105-607: Sir Edmund Percival Hillary (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008) was a New Zealand mountaineer , explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest . They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest , led by John Hunt . From 1985 to 1988 he served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal. Hillary became interested in mountaineering while in secondary school. He made his first major climb in 1939, reaching
210-601: A tourist activity. There are different activities associated with the sport. Mountaineering lacks formal rules – though appropriately empowered bodies make many pertaining to specific use of mountains and practices on them. In theory, any person may climb a mountain and call themself a mountaineer. In practice, the sport is defined by the safe and necessary use of technical skills in mountainous terrain: in particular, roped climbing and snow travel abilities. A variety of techniques have been developed to help people climb mountains that are widely applied among practitioners of
315-409: A "base camp," which is an area used for staging attempts at nearby summits. Base camps are positioned to be relatively safe from harsh terrain and weather. Where the summit cannot be reached from base camp in a single day, a mountain will have additional camps above base camp. For popular mountains, base camps may be at a fixed location and become famous. The Everest base camps and Camp Muir are among
420-781: A Nepalese citizen – received the George Medal . Tenzing also received the Star of Nepal from King Tribhuvan . Hillary climbed ten other peaks in the Himalayas on further visits in 1956, 1960–1961, and 1963–1965. He also reached the South Pole as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition , for which he led the New Zealand section, on 4 January 1958. His party was
525-572: A New Zealand banknote. In giving his permission, Hillary insisted that Aoraki / Mount Cook rather than Mount Everest be used as the backdrop. Annual Reader's Digest polls from 2005 to 2007 named Hillary as "New Zealand's most trusted individual". Hillary's favoured New Zealand charity was the Sir Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre , of which he was patron for 35 years. He was particularly keen on how this organisation introduced young New Zealanders to
630-474: A bach at Anawhata. The family donated land at Whites Beach that is now crossed by trampers on the Hillary Trail, named for Edmund. Hillary said of the area: "That is the thing that international travel brings home to me – it's always good to be going home. This is the only place I want to live in; this is the place I want to see out my days." Following his ascent of Everest he devoted himself to assisting
735-464: A bus to transport club members to the tracks. A network of tramping tracks has been developed throughout New Zealand of varying lengths and difficulties. A small number of tramping tracks cross private land either in part or in full. All of the major tramping tracks are on public land that is administered by the Department of Conservation . Among the best-known tracks are the ten Great Walks and
840-407: A climber who ascends the rock. The first climber, called the leader , will reach a point on the rock and then build an anchor , which will secure subsequent climbers. Anchors could be created by using slings around a tree or boulder, or by using protection devices like cams and nuts . Once anchored, the leader will then belay the climber coming up from below. Once the follower reaches the leader,
945-426: A few different forms of shelter depending on the situation and conditions; alpine shelters or arctic shelters. Shelter is a very important aspect of safety for the climber as weather in the mountains may be very unpredictable. Tall mountains may require many days of camping. Short trips lasting less than a day generally do not require shelter, although for safety, most mountaineers will carry an emergency shelter, such
1050-572: A go' he said, using an expression we came to know so well in the following months. It may have meant that he would try to fix it, but did not. Actually it meant he would fix it, a subtle but important difference so far as Ed and his fellow countryman George Lowe, were concerned. The expedition set up base camp in March 1953 and, working slowly, set up its final camp at the South Col at 25,900 feet (7,890 m). On 26 May, Bourdillon and Evans attempted
1155-434: A goat antelope. Hillary said after the expedition: "The yeti is not a strange, superhuman creature as has been imagined. We have found rational explanations for most yeti phenomena". In 1962, he was a guest on the television game show What's My Line? ; he stumped the panel, comprising Dorothy Kilgallen , Arlene Francis , Bennett Cerf , and Merv Griffin . In 1977, he led a jetboat expedition, titled "Ocean to Sky", from
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#17327906613361260-559: A large body of professional guides, equipment, and methodologies. In the early years of the " golden age ", scientific pursuits were intermixed with the sport, such as by the physicist John Tyndall . In the later years, it shifted to a more competitive orientation as pure sportsmen came to dominate the London-based Alpine Club and alpine mountaineering overall. The first president of the Alpine Club, John Ball ,
