The First Men On Top Of The World
Edmund Percival Hillary was a New Zealand mountaineer and explorer who, in May 1953, alongside his Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, became the first person in history to summit Mount Everest. Let's take you on a journey to the top of the world, following the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.
The Early Life Of Edmund Hillary
Edmund Percival Hillary was born July 20, 1919, in Auckland, New Zealand, to Percy and Gertrude Hillary. His father, Percy, was a distinguished military officer who had served with the 15 North Auckland Regiment at Gallipoli.
Unknown Author, CC BY 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
The Family Moves To Tuakau
As a returned soldier, Percy Hillary and his family were granted eight acres of land by the Government of New Zealand as a thank-you for his service. Once there, Percy founded the Tuakau District News (as a former journalist) and became an apiarist.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Edmund Hillary's Schooling
Edmund Hillary spent his typical school day studying grammar and achieving "average marks". However, he had to commute by bicycle for 1 hour and 40 minutes daily and then train to attend a "good school". Despite being smaller than his classmates, he grew taller: 6 feet, 2 inches.
Crown Studios Ltd, Wikimedia Commons
An Interest In Climbing Is Born
It was on a school trip to Mount Ruapehu (one of New Zealand's active volcanoes) that a 16-year-old Edmund Hillary became interested in climbing, showing a keen interest in what New Zealanders call "tramping" (backpacking). He attended Auckland University and joined the tramping club there. Hillary gave up on formal education in 1938, stating that he "wanted to see the world" instead.
The New Zealand Herald, Wikimedia Commons
Back To Beekeeping
After leaving university, Hillary worked with his father and brother at the family apiary while searching for his purpose in life and a way to engage more meaningfully with his quest to see the world. While working at his father's apiary, he further developed his love of climbing by exploring the Waitākere Ranges, a mountain range in west Auckland with a peak of 1,555 feet.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
His First Climb
After two years of exploring the Waitākere Ranges, Hillary would attempt his first major climb: the summit of Mount Ollivier, near Mount Cook in New Zealand's Southern Alps. Two new climbing friends, Harry Ayres and George Lowe, would join Hillary in this dangerous trek up to the 6,500-foot summit.
TimofKingsland., Wikimedia Commons
A Short-Lived Time In The Military
When World War II broke out in 1939, Hillary signed up to fight like many of his fellow compatriots. He joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force but quickly withdrew his application. Later, he wrote that he was "harassed by my religious conscience," but he joined again as a navigator in 1943, as conscription loomed over New Zealand and Japanese forces threatened nearby.
Unknown Author, Wikimedia Commons
Burned In An Accident
Near the end of the war, he was sent to Fiji and the Solomon Islands, where he was badly burned in an accident. When WWII ended, his military career ended too, and he could use his navigational skills to do what he loved: climbing.
The Weekly News, Wikimedia Commons
Post-War Climbing
His first post-war expedition was to ascend the South Ridge of Aoraki of Mount Cook, New Zealand's highest peak. Although he had climbed Mount Cook before, the traditional route was far more dangerous. In 1948, Hillary rescued trapped climbers on La Perouse, a 10,500-foot-high mountain in New Zealand's Southern Alps.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Joining A British Climbing Team For His First Time On Everest
Edmund Hillary first saw Mount Everest's towering figure in 1951 when he joined a team led by Eric Shipton (future climbing extraordinaire and CBE recipient) on a reconnaissance mission for future British-led expeditions. The team sought the most effective way to climb Mount Everest from Nepal.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
The Failed Swiss Expedition Paves The Way
In 1952, there was a Swiss expedition to summit Everest (in which Hillary's future Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, also took part). Still, the climbers had been forced off the mountain due to bad weather and problems with oxygen, a mere 800 feet from the summit. Heartbreaking. That same year, Hillary learned he had been invited to climb in the 1953 expedition attempt.
