Edmund Hillary & Tenzing Norgay: The First Ascent of Everest

Picture this on May twenty ninth, nineteen fifty three. Before this moment, no man had ever stood at the top of Mount Everest, as it was thought maybe to be an impossible to test as it was not made for humans. But Edmund Hillary was able to change that. A former beakkeeper from New Zealand, along with his team, conquered the tallest peak in the world in a journey that would lead to one of the most unique tourist destinations in one of the most dangerous places on Earth. We're going to dive into this crazy story about the very first summit of Mount Everest today on Daily Sports History. Let's go Welcome to Daily Sports History. I'm Ethan Reeves, your guide as you daily learn more about sports history, increasing your sports knowledge. So in the nineteen twenties, New Zealand was a rolling hills with sheep farms in small towns in America. We best know New Zealand for being home to the Lord of the Rings franchise, and in nineteen nineteen Edmund Percival Hillary was born to a beekeeper and his father was a beekeeper and a World War One veteran, and he was a shy kid but grew up tall, which made him stand out and made him even more shy. But he grew to love books about adventure and exploration, especially tales about polar exploration and mountain climbing, and at the age of sixteen, his school took a trip and Hillary experienced snow and altitude for the very first time, and he said it was the most exciting experience of He said it was the most exciting experience of his life. But Hillary had a beekeeping business to maintain, as his family had the business for years, and it was hard, physical, demanding work, especially during the summer, and Ed actually credits being a beat keeping for his stamina and ability to endure hardship for his later quest. In nineteen thirty nine, at the age of twenty, he would submit Mount Olivier of the Southern Alps, which was a modest peak but would really ignite his lifelong passion for mountaineering. His climbing continued and as he joined a tramping club of seasoned climbers who helped him develop techniques and skills of the rugged New Zealand terrain, and over the next decade, Hillary would tackle increasingly more challenging climbs, including Mount Cook in New Zealand's highest peak at over twelve thousand feet. Then came World War II and Hillary actually enlisted in the Royal New Zealand Army Air Force and became and became a navigator in the Pacific. The war really tested his resolve and exposed him to dangers and depravity of war, and after returning from the conflicts, he was determined to throw himself back into climbing and do what he loved because he saw how quickly life could be taken away. And by the nineteen forties, Hillary was establishing himself as the top climber in New Zealand. But he always dreamed of the Himalayas and the mythical peak of Mount Everest. He actually went to the Himalayas in nineteen fifty one joined a British expedition led by Eric Shipton exploring possible routes up Mount Everest South because at this time there was two peaks, the south side, which is the Nepal side, and the other side was just the Chinese side. But the Chinese side was ruled by China and you could not attempt that side, so it was only open to Chinese travelers. But the Nepal side was open to everybody, so in nineteen fifty two he attempted to climb choh Oi, which was twenty six thousand, eight hundred and sixty four feet in the air, gaining crucial high altitude experience, and his skill in work ethic actually impressed British climbers and he would join a nineteen fifty three British ever expedition. By this time he was a season climber and he was ready for whatever challenge came his way. So during this expedition, this was the ninth attempt to conquer the world's tallest peak, and it was a joint coalition called the Joint Himalaya Committee, led by Colonel John Hunt, a British Army officer, with a team of over four hundred people including over three hundred and fifty prodders and twenty sherper guides and about ten core climbers, all hauling about ten thousand pounds of equipment through the Himalayas and led by legendary Sherpa Tanzi Norget, who was famous for his high altitude experience and he is recorded to have ascended on evers multiple times. So the plan was to establish a chain of camps up the mountain. That way they could ferry supplies and oxygen throughout multiple stages and make it a lot easier. The first attempt happened on May twenty six, nineteen fifty three, when Tom Boyden and Charles Evans reached the South Summit, which was twenty eight thousand, seven hundred feet just three hundred feet from the true summit of Mount Everest, but they had to turn back due to exhaustion and oxygen problems, which let both men heart broken. This second attempt happened on May twenty ninth, nineteen fifty three, when Hillary and Tangsing the Sherpa were selected as the next team, and they just happened to be teamed up together due to just luck. They