In New Zealand, 7 years ago, in 2008, Sir Edmund Hillary died - the first person to conquer Everest, the highest mountain in the world. Today, E. Hillary is the most famous resident of New Zealand, and not only thanks to the legendary ascent. He was actively involved in charity work. Edmund Hillary devoted many years of his life to improving the living conditions of Nepalese Sherpas. Representatives of this Himalayan people often acted as porters in mountaineering groups. Edmund Hillary founded the Himalayan Fund, through which he carried out his assistance. Thanks to his actions, many hospitals and schools were built in Nepal. However, the most famous act of Edmund is still the famous ascent to Everest.
Mount Everest
Chomolungma (Everest) is the highest peak of the Himalayas and the whole world. Its height is 8848 m above sea level. Tibetans call her "Mother - the goddess of the world", and Nepalese - "Lord of the world." Everest is located on the border of Tibet and Nepal.
More than a century ago, this peak attracted the attention of topographers. George Everest was the first of them. It was his name that was later assigned to the top. As early as 1893, the first ascent plan was developed, and the first attempt to implement it was made in 1921. However, it took more than 30 years, as well as the bitter experience of 13 unsuccessful ascents, in order to finally conquer Mount Everest.
Briefly about Edmund Hillary
Edmund Hillary was born in 1919 in the city of Auckland (New Zealand). From childhood, he was distinguished by a good imagination, he was attracted to adventure stories. From an early age, Edmund helped his father in the beekeeping business, and after graduation he began to work with him. He was interested in mountaineering at school. Edmund made his first major ascent in 1939, climbing to the top of Mount Olivier, which is located in New Zealand. Hillary served as a military pilot during World War II. Prior to his ascent in 1953, he participated in the 1951 reconnaissance expedition, as well as in an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cho Oyu, which is considered the 6th highest mountain in the world. In 1958, Edmund, as part of an expedition of the British Commonwealth, reached the South Pole, and a little later went to the North Pole.
On May 29, 1953, together with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, a resident of southern Nepal, he made the famous ascent to Everest. We will tell you more about it.
Way to Everest
At that time, the path to Everest was closed by Tibet, which was under the rule of China. In turn, Nepal allowed only one expedition per year. In 1952, the Swiss expedition, in which Tenzing, by the way, also participated, made an attempt to reach the summit. However, weather conditions did not allow to carry out the plan. The expedition had to turn back just 240 meters from the target.
Sir Edmund Hillary traveled to the Alps in 1952. During her, he learned that he and George Lowe, a friend of Edmund, were invited to participate in the British expedition. It should take place in 1953. Of course, climber and traveler Edmund Hillary immediately agreed.
Formation of the expedition and its composition
At first, Shipton was appointed the leader of the expedition, but Hunt quickly took his place. Hillary was already thinking of giving up, but Hunt and Shipton managed to convince the New Zealand mountaineer to stay. The fact is that Edmund wanted to go to Everest with Lowy, but Hunt formed two teams to storm the mountain. Tom Bourdillon was supposed to be paired with Charles Evans, and the second pair - Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. From this moment, Edmund tried in every possible way to make friends with his partner.
Hunt's expedition totaled 400 people. It included 362 porters and 20 Sherpa guides. The team carried around 10 thousand pounds of luggage.
Climbing preparation, first attempt to climb the summit
The preparations for climbing Mount Lhotse were undertaken by Lowy. In turn, Hillary paved the path through Kumbu, a rather dangerous glacier. The expedition established its main camp in March 1953. Climbers, working rather slowly, set up a new camp at an altitude of 7890 m. Evans and Bourdillon attempted to climb the mountain on May 26, but Evans suddenly had a failure in the oxygen supply system, so he had to return. They managed to get to the South Peak, separated from the summit of Everest by only 91 meters (vertical). Hunt then sent Tenzing and Hillary.
The path to the top of Edmund Hillary, the conquest of Everest
Due to wind and snow, climbers had to wait two days in the camp. Only on May 28 were they able to speak. Lowie, Ang Nyima, and Alfred Gregory supported them. The couple pitched a tent at an altitude of 8.5 thousand meters, after which the trinity of support returned back to their camp. The next morning, Edmund Hillary discovered that his shoes were icy outside the tent. I had to spend two hours to warm it up. Edmund and Tenzing, having solved this problem, went further.
The forty-meter wall was the most difficult stage of the ascent. Later it became known as Hillary Step. On the crack found by Edmund between ice and stone, climbers climbed up. From here moving on was no longer difficult. At 11.30 a.m., Norgay and Hillary stood on top.
On top, the return trip
At the peak, they spent only 15 minutes. For some time, it took me to search for traces of my stay at the top of the 1924 expedition led by Mallory. It is known that its participants died while trying to climb Mount Everest. However, according to numerous studies, this happened already during the descent. Be that as it may, to this day it has not been possible to find out whether they reached the summit. Hillary and Tenzing found no trace. Edmund photographed at the top of Tenzing posing with an ice ax (Norgay never used the camera, so there was no evidence of Hillary's ascent). Before leaving, Edmund left a cross in the snow, while Tenzing left a few chocolates (a sacrifice to the gods). Climbers, having made several photos confirming the ascent, began to descend. Unfortunately, their tracks were completely visible by the snow masses, so it was not easy to get back on the same road. Lowe was the first person he met on the way down. He treated them to hot soup.
Awards
News of the conquest of Everest reached Britain on the day of the coronation of Elizabeth II. The achievement of climbers was immediately called a gift for this holiday. Climbers, having arrived in Kathmandu, received completely unexpected recognition at the international level. Hillary and Hunt received knighthoods, and Norgay was awarded the British Empire Medal. It is alleged that Jawaharlal Nehru, the Prime Minister of India, rejected the offer to provide Tenzing with a knighthood. In 2003, when the 50th anniversary of Hillary’s ascent to Everest was celebrated, he was awarded another title. Edmund deservedly became an honorary citizen of Nepal.
Hillary's death
Edmund Hillary, whose brief biography of his later years was presented above, after Everest continued to travel the globe, conquered both poles and a number of Himalayan peaks, and also engaged in charity work. In 2008, on January 11, he died in a hospital in Auckland City from a heart attack, surviving to 88 years. Helen Clark, the prime minister of his native New Zealand, officially announced the death of the traveler. She also said that his death was a great loss for the country.