Gabriella Bullock, CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
The 1953 Expedition To Everest
In 1953, the Joint Himalayan Committee (also known as the Mount Everest Committee) put on an expedition to summit the world's highest mountain. It organized and financed the $70,000 needed to climb the mountain, as these fees were paid to the government of Nepal.
The Evening Post, Wikimedia Commons
The Climbing Team Is Assembled
Veteran climber John Hunt assembled a team of 10 men between the ages of 25 and 40 (despite being 42) and a team doctor to begin the arduous journey to the summit of Everest. Training began in the mountains of Wales during the winter of 1952, including testing the oxygen sets at high elevations—the thing that had stumped the Swiss.
Harry Pot / Anefo, Wikimedia Commons
Setting Sail For Nepal
On February 12, 1953, the eight men from England set sail for Nepal aboard the SS Stratheden. Meanwhile, Edmund Hillary would fly in from New Zealand, stating that "his bees were busy this time of year". He later said the flight over would be easier than traveling by sea despite the more costly airfare.
Queensland Newspapers Pty Ltd, Wikimedia Commons
Meeting Tenzing Norgay In Kathmandu
Once in Kathmandu, the team was greeted by the British ambassador, Christopher Summerhayes, who arranged rooms at the embassy for them. They would also meet Tenzing Norgay and the 19 other Sherpas chosen to accompany them on the expedition. This would be Norgay's sixth attempt at Mount Everest. According to one of the team members, he was "the best-known Sherpa climber and a mountaineer of world standing".
Hawk 22, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
Setting Off For Base Camp
Hunt had organized three parties of two men each, including Ed Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who made up the second party of climbers and were the two strongest climbers on the entire team. They set off on March 11 for Everest, along with 200 porters carrying food, water, and climbing equipment. They ascended to Thyangboche, a village at 12,687 feet, arriving on March 26 and spending three weeks acclimating to the extreme altitude.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Creeping Their Way Up Everest
In what John Hunt had called "assaulting" the summit, the climbers would need to create a series of camps at small altitude increments. The first, Camp II, was established on April 15 by Hillary and two others, who had left Base Camp a few days before the arrival of other team members. They would work in 2,000-foot stages and establish six more camps to maintain good acclimation practices to the changing altitude.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Final Camp Before The Summit
At 26,000 feet, the South Col was the final camp before the summit. It was first reached by Sherpa Annullu (Norgay's younger brother) and Wilfrid Noyce, another experienced British climber on the team. By this time, the first team was ready for the summit on May 26, 1953.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
The First Team Sets Off
The first climbers, Tom Bourdillion and Charles Evans, set out for the summit. Before starting their attempt, Charles Evans's oxygen tank valve broke, which took an hour to fix. Making up for lost time, the pair climbed an incredible 1,000 feet an hour. At 1 pm on May 26, these two successfully climbed the South Summit of Everest (and made history by being the highest ever climbed).
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Damaged Equipment Delays The Summit Push
Despite coming within just 300 feet of the summit of Mount Everest, the pair were forced to turn back after Charles Evans' breathing became painfully labored and exhaustion set in. 20 minutes after reaching the South Summit, they were coming down.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Hillary & Norgay's Summit Push
As planned, on March 27, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay would set off from Camp IX (27,690 feet) to attempt to summit Mount Everest. Leaving in the early morning light of 6:30 am, the pair reached the South Summit by 9 am, an extraordinary altitude of 28,704 feet.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Reaching The Summit
From the South Summit, the pair navigated the treacherous South Col route, climbing over crevasses and a mixture of packed and light snow on their way to the summit. At 11 am, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood on top of the world. At 29,030 feet, the pair had become the first people on Earth (aside from probably the Nepalese) to climb the world's tallest mountain.
