Exactly 70 years ago, on 29 May 1953, Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary were standing on the top of the highest mountain in the world — the summit of Mount Everest. It was a clear blue sky with a hint of a light breeze; it must have been a perfect day to summit. After over thirty years of failed attempts by numerous parties, they were the first humans, as per the record, to set foot on the ‘third pole’. A Times correspondent in the lower camps sent a secret message to The Times in London: ‘SNOW CONDITIONS BAD STOP ADVANCED BASE ABANDONED YESTERDAY STOP AWAITING IMPROVEMENT STOP ALL WELL,’ which meant: ‘Summit of Everest reached on 29 May By Hillary and Tenzing’. I do not know which cheatsheet helped to decode that secret message, but the news added to the celebration of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. The team headed by John Hunt had ‘Conquered the Everest.’
“It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”
— Sir Edmund Hillary
The British Survey of India, led by Sir George Everest, after whom the mountain gets its English name — Everest, reported that Everest was the tallest mountain on earth. Since then, it has caught people’s attention worldwide; every country tried to hoist its flag first on the summit, but it took 30 years and some lives to summit Everest. It was clear that everyone was in the race to reach the summit.
Tenzing had worked as a porter, Sirdar (head-man of Sherpa), and a guide to several expeditions in the Himalayan region. He was born in Nepal and lived in India. Farming and Yak herding was the main occupation of his family. His humble background did not constrain his dreams. He dreamt big though his sect of people did not believe it was an achievement to summit Everest. With no formal training in mountaineering, he picked all the skills on-job. He had experienced six attempts before the final one and had almost decided that this was his last. His dreams, strength, endurance, and persistence helped him ascend to the summit of Chomolungma.
On the other hand, Hillary seemed the only person capable of summiting given all the factors. Of course, the team laid steps for the final ascent; the summit is attributed to the entire team, not just Tenzing and Hillary. A New Zealander whose family were beekeepers, Hillary was keen about skiing, adventure, and mountaineering. He had acquired the skills that Everest demanded. He was determined, a go-getter, and he seemed a cool-headed mountaineer when he remarked, “We knocked the bastard off!” to his friend George Lowe on his way back down, referring to the strenuous climb up the mountain. It was his fourth attempt, and his fitness and endurance showed no signs of giving up until Everest was conquered.
John Hunt was the successor of Eric Shipton, the former leader of the Everest Expedition. John Hunt was chosen to lead the 1953 expedition with credit for his military leadership and climbing experience. The British had the last best chance until 1956, as the French and Swiss had permission to attempt the Everest summit in the next two following years. The Joint Himalayan Committee of the Alpine Club and Royal Geographical Society had entrusted their hope and best wishes to John Hunt and the experienced team. It was difficult for John Hunt to gain the team’s trust, but it happened with his diligent and strategic planning. He was slowly accepted as the leader, and everyone was hopeful for the summit. His plans for the campsites, assault teams, and stockpiling at camps had brought confidence in the team.
The climb to 8,848 meters above sea level is not just difficult concerning the physical strength required but also a mental game. Tenzing and Hillary must have summited in their mind and heart before they physically reached the top. Hillary seemed to be on a mission. He echoed George Mellory’s words ‘Because it is there’ when anyone questioned him, ‘Why the summit of Everest?’. Hillary and Tenzing were paired together as the second party after Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans party. The pairing and the assault was a carefully chalked-out plan by John Hunt. Hillary and Tenzing had camped in Camp IX, about 8,500 meters above sea level, the night before the final ascent. Camp IX is in The Death Zone, where one’s body starts deteriorating due to low oxygen levels and atmospheric pressure.
Hillary’s shoes were frozen rock-hard on the day of the final climb. Tenzing and Hillary thawed the shoe’s frost on the stove until the shoe was malleable and useable. They tied themselves to the ends of a rope and took turns cutting steps through the way. A 12 meters high steep, rocky outcrop where no human had set foot before was the final challenge to both. Hillary volunteered and crawled up the chimney-like structure and hauled Tenzing to the mouth of the chimney. And when they didn’t see any higher point than the mound of snow they were standing on, the duo was delighted to know that they were standing on the summit of Everest. They spent 15 minutes on the summit, and the celebration was short. Hillary took the iconic photo of Tenzing and never bothered to get his own but shot several photographs of the vast expanse around them. They buried some sweets and a small cross in the snow, Tenzing offered his prayers — “Tuji che, Chomolungma, I am grateful…” and started their descent back. They descended to camp IX and spent another sleepless night before descending to the base camp the next day. Everyone at the base camp slept, and nobody left the sleeping bag for two long days. They needed more days to regain strength and digest that Everest was climbed.
Photograph: © Royal Geographical Society
“What is the use of climbing Mount Everest?… If you cannot understand that there is something in man which responds to the challenge of this mountain and goes out to meet it, that the struggle is the struggle of life itself upward and forever upward, then you won’t see why we go. What we get from this adventure is just sheer joy. And joy is, after all, the end of life”.
-George Mallory
The mountains cast a spell that makes anyone addicted to them. My visits to the mountains are countable on the fingers of one hand. Tenzing and Hillary had been to some remote expeditions and virgin adventures, and Everest must have been exhilarating. There is more than just an adrenaline rush when one reaches the top of a mountain; it is more fulfilling. Tenzing and Hillary should have coined a word for their emotions on the summit of Everest; any adjective I choose to describe it would fall short. Did they hear “the sound of Mountains,” Morgan Freeman asks in his movie ‘The Bucket List’ referring to the profound silence one gets to experience on top of a mountain. Each of us would experience the mountains in our way. I long to see Everest and would love to take the helicopter ride above them, but I do not know why I must do it and when I will do it! And yes, I would like to see and say hello to a Yeti and check if he is scarier than I imagined.
“It is always the same with mountains. Once you have lived with them for any length of time, you belong to them. There is no escape.”
— Ruskin Bond, Rain in the Mountains: Notes From The Himalayas
Some of the books that I have read and referred to for this article -
- Tiger of the Snows: The Autobiography of Tenzing of Everest
- High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest
- Triumph on Everest: A Photobiography of Sir Edmund Hillary
- The Conquest of Everest: Original Photographs from the Legendary First Ascent
- View from the Summit: The Remarkable Memoir by the First Person to Conquer Everest
- Man of Everest: The Story of Tenzing Norgay, Sir Edmund Hillary’s Sherpa
- The Ascent of Everest
Some videos depicting the first ascent -
