© 2014 The Weekly Plan. All rights reserved.
SIR EDMUND HILLARY CONQUERS MT. EVEREST
If you were to ask the average New Zealander on the
street to name the 3 most well known New Zealanders, you
could just about guarantee that Sir Edmund Hillary’s name
would be mentioned.
This week, 61 years ago, Edmund Hillary climbed to the
summit of the highest mountain in the world, Mt Everest,
and he was the very first person to do so.
One of the reasons he has such a special place in the
hearts of New Zealanders is due to his humble, down-toearth manner:
"In some ways I believe I epitomise the average New
Zealander: I have modest abilities, I combine these
with a good deal of determination, and I rather like to
succeed."
Sir Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland on July 20, 1919.
As a boy he loved reading adventure stories and would
read them late into the night. Edmund Hillary attended
Auckland Grammar and had his first experience of the
mountains when he went on a class trip to Mount
Ruapehu.
In 1939 he climbed his first mountain, Mt Olivier, in the
Southern Alps. He attended university for two years but
left to join his father and brother in the family bee-keeping
business. In 1943 he became a navigator in the air force
and spent much of his spare time climbing the Southern
Alps.
Over the next 10 years he gained climbing experience in
New Zealand, Switzerland, Austria and Nepal.
After
exploring the south-west side of Mt Everest with a team
from Britain, looking for the best route to the summit, he set
out in May 1953 with an expedition of nine other climbers
to reach the summit of Mt Everest. Mount Everest is the
highest mountain in the world. It reaches a height of 9
kilometres above sea level, which is approximately 8,882
metres.
29 MAY 1953
It is one of the mountains on the Himalaya Range and
was named after Sir George Everest, a British
surveyor in India.
Included in this expedition was fellow New Zealander
George Lowe, Tenzing Norgay, a doctor, a
cameraman, thirty-four Sherpas, and three hundred
and fifty porters to carry their equipment and food!
A base camp was set up in March 1953 at Solu
Khumu in Nepal. The climbers made their way up Mt
Everest, with a group in front setting up camps where
food and shelter would be ready for the climbers.
Because the air is very thin at high altitudes, using
oxygen made it easier for climbers to breathe so
hundreds of porters were needed to carry the oxygen
tanks
and
other
heavy
equipment.
Climbers also ate food that could be easily digested
and contained a lot of calories to keep the climbers
warm in sub-zero temperatures. They also needed
lots of fluids so that they did not dehydrate. Edmund
Hillary's pack weighed about 27 kg, by the time he
had reached the last camp it weighed about 18 kg
(today's climbers carry about 7 kg).
Two climbers from the expedition tried to reach the
summit on 26 May but failed to do so. On 28 May
Hillary, Tenzing and three other climbers moved up
the mountain carrying oxygen cylinders and other
equipment. Hillary and Tenzing pitched a tent at 8,500
metres while the other climbers went back down the
mountain.
The next morning, 29 May 1953, Hillary’s boots were
found frozen outside his tent and he had to spend two
hours thawing them out over the camp stove before
he and Tenzing began the last climb, reaching the top
by 11.30 am.
© 2014 The Weekly Plan. All rights reserved.
SIR EDMUND HILLARY CONQUERS MT. EVEREST
29 MAY 1953
They spent about 15 minutes at the summit taking
photographs and looking for any signs of two British men
called Mallory and Irvine who had attempted to climb Mt
Everest 29 years earlier but who had never been seen
again.
Hillary left a small crucifix on the summit, and Tenzing
left an offering of food before heading back down.
After conquering Mt Everest, Hillary went on to set up
the Himalayan Trust – his way of giving back to the
people of Nepal. He received many accolades over the
years, including featuring on New Zealand’s $5 note. He
died on Friday 11 January 2008 aged 88. He was
farewelled at a state funeral that was broadcast on New
Zealand TV and flags flew at half mast.
Discussion Questions
Factual
1.
What was the first mountain Sir Edmund
Hillary ever climbed?
2.
How high is Mt Everest?
3.
Why did climbers carry oxygen tanks?
4.
Who were the two men that attempted
to climb Mt Everest before Hillary and
were never seen again?
Challenge
Imagine you are either Sir Edmund
Hillary or Tenzing Norgay and you have
just woken up on 29 May 1953, about to
climb the final distance to the summit.
Write a one paragraph diary entry.
Include details such as how you are
feeling, what the physical environment is
like, equipment and food you will take
with you, what you expect to see at the
top, etc.