1365-607: A large variety of techniques and philosophies (including grading and guidebooks ) when climbing mountains. Numerous local alpine clubs support mountaineers by hosting resources and social activities. A federation of alpine clubs, the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA), is the International Olympic Committee -recognized world organization for mountaineering and climbing. The consequences of mountaineering on
1470-401: A light bivouac sack . Typical shelters used for camping include tents and bivouac sacks . The ability of these shelters to provide protection from the elements is dependent on their design. Mountaineers who climb in areas with cold weather or snow and ice will use more heavy-duty shelters than those who climb in more forgiving environments. In remote locations, mountaineers will set up
1575-603: A local club and volunteers from clubs will perform much of the maintenance on these huts. In the Tararua Forest Park north of Wellington huts are managed in a partnership between DOC and various lower North Island clubs. In the eastern Southern Alps near Christchurch some huts are managed solely by the Canterbury Mountaineering Club and they rely on fees from these huts to help pay the cost of maintenance. Amongst experienced trampers there
1680-707: A means of payment. In the UK the term "hut" is used for any cottage or cabin used as a base for walkers or climbers. These are mostly owned by mountaineering clubs for use by members or visiting clubs and generally do not have wardens or permanent staff, but have cooking and washing facilities and heating. In the Scottish Highlands small simple unstaffed shelters without cooking facilities known as "bothies" are maintained to break up cross country long routes and act as base camps to certain mountains. Where conditions permit, snow caves are another way to shelter high on
1785-413: A rope team. For example, when traveling over glaciers , crevasses pose a grave danger to a climber who is not roped in. These giant cracks in the ice are not always visible as snow can be blown and freeze over the top to make a snowbridge . At times snowbridges can be as thin as a few inches and may collapse from people walking over them. Should a climber fall, being protected by a rope greatly reduces
1890-405: A roped team may choose not to use anchors; instead, all members of the team will prepare to use their ice axes to self-arrest in the event should a team member fall. It is not always wise for climbers to form a rope team, since one falling climber may pull the entire team off the mountain. However, the risks of individual, unprotected travel are often so great that groups have no choice but to form
1995-704: A small three-man planning group on the expedition. Hunt wrote that: Hillary's testing in the Himalayas had shown that he would be a very strong contender, not only for Everest, but for an eventual summit party. When I met Shipton last autumn I well remember his prophesying this – and how right he was. Quite exceptionally strong and abounding in a restless energy, possessed of a thrusting mind which swept away all unproven obstacles, Ed Hillary's personality had made an imprint on my mind, through his Cho Oyu and Reconnaissance friends and through his letters to me. Hillary had hoped to climb with Lowe, but Hunt named two teams for
2100-424: A teacher of Radiant Living, getting a 100% pass mark. His test lecture was on "Inferiority – cause and cure". He said of his five-year association with the movement that "I learned to speak confidently from the platform; to think more freely on important topics; to mix more readily with a wide variety of people". Tenets included healthy eating (the salads that June took to university for lunch) and pacificism. He joined
2205-592: A trip to Kathmandu, Hillary suffered a fall, and was hospitalised after returning to New Zealand. On 11 January 2008, he died of heart failure at Auckland City Hospital , at the age of 88. Flags were lowered to half-mast on New Zealand public buildings and at Scott Base in Antarctica, and the Prime Minister , Helen Clark , called Hillary's death a "profound loss to New Zealand". Mountaineering Mountaineering , mountain climbing , or alpinism
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#17327906613362310-615: A trip, safe climbers know what hazards to look for and how to recognize them. In situations where hazards are not able to be avoided, the climber must use their decision-making skills to mitigate those hazards. Climbers improve upon their ability to become a safe decision maker and recognize hazards by receiving proper education, training, practice, and experience as well as learning how to spot personal bias . Tramping in New Zealand Tramping , known elsewhere as backpacking , rambling , hill walking or bushwalking,
2415-495: A variety of hazards . When climbing mountains, there are two types of hazards, objective (mountain-based) and subjective (human-based) . Objective hazards relate to the environment, and may include inclement weather conditions, dangerous terrain, duration of exposure , and other environmental conditions. Subjective hazards relate to a climber's poor judgement, poor planning, lack of skills, faulty analysis and conclusions, or inadequate conditioning. In terms of objective hazards,