Dirk Pons, CC BY-SA 3.0, Wikimedia Commons
No Time To Hang About
While on the summit, Hillary and Norgay photographed the area and buried candies and a cross in the snow. However, they could only spend about 10 minutes on the summit because they were not using open-circuit oxygen sets. The weather began to change, and they had to descend. Hillary later said he was "clumsy-fingered and slow-moving" because he wasn't using bottled oxygen.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Telling The Others
Upon returning to Camp IX, Norgay and Hillary told George Lowe, "Well, we knocked it off". The elation was palpable. However, as the group descended back to Base Camp, Lowe instructed members of the party not to tell expedition lead Hunt until they were close enough to "capture the emotion of the moment" on film.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Breaking The News To The World In Code
Jan Morris was an adventure and travel reporter for The Times newspaper in London who had travelled to Base Camp to cover the possible successful expedition. Upon hearing the news, she sent a coded message that the expedition had succeeded to the small town of Namche Bazaar, where a wireless transmitter was used to transmit the jubilant news to the British Embassy in Kathmandu. The message was delivered by a runner with a piece of paper in hand.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
The Encoded Message Reads...
Because the team hadn't wanted to broadcast their success to the wider world, they'd agreed to use the following code in the event of a successful summit: "Snow conditions bad". While "advanced base abandoned" referred to Hillary, and "awaiting improvement" referred to Tenzing Norgay. Morris' full coded message read: "Snow conditions bad stop advanced base abandoned yesterday stop awaiting improvement".
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
A Coincidental News Delivery
After being transmitted from the British Embassy in Kathmandu, the news would reach London on June 2, 1953, the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. As this was around the time that televisions were becoming popular, it's likely that the news of Hillary and Norgay's summiting was the last news to be delivered to the world by the runner.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Hillary Is Awarded A Knight Commander OBE
In the next few days, while still in Nepal, Hillary was awarded a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, or a KBE. On June 22, the government of Nepal held a reception for the team members, who were all presented with sheathed kukris (small ceremonial swords). Tenzing Norgay received 10,000 rupees (about $600) from the Queen of Nepal.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Team Members Return To A Hero's Welcome
It took until early July for the team to return to England, including Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. But when they did, they were greeted by thousands of supporters, welcoming the history-makers back to England as victorious conquerors of the world's highest peak.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
The Team Receives Various Medals
Because of their extraordinary achievement, the team all received various medals, from the George Medal for Civilian Gallantry, awarded to Tenzing Norgay by Queen Elizabeth II, to the Hubbard medal for exploration from the National Geographic Society, and a Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal with "EVEREST EXPEDITION MEDAL" cast on it. 
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Speculation As To Who Stepped On The Summit First
After the fanfare was over, there was speculation as to whether Tenzing or Hillary had been the first person to step foot on the summit (therefore, the person to properly summit Everest). Banners depicted Norgay pulling a "semi-conscious" Hillary to the summit. However, in 1955, with his ghost-written autobiography Man Of Everest, Norgay set the record straight: It was Edmund Hillary who had first stepped foot on the mountain's peak.
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
Getting On With Proper Climbing
Eric Shipton, the leader of the Swiss expedition who didn't like the idea of summiting big mountains, said of Hillary and Tenzing's accomplishment, "Thank goodness. Now we can get on with some proper climbing".
BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
A Stunning Amount Of Baggage
In total, the expedition team was made up of 15 climbers and 362 porters, including 20 Sherpas from Nepal. Over 400 men assisted in Hillary and Norgay's climb of Everest, transporting 10,000 pounds of baggage up and down the mountain.
The Evening Post, Wikimedia Commons
The Man Who Told The World Of Everest's Conquering
The last runner to deliver major news to the world was Sherpa Ten Tsewang, who ran over 200 miles to deliver that coded message that Everest had been climbed. But, just a few weeks later, Ten Tsewang had passed away in his bed from low-altitude sickness. That final run down the mountain to deliver the most important news since the end of World War II is likely what ended Ten's life.
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BBC, The Race for Everest (2003)
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