Sir Edmund Hillary – Mount Everest Day 29 May 1953

On 29^th May 1953 Sir Edmund Hillary was the first climber to reach the summit of Mount Everest, along with Tenzing Norgay, one of the local Himalayans Sherpas. They were part of a British expedition, climbing the highest mountain peak in the world, 8848m high.

Led by Colonel John Hunt and consisting of climbers, Dr R.C. Evans, G. Band, T. Bourdillon, A. Gregory, Edmund Hillary, W.G. Lowe, C. Noyce, M.P. Ward, M. Westmacott, and C.G. Wylie.

Mount Everest Day is celebrated every year on May 29. The date was chosen to honour the mountain climbers Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa who climbed the mountain on that day in 1953. Climbing Mount Everest is an accomplishment many people dream of but only a few achieve. Climbing the tallest mountain in the world comes with some life-threatening risks. It requires very good physical fitness. The climbers who make it usually have trained for many years before attempting the tallest mountain. It can take a good climber about two months to reach the peak.

Seventy-one years later we proudly remember the achievements of the famous New Zealander, Sir Edmund Hillary. Sir Ed, as he was known, was born 20 July 1919, the same year as my Mum, and he died 11 January 2008 aged 89 years old.

He will always be remembered as a famous mountaineer and explorer. He was also part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, and he reached the South Pole overland in 1958. He also reached the North Pole making him the first person to reach the summit Mount Everest and both poles.

Hillary devoted most of his life to helping the Himalayan Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he founded. Through his efforts, many schools and hospitals were built in Nepal. It was not climbing Mt Everest that Sir Ed thought of as his greatest achievement but helping the people of Nepal.

I have recently read that he said: "I declare that I have had a full life with much happiness and a share of sadness. I have little cause for complaint. If, however some people in New Zealand feel I have made some contribution to the prestige of my country then they could best demonstrate this by continuing modest support to the Himalayan People I have worked with for so many years.”

Searching internet news reports.

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay - 1953 Everest (nationalgeographic.com)

The National Geographic has an interesting article about the famous 1953 event.

Everest Summit Climbing 2024 starts, 10 made it to the top - Himalayan Masters (himalayan-masters.com)

This year 2024, there have been reported that there are 478 foreigners with permits issued to climb Mt Everest. They will be assisted by almost Nepalese climbing experts. With 200 women and 756 men about up to 956 people attempting to climb Mt Everest this year.

Last year 2023, there were 400 to 500 permits were estimated to be issued, compared to 2022 when Nepal had issued 316 permits to mountaineers for this year’s spring climbing season, which runs from mid-April to the end of May. Most Mt Everest hopefuls are each escorted by the neophilia guide, meaning more than 600 climbers will tread the same path to the tip of the 8,849metre (29,032 foot) peak in the coming weeks. There are several hundred Sherpa guides and support staff who have been stationed at base camp, and preparing the ropes and climbing pathways, planning their climb of the world highest peak.

Official Full List of Mount Everest Climbers:1953 -2021 (haexpeditions.com)

As of December 2023: 6,664 different people have reached the summit of Mount Everest. Where a climber has reached the summit more than once, only their first summit date is listed; their total number of summits is listed after their name in brackets. Data courtesy of The Himalayan Database

Kami Rita: Sherpa guide scales Mount Everest for record 29th time | AP News

KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — One of greatest climbing guides on Mount Everest has scaled the world’s highest peak for the 29th time, extending his own record for most times to the summit, expedition organizers said Sunday. Kami Rita reached the 8,849-meter (29,032-foot) peak at 7:25 a.m. local time Sunday along with other climbers, said Mingma Sherpa of the expedition organizer Seven Summits Treks. He was reported in good health and already on the way down to lower camps. Kami Rita had climbed Mount Everest twice last year, setting the record for most climbs on the first and adding to it less than a week later. He and fellow Sherpa guide Pasang Dawa have been competing with each other for the title of most climbs of the world’s highest peak. Pasang Dawa has 27 successful ascents of the mountain.

Mount Everest - Wikipedia

• 2017: Kami Rita Sherpa of Alpine Ascents reaches 21 ascents to the summit.

• 2019: Kami Rita Sherpa reaches 24 ascents to the summit.

• 2021: Kami Rita Sherpa reaches 25 ascents to the summit.

• 2022: Kami Rita Sherpa reaches 26 ascents to the summit, and Pasang Dawa Sherpa reaches 25 ascents to the summit.

• 2023: Kami Rita Sherpa reaches 28 ascents to the summit.

• 2024: Kami Rita Sherpa reaches 29 ascents to the summit.

List of people who died climbing Mount Everest - Wikipedia

Information on 335 of the people who died climbing Mount Everest are listed in the table on this internet link. There have been 2 deaths already recorded on 12 May 2024, and 18 deaths in 2023.

List of Mount Everest death statistics - Wikipedia

There are 8 Australians, and 3 New Zealanders are listed as Mount Everest death statistics.

Australian man Jason Kennison dies during Mount Everest climb - ABC News

Last year on 21 May 2023.

Sad news this week, a 40-year-old Australian man has died while descending Mount Everest during the past week. Jason Kennison had been in Nepal for the previous six weeks to prepare for the climb. Jason Kennison was climbing Mount Everest to raise money for Spinal Cord Injuries Australia. Jason had learnt to walk again after being involved in a serious accident in 2006.

Every season there are tragedies as the mountain claims the lives of the climbers attempting to make it to the peak or on their return journey down the steep slopes. Over 330 have died attempting to reach the summit of Mount Everest. which, at 8,848.86 m (29,031 ft 8+¹⁄₂ in), is Earth's highest mountain and a particularly desirable peak for mountaineers. This makes it the mountain with the most deaths, although it does not have the highest death rate.

Deaths have been attributed to avalanches, falls, serac collapse, exposure, frostbite, or health problems related to conditions on the mountain. Not all bodies have been located, so details on those deaths are not available. Information on 335 of the people who died climbing Mount Everest are listed in the internet links above.

Climbing Everest is dangerous, with 12 people dying in 2019.

There were no recorded deaths in 2020. There were 4 deaths in 2021,3 deaths in 2022, and 18 deaths in 2023.

In 2020, the climbing season was closed due to the Covid-19 World Pandemic. Nepal re-opened its peaks to mountaineers in 2021. This year the expedition operators in Nepal are expecting a busier climbing season.

Published news from last year of exciting Mount Everest climbers’ achievements in 2022.

Exciting news on 17 May 2022, at the age of 19 years, Gabby Kanizay become the youngest Australian to climb Mount Everest, 8,849m. Gabby also climbed with her mother, Jane Kanizay, and they became one of the few mother-daughter pairing to reach the summit of Mt Everest together. The day after conquering Everest, Gabby then climbed Mt Everest’s neighbour, Lhostse, the world’s fourth-highest mountain at 8,516m. There are 14 mountains above 8,000m in the world and Gabby has now climbed three of them.

On 29 May 1953, the day Sir Edmund Hillary and his companion Tenzing Norgay climbed the highest peak in the world, Mt Everest. After descending to the South Col, they are met by George Lowe where Hillary states: "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off !"

It is time to enjoy the great outdoors, weather permitting, and celebrate the 71^st anniversary of Sir Ed climbing of Mount Everest Day. It is a good time to go for a walk up a hill, here on Norfolk Island Mt Pitt and Mt Bates are our highest peak, so maybe I will take a walk and enjoy the view from up the top

Betty Matthews

24 May 2024