left the ninth camp on Everest. Now Hillary awoke to his boots being frozen solid outside his tent that day, and he had spent two hours thawing them over the stove before they could even begin. The delay took them and they could not attempt to leave till six thirty, carrying thirty pounds in each pack using bottled oxygen as they set out for the summit. Now navigating these treacherous southridge on knife edge ridges and sheer drops on either side. The climb was steep and icy, and there was a forty foot rock face that would later be named Hillary's stepp where Hillary found a narrow crack between the rock and the snow that he could ringle up and they would name it after him after his ascent. After hours of attempting this, they finally saw the ridge drop away and the snow dome ahead on the summit amount evers in at eleven thirty they made it to the very top twenty nine thousand and thirty five feet, the highest point in the world, and they spent a total of fifteen minutes, and Hillary took a photo of Tansing and his ice app showing how much help that the Sherpas were for them, and Tangsan later wrote that Hillary just declined that his picture taken, and Tangsan left some chocolates that the Buddhists had offered, and Hillary left a small cross given to him by John Hunt. They took photos and looking down the mountain, they proved that they had reached the top and the unity of their achievement they emphasized. Tanzan later stated Hillary was the first to step on the summit, but stressed their teamwork is what mattered most. On the way down, the snow drift covered their tracks, making it very difficult to come back, and the first person they met when they got back was George Low and he famously said, well, George, we knocked off the bastard. The team kept the news secret until they reached a lower camp, allowing the moment to be captured on film. Of the news reaching at the perfect time. Their achievement would be announced to Britain on June second, coinciding with Queen Elizabeth the sent coordination, amplifying the impact, and Hillary would be knighted and Hunt would receive Knighthood, and Tanzing was awarded the George Medal and the Star of Nepal. But this wasn't it for Hillary. He was now world famous, but he didn't want us just stop. He led expeditions to the Himalayas, climbing ten more peaks over twenty thousand feet in the years following Mount Everest, and in nineteen fifty eight he led the New Zealand section of the Commonwealth Transarctic Expedition to become the first to reach the South Pole overland by motor vehicle since Amsen and Scott, and he later reached the North Pole, becoming the first person to stand on both poles and atop Mount Everest, a unique three pole achievement. Now, the most profound thing that changed in Hillary's life was his commitment to the Srpa people of Nepal. A lot of times we hear about the guy that climbed to Everest, but we forget about how well the Srpas of Nepal made it even possible. And in nineteen sixty the Himalaya Trust, aiming to repay the kindness in support he received from the Shurpas, and the Trust helped build schools, hospitals, bridges and airfields for the remote Himalaya region, transforming the life of countless Nepalis and Hillary personally oversaw many of these projects. Over his life, Hillary received numerous honors, including an honorary citizenship from Nepal in two thousand and three on the fiftieth anniversary of the Mount Everest climb. He served as the New Zealand High Commissioner to India, Nepal and Bangladesh in the nineteen eighties, deepening his ties to the region until his death in two thousand and eight, Hillary remained entirely an advocate for the Nepal people and preserving the legacy of the summit of Mount Everest. Now, Hillary may have done this in nineteen fifty three, and it was a huge moment, but it took many people trying before him. Often, when you're the first, somebody tried before you, and somebody tried before them. And it's the same with Mount Everest. He wasn't the first to try. Many have lost their lives trying. It's estimated over three hundred and forty people have died while trying to climb Mount Everest, and that's only an estimate. There could have been even more years and years ago. It took many trial and error and technology. Without oxygen, many think that there's no way anyone could have made it to the top. And if we didn't have the technology to have bottled oxygen, there's probably no way any person could have made it. So for maybe the Nepali's people that live in the area and have adjusted to that climate. And it's possible that many Nepali and Shurpa had done it previously and never got recognition. But at least Hillary put them ahead of him and honored what they did because it's often the unsung heroes that help us achieve greatness. I want to thank you for listening today's daily Sports History. If you like this, please make sure you like and subscribe so you do not miss another episode, and we will see you again on the next episode.