Introduction
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary joined the team led by John Hunt and created history by climbing the Everest with the support of Tenzing Norgay on 29th May 1953.
The preparation
On 28th May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing had put up a little tent at an altitude of 27,900 feet.
They started up their cooker and drank large quantities of lemon juice in addition to sardines and biscuits. Hillary scraped the ice off the oxygen sets. As his boots were wet, he cooked them over the fierce fire of Primus and managed to soften them up. They fortified their clothing with wind proof and they pulled three pairs of gloves, silk, woollen, and wind proof on to their hands. At 6.30 am, they hauled their oxygen gear on their backs. Inhaling deep breaths of oxygen, they got ready to climb.
Gruelling climb to the South Col
From the altitude of 28,000 feet, the ridge narrowed to a knife ridge. Hillary’s feet were now warm. So, he took the lead. The snow’ was dangerously soft. The deep soft snow supported Hillary’s weight. Sometimes, it gave way pulling him down by three to four feet. The brittleness of the ice frightened Hillary a little. He asked the advice of Tenzing if they could continue the climb or abort. Tenzing said, “as you please.” Curiously, Hillary decided to continue. They trudged a few hundred feet and reached a tiny hollow. As if to reward their persistence, they found two oxygen bottles filled to their capacity. Hillary hoped that they would sustain them till they returned to their base camp. After the end of the tricky 400 feet climb, they came across firmer ice. This increased their hope of success. As one of the oxygen bottles had been exhausted, their load was reduced by half. Hillary felt a sense of freedom and w ell-being.
Reaching a wide ledge
As Hillary’s ice-axe bit into the first steep slope of the ridge, his high hopes were realized. The snow was crystalline and firm. Two to three blows of ice-axe could get them a step large enough for their high altitude boots. A firm thrust of ice-axe would sink it half-way up the shaft, giving a solid and comfortable belay egging the mountaineers to move on. Hillary would cut a forty-foot line of steps, Tenzing would belay Hillary while he worked. Hillary and Tenzing changed their roles supporting one another. Taking advantage of every little rock hold and all forces of knee, and arms Hillary could muster, Hillary cramponed backwards up the crack praying that the comice should not give way from the rock. With Tenzing’s support, Hillary reached the wide ledge. For the first time Hillary realized that nothing would prevent their chances of reaching Everest that day. Soon Tenzing wriggled his way up and collapsed like a giant fish hauled up from the sea.
The crucial last leg of the climb
Giant cornices loomed on the right. Steep rock sloped on the left. As Hillary cut around the back of a hump, another came into the view. Time was passing. Ridge seemed to have no end at all.
The conquest
Their original zest in the conquest started diminishing. It was becoming a grim struggle. Then Hillary realized that the ridge ahead instead of rising now dropped sharply away. He looked upwards to see a narrow ridge running up to a snowy summit. A few more whacks of the ice-axe in the firm snow, they stood on top of the Everest.
The triumph and the reaction of the heroes
Both had a great sense of relief. There were no more steps to cut or ridges to traverse and no more humps to lure them with the hope of success. In spite of the balaclava helmet, goggles, and oxygen mask, all covered with icicles, he could not disguise his grin of delight. They shook hands. Tenzing threw his arms around Hillary. They thumped each other on their backs till they became breathless.
The view from the top
To the east of Everest, they saw their giant neighbour Makalu, unexplored and unciimbed. Far away across the clouds, the great bulk of Kanchenjunga loomed on the horizon. To the west, they could see the great unexplored ranges of Nepal stretching off into a distance.
The photography-the testimony of their conquest
The most important photo was shot down the north ridge. It showed the North Col and the old route which had been made famous by the struggles of those great climbers of 1920’s and 1930’s.
Small offering to the great Gods
Devout Buddhists believe that Gods have their home on this lofty summit. Hence, they wish to offer at least a token of gift. Tenzing dug a little hole in the snow and in it he placed a bar of chocolate, the packet of biscuits and a handful of lollies. Hillary had a small Crucifix from Colonel Hunt. He had asked Hillary to offer it to the Gods when they reached the top. Hillary also made a small hole in the snow and placed the small crucifix beside Tenzing’s gifts piously.
Conclusion
Not all adventures are exciting. Adventures are not to be found only upon the mountains. In everyday life, there are Everests to be climbed in every walk of life.
Man can conquer any height or depth if he persists with his undaunted spirit guided by a higher spirit.
