In New Zealand 7 years ago, in 2008, Sir Edmund Hillary, the first person to summit Everest, the highest mountain in the world, died. Today E. Hillary is the most famous inhabitant of New Zealand, and not only thanks to the legendary ascent. He was actively involved in charitable activities. Edmund Hillary devoted many years of his life to improving the living conditions of the Nepalese Sherpas. Representatives of this Himalayan people often acted as porters in the groups of climbers. Edmund Hillary founded the Himalayan Foundation, through which he provided 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 of Everest.
Mount Everest
Chomolungma (Everest) is the highest peak of the Himalayas and the whole world. Its height is 8848 m above sea level. The inhabitants of Tibet call her "Mother - the goddess of the world", and the 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 firstthem. It was his name that was later given to the summit. Back in 1893, the first climbing 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 Everest.
Edmund Hillary in brief
Edmund Hillary was born in 1919 in the city of Auckland (New Zealand). From childhood he had a good imagination, he was attracted by adventure stories. From an early age, Edmund helped his father in the beekeeping business, and after graduating from school began working with him. He became 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 during World War II as a military pilot. 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 Commonwe alth, 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 of Everest. Let's talk about it in more detail.
The 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. ATIn 1952, a Swiss expedition, in which, by the way, Tenzing 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 only 240 meters from the target.
Sir Edmund Hillary traveled to the Alps in 1952. During it, he learned that he and George Lowy, 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 leader of the expedition, but Hunt quickly took his place. Hillary was already considering giving up, but Hunt and Shipton managed to convince the New Zealand climber 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 to be paired with Charles Evans and the second pair was Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. From that moment on, Edmund tried in every possible way to make friends with his partner.
Hunt's expedition consisted of 400 people in total. It included 362 porters and 20 Sherpa guides. The team was carrying around 10,000 pounds of luggage.
Preparing for the ascent, the first attempt to climb to the top
Preparation for the ascent of Mount Lhotse was taken up by Lowy. In turn, Hillary paved the trail through Kumba, a rather dangerous glacier. Expeditionestablished her main camp in March 1953. The climbers, working rather slowly, set up a new camp at an altitude of 7890 m. Evans and Bourdillon tried to climb the mountain on May 26, but Evans' oxygen supply suddenly failed, so they had to return. They managed to get to the South Summit, separated from the summit of Everest by only 91 meters (vertically). Hunt sent Tenzing and Hillary next.
The path to the top of Edmund Hillary, the conquest of Everest
Because of the wind and snow, the climbers had to wait at the camp for two days. Only on May 28 they were able to perform. Lowy, Ang Nyima and Alfred Gregory supported them. The couple pitched a tent at an altitude of 8,5 thousand meters, after which the support trinity returned back to their camp. The next morning, Edmund Hillary found his shoes frozen on the outside of the tent. It took me two hours to warm it up. Edmund and Tenzing, having solved this problem, went on.
The forty-meter wall was the most difficult part of the ascent. It later became known as the Hillary Step. According to the crack found by Edmund between the ice and the stone, the climbers climbed up. From here it was not difficult to move on. At 11:30 am, Norgay and Hillary were at the top.
At the top, way back
At their peak, they only lasted 15 minutes. It took some time to search for traces of being on top of the 1924 expedition, led by Mallory. It is known that its participants died while trying to climb Everest. However, according to numerousstudies, this happened already during the descent. Be that as it may, to this day it has not been possible to find out whether they made it to the top. Hillary and Tenzing found no trace. Edmund took a picture of Tenzing posing with an ice ax at the top (Norgay never used a camera, so there is no evidence of Hillary himself climbing). Edmund left a cross in the snow before leaving, and Tenzing left a few chocolates (a sacrifice to the gods). The climbers, having taken several photos that confirmed the fact of the ascent, began to descend. Unfortunately, their tracks were completely covered by snow masses, so it was not easy to return by the same road. Lowy was the first person they met on the way down. He treated them to hot soup.
Awards
News of the Everest climb reached Britain on the day of the coronation of Elizabeth II. The achievement of the climbers was immediately called a gift for this holiday. Climbers, having arrived in Kathmandu, received a completely unexpected recognition at the international level. Hillary and Hunt received knighthoods, and Norgay was awarded the British Empire Medal. Jawaharlal Nehru, Prime Minister of India, is believed to have turned down an offer to grant Tenzing a knighthood. In 2003, when the 50th anniversary of Hillary's ascent of 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 further years was presented above, after Everest continued to travel onthe globe, conquered both poles and a number of Himalayan peaks, and also did charity work. In 2008, on January 11, he died in a hospital in Oakland City from a heart attack, having lived to be 88 years old. Helen Clark, Prime Minister of his native New Zealand, officially announced the traveler's death. She also said that his death was a great loss for the country.