2520-535: A voluntary basis by members of alpine clubs. The manager of the hut, termed a guardian or warden in Europe, will usually also sell refreshments and meals, both to those visiting only for the day and to those staying overnight. The offering is surprisingly wide, given that most supplies, often including fresh water, must be flown in by helicopter, and may include glucose-based snacks (such as candy bars) on which climbers and walkers wish to stock up, cakes and pastries made at
2625-464: A young generation of Norwegian mountaineers such as George Paus , Eilert Sundt and Kristian Tandberg appeared, and later founded Norsk Tindeklub , the third oldest mountaineering association in the world. By the turn of the 20th century, mountaineering had acquired a more international flavour. In 1897 Mount Saint Elias (18,008 ft (5,489 m)) on the Alaska - Yukon border was summitted by
2730-468: Is a popular activity in New Zealand . Tramping is defined as a recreational activity involving walking over rough country. Trampers often carry a backpack and wet-weather gear, and may also carry equipment for cooking and sleeping. Alpine climbing has been a recreational activity from the early days of European settlement, and possibly earlier. From the 1950s tracks, huts and bridges were built in
2835-520: Is a set of outdoor activities that involves ascending mountains . Mountaineering-related activities include traditional outdoor climbing , skiing , and traversing via ferratas that have become sports in their own right. Indoor climbing , sport climbing , and bouldering are also considered variants of mountaineering by some, but are part of a wide group of mountain sports . Unlike most sports, mountaineering lacks widely applied formal rules, regulations, and governance; mountaineers adhere to
2940-480: Is a strong culture of looking after huts. The phrase "hut etiquette" encompasses looking after any hut that is used and showing consideration for other hut users. Most huts on the conservation estate are open to the public and the state of a hut depends on the care by those who use it. This environmental care code promoted by the Department of Conservation contains a 10-point checklist of things that can be done in
3045-435: Is also a prerequisite of success in all aspects of mountaineering. Alpine rock climbing involves technical skills including the ability to place anchors into the rock to safely ascend a mountain. In some cases, climbers may have to climb multiple pitches of rock to reach the top. Typically, for any one pitch, there is a belayer who is stationary and creates tension on the rope to catch a climber should he or she fall, and
3150-441: Is at least four feet of snow. The addition of a good quality bivouac bag and closed cell foam sleeping mat will also increase the warmth of the snow cave. Another shelter that works well is a quinzee , which is excavated from a pile of snow that has been work hardened or sintered (typically by stomping). Igloos are used by some climbers, but are deceptively difficult to build and require specific snow conditions. Mountaineers face
3255-510: Is considered to be the discoverer of the Dolomites , which for decades were the focus of climbers like Paul Grohmann and Angelo Dibona . At that time, the edelweiss also established itself as a symbol of alpinists and mountaineers. In the 19th century, the focus of mountaineering turned towards mountains beyond the Alps. One of the earliest mountain areas to be explored beyond the Alps in
Edmund Hillary - Misplaced Pages Continue
3360-442: Is deemed obligatory, and in many cases is essential as some popular huts, even with more than 100 bed spaces, may be full during good weather and at weekends. Once made, the cancellation of a reservation is advised as a matter of courtesy – and, indeed, potentially of safety, as many huts keep a record of where climbers and walkers state they plan to walk to next. Most huts may be contacted by telephone and most take credit cards as
3465-508: Is the 1100 AD ascent of the Untersberg . The famous poet Petrarch describes his 26 April 1336 ascent of Mount Ventoux (1,912 m (6,273 ft)) in one of his epistolae familiares , claiming to be inspired by Philip V of Macedon 's ascent of Mount Haemo . For most of antiquity, climbing mountains was a practical or symbolic activity, usually undertaken for economic, political, or religious purposes. A commonly cited example
3570-456: Is the 1492 ascent of Mont Aiguille (2,085 m (6,841 ft)) by Antoine de Ville, a French military officer and lord of Domjulien and Beaupré. Because ropes, ladders and iron hooks were used, and because it was the first climb of any technical difficulty to be officially verified, this ascent is widely recognized as being the birth of mountaineering. Conrad Gessner , A mid-16th Century physician, botanist and naturalist from Switzerland,
3675-402: Is used to describe terrain in which no technical equipment is needed. To traverse this terrain, mountaineers hike long distances to a base camp or the beginning of rough terrain, either following trails or using navigation techniques to travel cross-country. Hiking may be a strenuous activity, and adequate physical fitness and familiarity with the wilderness is necessary to complete a hike; it
3780-650: Is widely recognized as being the first person to hike and climb for sheer pleasure. In the Andes , around the late 1400s and early 1500s many ascents were made of extremely high peaks by the Incas and their subjects. The highest they are known for certain to have climbed is 6739 m at the summit of Volcan Llullaillaco . The Age of Enlightenment and the Romantic era marked a change of attitudes towards high mountains. In 1757 Swiss scientist Horace-Bénédict de Saussure made
3885-470: The 4th millennium BC , were found in a glacier in the Ötztal Alps . However, the highest mountains were rarely visited early on, and were often associated with supernatural or religious concepts. Nonetheless, there are many documented examples of people climbing mountains prior to the formal development of the sport in the 19th century, although many of these stories are sometimes considered fictional or legendary. A rare medieval example of mountaineering
3990-770: The Duke of the Abruzzi and party. In 1879–1880 the exploration of the highest Andes in South America began when English mountaineer Edward Whymper climbed Chimborazo (20,549 ft (6,263 m)) and explored the mountains of Ecuador. It took until the late 19th century for European explorers to penetrate Africa. Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa was climbed in 1889 by Austrian mountaineer Ludwig Purtscheller and German geologist Hans Meyer , Mount Kenya in 1899 by Halford Mackinder . The greatest mountain range to be conquered
4095-794: The French Federation of Mountaineering and Climbing , remain independent. The premier award in mountaineering is the privately granted Piolet d'Or , which has expanded from a single recognition to multiple. While there are many competitions, particularly in toproped climbing wall disciplines, there are no "official" world championships or other similar competitions for mountaineering broadly. Mountaineering techniques vary greatly depending on location, season, terrain, and route. Both techniques and hazards vary by terrain, spanning trails, rock, snow, and ice. Mountaineers must possess adequate food, water, information, equipment, stamina, and skill to complete their tasks. The term "walk-up" or "trek"
4200-579: The Golden Age of Alpinism , with the first mountaineering club – the Alpine Club – being founded in 1857. One of the most dramatic events was the spectacular first ascent of the Matterhorn in 1865 by a party led by English illustrator Edward Whymper , in which four of the party members fell to their deaths. By this point the sport of mountaineering had largely reached its modern form, with
4305-895: The Grossglockner in 1800, the Ortler in 1804, the Jungfrau in 1811, the Finsteraarhorn in 1812, and the Breithorn in 1813. In 1808, Marie Paradis became the first woman to climb Mont Blanc, followed in 1838 by Henriette d'Angeville . The beginning of mountaineering as a sport in the UK is generally dated to the ascent of the Wetterhorn in 1854 by English mountaineer Sir Alfred Wills , who made mountaineering fashionable in Britain. This inaugurated what became known as
Edmund Hillary - Misplaced Pages Continue
4410-873: The Kingdom of Nepal in 1953 and the Coronation Medal in 1975. On 22 April 1995, Hillary was appointed Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter . On 17 June 2004, Hillary was awarded the Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Republic of Poland . The Government of India conferred on him its second highest civilian award, the Padma Vibhushan , posthumously, in 2008. To mark
4515-691: The Order of the Garter in 1995. Upon his death in 2008, he was given a state funeral in New Zealand. Hillary was born to Percival Augustus "Percy" (1885–1965) and Gertrude (née Clark) (1892–1965) Hillary in Auckland , New Zealand, on 20 July 1919. His father Percy had served at Gallipoli with the 15th (North Auckland) Regiment , and was discharged "medically unfit" from the Army in 1916; he had married Gertrude after his return to New Zealand. His grandfather Edmund Raymond Hillary (b. 1836) from Lancashire , England
4620-781: The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) but quickly withdrew the application, later writing that he was "harassed by [his] religious conscience ". In 1943, with the Japanese threat in the Pacific and the arrival of conscription , he joined the RNZAF as a navigator in No. 6 Squadron RNZAF and later No. 5 Squadron RNZAF on Catalina flying boats . In 1945, he was sent to Fiji and to the Solomon Islands , where he
4725-684: The Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust , which he established in 1960 and led until his death in 2008. His efforts are credited with the construction of many schools and hospitals in this remote region of the Himalayas . He was the Honorary President of the American Himalayan Foundation , a United States non-profit body that helps improve the ecology and living conditions in the Himalayas. He
4830-521: The vasodilator padutin , and a stimulant tea made from coca leaves. K2 (8,611m), the second-highest peak in the world, was first scaled in 1954 by Lino Lacedelli and Achille Compagnoni . In 1964, the final eight-thousander to be climbed was Shishapangma (8,013m), the lowest of all the 8,000-metre peaks. Reinhold Messner from the Dolomites mountain range (Italy) was then the first to climb all eight-thousanders up to 1986, in addition to being
4935-525: The 19th century were the mountains of Norway —particularly Jotunheimen —where British mountaineers such as William Cecil Slingsby , Harold Raeburn and Howard Priestman were early pioneers. Slingsby's book Norway, the Northern Playground contributed greatly to the popularization of mountaineering in Norway among the international mountaineering community. Around the turn of the century,
5040-516: The 50th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Everest, the Nepalese government conferred honorary citizenship upon Hillary at a special Golden Jubilee celebration in Kathmandu , Nepal. He was the first foreign national to receive that honour. Since 1992, New Zealand's $ 5 note has featured Hillary's portrait, making him the only living person not a current head of state ever to appear on
5145-717: The British Empire , and he received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal the same year. On 6 February 1987, he was the fourth appointee to the Order of New Zealand . He was also awarded the Polar Medal in 1958 for his part in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition, the class of commander of the Order of Sports Merit of France in about 1960, the Order of Gorkha Dakshina Bahu, 1st Class of
5250-702: The British team led by Shipton, that attempted Cho Oyu . After that attempt failed due to the lack of a route from the Nepal side, Hillary and Lowe crossed the Nup La pass into Tibet and reached the old Camp II, on the northern side, where all the previous expeditions had camped. In 1949, the long-standing climbing route to the summit of Everest was closed by Chinese-controlled Tibet . For the next several years, Nepal allowed only one or two expeditions per year. A Swiss expedition (in which Tenzing took part) attempted to reach
5355-516: The East Face. I crawled inside and wriggled and jammed my way to the top ... Tenzing slowly joined me and we moved on. I chopped steps over bump after bump, wondering a little desperately where the top could be. Then I saw the ridge ahead dropped away to the north and above me on the right was a rounded snow dome. A few more whacks with my ice-axe and Tenzing and I stood on top of Everest. Tenzing wrote in his 1955 autobiography that Hillary took
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#17327906613365460-424: The Order of the British Empire and Hunt a Knight Bachelor . News reached Britain on the day of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation , and the press called it a coronation gift. The 37 members of the party later received the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal with mount everest expedition engraved along the rim. In addition to the knighting of Hillary and Hunt, Tenzing – ineligible for knighthood as
5565-618: The Radiant Living Tramping Club, and further developed his love of the outdoors in the Waitākere Ranges . In 1939, he completed his first major climb, reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier , near Aoraki / Mount Cook in the Southern Alps . Climbing brought new friends; Harry Ayres and George Lowe became "the first real friends I'd ever had". At the outbreak of World War II , Hillary applied to join
5670-676: The South Pole overland in 1958. He subsequently reached the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles and summit Everest. Time named him one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century . Beginning in 1960, Hillary devoted himself to assisting the Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust , which he established. His efforts are credited with the construction of many schools and hospitals in Nepal. Hillary had numerous honours conferred upon him, including
5775-524: The ascent of Everest; he admitted he was terrified of proposing to her and relied on her mother to propose on his behalf. They had three children: Peter (born 1954), Sarah (born 1956) and Belinda (1959–1975). On 31 March 1975, while en route to join Hillary in the village of Phaphlu , where he was helping to build a hospital, Louise and Belinda were killed in a plane crash near Kathmandu airport shortly after take-off. In 1989 he married June Mulgrew,
5880-413: The ascent: Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans ; and Hillary and Tenzing. Hillary, therefore, made a concerted effort to forge a working friendship with Tenzing. Hillary wrote, "Tenzing had substantially greater personal ambition than any Sherpa I had met." The Hunt expedition totalled over 400 people, including 362 porters , 20 Sherpa guides, and 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) of baggage. Lowe supervised
5985-464: The bottom of a mountaineer's boots and provide additional traction on hard snow and ice. For loose snow, crampons are less suitable, and snowshoes or skis may be preferred. Using various techniques from alpine skiing to ascend/descend a mountain is a form of the sport by itself, called ski mountaineering . Ascending and descending a steep snow slope safely requires the use of an ice axe and different footwork techniques that have been developed over
6090-581: The climb but turned back when Evans's oxygen system failed. The pair had reached the South Summit, coming within 300 vertical feet (91 m) of the summit. Hunt then directed Hillary and Tenzing to attempt the summit. Snow and wind delayed them at the South Col for two days. They set out on 28 May with the support of Lowe, Alfred Gregory , and Ang Nyima. The two pitched a tent at 27,900 feet (8,500 m) on 28 May, while their support group returned down
6195-556: The dangers mountaineers face include loose or falling rocks, falling ice, snow- avalanches , the climber falling, falls from ice slopes, falls down snow slopes, falls into crevasses, and the dangers from altitude and weather. From 1947 to 2018 in the United States "2,799 people were reported to be involved in mountaineering accidents and 43% of these accidents resulted in death." Climbers themselves are responsible for nearly all climbing accidents. When planning and preparing for
6300-517: The family moved to Remuera , Auckland in 1935, his last of four years at "Grammar". He was initially smaller than his peers and shy, and did not enjoy "Grammar", where commuting barred him from after-school activities. He grew to be 6 feet 2 inches (188 cm) and gained confidence after taking up boxing . He became interested in climbing when he was 16 following a 1935 school trip to Mount Ruapehu , after which he showed more interest in tramping than in studying and said he "wanted to see
6405-402: The first man to stand at both poles and on the summit of Everest. This accomplishment inspired generations of explorers to compete over what later was defined as Three Poles Challenge . In January 2007, Hillary travelled to Antarctica as part of a delegation commemorating the 50th anniversary of the founding of Scott Base . On 6 June 1953, Hillary was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of
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#17327906613366510-471: The first of several unsuccessful attempts on Mont Blanc in France. He then offered a reward to anyone who could climb the mountain, which was claimed in 1786 by Jacques Balmat and Michel-Gabriel Paccard . The climb is usually considered an epochal event in the history of mountaineering, a symbolic mark of the birth of the sport. By the early 19th century, many of the alpine peaks were reached, including
6615-553: The first professional female mountaineers) made ascents in the Himalayas, including one of the Nun Kun peaks (23,300 ft (7,100 m)). A number of Gurkha sepoys were trained as expert mountaineers by Charles Granville Bruce , and a good deal of exploration was accomplished by them. In 1902 the Eckenstein–Crowley Expedition, led by English mountaineer Oscar Eckenstein and English occultist Aleister Crowley
6720-437: The first step onto the summit and he followed. They reached Everest's 29,028 ft (8,848 m) summit – the highest point on earth – at 11:30 am. They spent about 15 minutes at the summit. Hillary took a photo of Tenzing posing with his ice-axe, but there is no photo of Hillary; Tenzing's autobiography says that Hillary simply declined to have his picture taken. They also took photos looking down
6825-458: The first to reach the Pole overland since Amundsen in 1911 and Scott in 1912, and the first ever to do so using motor vehicles. In 1960, Hillary organised the 1960–61 Silver Hut expedition , with Griffith Pugh ; and Pugh showed that Mount Everest could be climbed without oxygen, with a long period of acclimatisation by living at 20,000 feet (6,100 m) for six months. An assault on Makalu ,
6930-429: The first without supplemental oxygen. In 1978 he climbed Mount Everest with Peter Habeler without supplemental oxygen, the first men to do so. Long the domain of the wealthy elite and their agents, the emergence of the middle-class in the 19th and 20th centuries resulted in mass interest in mountaineering. It became a popular pastime and hobby of many people. Some have come to criticize the sport as becoming too much of
7035-436: The forested areas of New Zealand to support hunters culling introduced deer species which had become a threat to the biodiversity of New Zealand . As tramping became popular these facilities were increasingly used by trampers. In later years tramping has become popular for both local and foreign tourists. Tramping clubs were formed in many towns, cities and universities with regular trips being organised. The clubs sometimes own
7140-534: The high mountains themselves – in extremely remote areas, more rudimentary shelters may exist. The mountain huts are of varying size and quality, but each is typically centred on a communal dining room and have dormitories equipped with mattresses, blankets or duvets, and pillows; guests are expected to bring and use their own sleeping bag liners . The facilities are usually rudimentary, but, given their locations, huts offer vital shelter, make routes more widely accessible (by allowing journeys to be broken and reducing
