Many experienced mountaineers all over the world who have tried to reach the summit Everest had failed and in the journey many lost their lives. George Leigh Mallory, in 1924 made his attempt and ever since vanished only to be found dead in the ice, 2000 feet below the summit, after 75 years.
The Royal Geographical Society-Alpine club, led by Colonel Henry Cecil John Hunt along with a dozen climbers, 35 Sherpa guides and 350 people carrying 18 tones of food and equipments, only mission was to conquer Mount Everest. First team to attempt was Tom Bourdillion and Dr. Charles Evans. They could only reach up to 28,720 of 29,035 feet and gave up due to exhaustion, storm and oxygen tank failures.
The Second team was sent, One 33 year old of New Zealand and the other 39 year old of Nepal. They reached till 27,900 feet and halted for the night in a tent. The temperature was 30 degree below zero. They spent the night fighting the cold only to continue their journey the next day.
The sun as risen, both of them started for accomplishing their mission. They took with them oxygen tanks which would last for roughly seven hours and other tanks left out by their previous team. The summit was 5.5 vertical miles above sea level, where Jets fly today, 100 miles-an-hour cold wind which hits like a knife and the air so thin, where the human brain and lungs do not function properly. In spite of all this obstacles, the Mount Everest was finally conquered.
The day was May 29, 1953. And the Mount Everest first conquerors were Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal. Queen Elizabeth-II honored Edmund as Knight Commander of the order of the British Empire and Tenzing Norgay with George Medal of Britain. Then came the question put forth by public and media, “who was the first to reach the Mt. Everest, was it Edmund or Norgay”. Colonel Henry John Hunt of Royal Geographical Society cleared the controversy by declaring “they reached it together, as a team”.
Edmund served as New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India, Bangladesh and Nepal from 1985-1988. Norgay died in the year 1986. Edmund through his foundation called Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan trust built many schools, hospitals and helped the people in the villages of Nepal. Edmund is the first person to stand on both poles and on Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary died on January 11, 2008.
Then after the first conquerors of Mt. Everest till now, 3000 people including Edmund’s son Peter and Norgay’s son Jamling have reached the summit. On a single day in 2003, 118 people climbed and reached Mount Everest.
But only Pioneers will remain in the pages of history and in the hearts of people. Take the road less travelled is Success, Taking the path never travelled and setting tracks is History.
Source: The Hindu, January 12, 2008 and Internet.
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