Sixty years ago today, New Zealand explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest. This feat may not seem so significant now, when upwards of 150 people may reach the top of the 29,000-foot mountain on the best climbing day. In fact the summit has become so overcrowded that officials are even debating installing a ladder for descents (to the horror of serious mountaineers). But in 1953, Hillary and Norgay’s ascent was a pretty big deal, you might say. In the video above, excerpted from Hillary’s appearance on the educational program Omnibus, watch the famous explorer nonchalantly tell the story of his and Norgay’s conquering of Everest.
And if you’re in a mood to do some virtual exploring yourself, from the comfort of your own home, you can look around the Everest summit courtesy of Google Earth.
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Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Washington, DC. Follow him at @jdmagness
strangely overlooked… im happy that i came across this video.. always worth watching the FIRSTS in anything, especially mountaineering.. cheers
During my first radio gig away from home in ’78, I was thrilled to met Sir Edmund at Radio 4ZB in Dunedin. Later, as I drove into the CBD for lunch I noticed the great man taking a stroll up ahead so I pulled over and offered him a lift. He gratefully accepted, sitting in the front passenger seat and then… nothing. Not a word until we approached his destination. A man of few words.
People have often asked why I stopped to offer Sir Edmund Hillary a lift and I always reply,”Because he was there.”