7245-418: The hut, a variety of hot and cold drinks (including beer and wine), and high carbohydrate dinners in the evenings. Not all huts offer a catered service, though, and visitors may need to provide for themselves. Some huts offer facilities for both, enabling visitors wishing to keep costs down to bring their own food and cooking equipment and to cater using the facilities provided. Booking for overnight stays at huts
7350-401: The ice, as well as traditional rock climbing equipment for anchoring in mixed terrain. Often, mountaineers climbing steep snow or mixed snowy rock terrain will not use a fixed belay. Instead, each climber on the team will climb at the same time while attached to anchors, in groups of two. This allows for safety should the entire team be taken off their feet which also allows for greater speed than
7455-399: The journal "The N.Z. Honeybee" and his mother Gertrude was famous for breeding and selling queen bees. In 1938, he went to hear Herbert Sutcliffe , the proponent of a life philosophy called "Radiant Living", with his family. The family all became foundation members, and his mother became its secretary in 1939. He went to Gisborne as Sutcliff's assistant, and in 1941 sat examinations to become
7560-404: The leader will often transfer all necessary protection devices (known as a rack) to the follower. The follower then becomes the leader and will ascend the next pitch. This process will continue until the climbers either reach the top, or run into different terrain. For extremely vertical rocks, or to overcome certain logistical challenges, climbers may use aid climbing techniques. This involves
7665-448: The most famous base camps. Camping is not always an option, or may not be suitable if a mountain is close to civilization. Some regions may legally prohibit primitive camping due to concern for the environment, or due to issues with crowds. In lieu of camping, mountaineers may choose to stay in mountain huts . The European alpine regions, in particular, have a large network of huts. Such huts exist at many different heights, including in
7770-416: The mountain. Tenzing left chocolates at the summit as an offering, and Hillary left a cross given to him by John Hunt. Their descent was complicated by drifting snow that had covered their tracks. The first person they met was Lowe; Hillary said, "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off." They returned to Kathmandu a few days later and learned that Hillary had already been appointed a Knight Commander of
7875-411: The mountain. On the following morning Hillary discovered that his boots had frozen solid outside the tent. He spent two hours warming them over a stove before he and Tenzing, wearing 30-pound (14 kg) packs, attempted the final ascent. The final obstacle was the 40-foot (12 m) rock face later called " Hillary Step "; Hillary later wrote: I noticed a crack between the rock and the snow sticking to
7980-424: The mountain. Some climbers do not use tents at high altitudes unless the snow conditions do not allow for snow caving, since snow caves are silent and much warmer than tents. They can be built relatively easily, given sufficient time, using a snow shovel. The temperature of a correctly made snow cave will hover around freezing, which relative to outside temperatures can be very warm. They can be dug anywhere where there
8085-587: The mouth of the Ganges River to its source. From 1977 to 1979 he commentated aboard Antarctic sightseeing flights operated by Air New Zealand , and was scheduled to act as the guide for the fatal Flight 901 , but had to cancel owing to other commitments. In 1985, he accompanied Neil Armstrong in a small twin-engined ski plane over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the North Pole . Hillary thus became
8190-535: The natural environment can be seen in terms of individual components of the environment (land relief, soil, vegetation, fauna, and landscape) and the location/zone of mountaineering activity (hiking, trekking, or climbing zone). Mountaineering impacts communities on economic, political, social and cultural levels, often leading to changes in people's worldviews influenced by globalization, specifically foreign cultures and lifestyles. Humans have been present in mountains since prehistory. The remains of Ötzi , who lived in
8295-428: The now defunct New Zealand Forest Service for deer culling operations. Other huts were built by alpine clubs, schools, and ski clubs. Some of the buildings on public land that are readily accessible by vehicle, are generally " baches " or "cribs" built by private individuals when control of the use of public land was less stringent. These baches are not made available to the public. Some public huts are associated with
8400-519: The outdoors in a very similar way to his first experience of a school trip to Mt Ruapehu at the age of 16. A 2.3-metre (7.5 ft) bronze statue of Hillary was erected outside The Hermitage Hotel at Mount Cook Village ; it was unveiled by Hillary himself in 2003. Various streets, institutions and organisations around New Zealand and abroad are named after him – for example, the Sir Edmund Hillary Collegiate in Ōtara , which
8505-542: The past century, such as the French technique and German technique . Teams of climbers may choose to attach everyone together with a rope, to form a rope team. The team may then secure themselves by attaching the rope to anchors. These anchors are sometimes unreliable and include snow stakes or pickets, deadman devices called flukes , or buried equipment or rocks. Bollards , which are simply carved out of consolidated snow or ice, also sometimes serve as anchors. Alternatively,
8610-576: The preparation of the Lhotse Face , a huge and steep ice face, for climbing. Hillary forged a route through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall . Cameraman Tom Stobart was Hillary's room-mate in Kathmandu. He described Hillary as: a skeleton as tall as I was ... a hatchet-thin face, and seemed tied together with steel ... I had just got a rubber torch to pieces and couldn't get it together again. This human machine took charge. 'Let's give it
8715-403: The risk of injury or death. The other members of the rope team may proceed with a crevasse rescue to pull the fallen climber from the crevasse. For extremely slippery or steep snow, ice, and mixed rock and ice terrain climbers must use more advanced techniques, called ice climbing or mixed climbing. Specialized tools such as ice screws and ice picks help climbers build anchors and move up
8820-536: The sport. Despite its lack of defined rules and non-competitive nature, certain aspects of mountaineering have much of the trappings of an organized sport, with recognition of specific climbing activities – including climbing wall -based competition – by the International Olympic Committee ; on a club level, the prominent international sport federation the UIAA counts numerous national alpine clubs as its members, while others, such as The Mountaineers and
8925-551: The summit in 1952, but was forced back by bad weather and problems with oxygen sets 800 feet (240 m) below the summit. In 1952, Hillary learned that he and Lowe had been invited by the Joint Himalayan Committee for the 1953 British attempt and immediately accepted. Shipton had been named as leader but was replaced by Hunt. Hillary objected but was immediately impressed by Hunt's energy and determination. Hunt asked Charles Evans and Hillary to form with him
9030-513: The summit of Mount Ollivier . He served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a navigator during World War II and was wounded in an accident. Prior to the Everest expedition, Hillary had been part of the British reconnaissance expedition to the mountain in 1951 as well as an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cho Oyu in 1952. As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition he reached
9135-418: The traditional technique of belaying one climber at a time. This technique is known as simul-climbing or a running belay and is sometimes also used on ice, however, the risk of dropping frequently displaced ice on the lower team member(s) limits its usefulness on ice. Traditional belays are also used; in this case, this is sometimes necessary due to ice fall hazard, steepness, or other factors. Climbers use
9240-414: The ultra-long-distance Te Araroa . There is a network of more than 950 backcountry huts throughout New Zealand operated by the Department of Conservation (DOC) on public land. DOC operates a program of bookings, tickets, and passes to help fund the maintenance of these huts. Some areas have privately owned huts on public land used for commercial tourism operations. The majority of the huts were built by
9345-503: The use of equipment, such as ladders, fixed lines , and ascenders to help the climber push themself up the rock. In alpine climbing, it is common for climbers to see routes of mixed terrain. This means climbers may need to move efficiently from climbing glacier, to rock, to ice, back and forth in a number of variations. Compacted snow conditions allow mountaineers to progress on foot. Frequently crampons are required to travel efficiently and safely over snow and ice. Crampons attach to
9450-551: The weekly Tuakau District News as well as an apiarist . Ed had a sister June (born 1917) and a brother Rexford Fleming "Rex" (born 1920). Hillary was educated at Tuakau Primary School and then Auckland Grammar School . He finished primary school aged 11 or two years early, and at " Grammar " achieved average marks. His mother wanted him to go to a "good school" and he commuted by train, cycling to Tuakau station before 7 am and returning after 6 pm for 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 years (a one-hour and 40 minutes journey each way) until
9555-439: The weight of equipment needing to be carried), and offer good value. In Europe, all huts are staffed during the summer (mid-June to mid-September) and some are staffed in the spring (mid-March to mid-May). Elsewhere, huts may also be open in the fall. Huts also may have a part that is always open, but unstaffed, a so-called winter hut. When open and staffed, the huts are generally run by full-time employees, but some are staffed on
9660-492: The widow of his close friend Peter Mulgrew , who died on Air New Zealand Flight 901 in 1979. June, Lady Hillary, died in Auckland on 1 June 2024. His son Peter Hillary also became a climber, summiting Everest in 1990. In May 2002 Peter climbed Everest as part of a 50th anniversary celebration; Jamling Tenzing Norgay (son of Tenzing who had died in 1986) was also part of the expedition. