unpredictable and dangerous. 
Approach angle to Mount Everest
The first recorded attempt was made in 1921 by a British expedition that trekked 400 difficult miles across the Tibetan plateau to the foot of the great mountain. A raging storm forced them to abort their ascent, but George Leigh Mallory, had seen what appeared to be a feasible route up the peak. It was Mallory who quipped when later asked by a journalist why he wanted to climb Everest, ‘Because it's there!’
Lost on Everest
In 1924, a third Everest expedition was launched by the British, and climber Edward Norton reached an elevation of 28,128 feet, 900 vertical feet short of the summit, without using artificial oxygen. Four days later, Mallory and Andrew Irvine launched a summit assault and were never seen alive again. In 1999, Mallory's largely preserved body was found high on Everest, he had suffered numerous broken bones in a fall. Whether or not he or Irvine reached the summit remains a mystery.

 Shocked by the near-success of a Swiss expedition, a large British expedition was organized for 1953 under the command of Colonel John Hunt. In addition to the best British climbers and such highly experienced Sherpas as Tenzing Norgay, the expedition enlisted talent from the British Commonwealth, such as New Zealanders George Lowe and Edmund Hillary, the latter of whom worked as a beekeeper when not climbing mountains. Members of the expedition were equipped with specially insulated boots and clothing, portable radio equipment, and open-and closed-circuit oxygen systems.
Hillary and Norgay
On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary set out, setting up high camp at 27,900 feet. After a freezing, sleepless night, the pair plodded on, reaching the South Summit by 9 a.m. and a steep rocky step, some 40 feet high, about an hour later. Wedging himself in a crack in the face, Hillary inched himself up what was thereafter known as the Hillary Step. Hillary threw down a rope, and Norgay followed. At about 11:30 a.m., the climbers arrived at the top of the world. 

An Extraordinary Life
News of the success was rushed by runner from base camp and sent by coded message to London, where Queen Elizabeth II learned of the achievement on June 1, the eve of her coronation. The news broke around the world. Later that year, Hillary and Hunt were knighted by the Queen. Norgay, because he was not a citizen of a Commonwealth nation, received the lesser British Empire Medal. Since Hillary and Norgay's historic climb, numerous expeditions have made their way up to Everest's summit. Read his amazing story here: Sir Edmund Hillary: an extraordinary life.
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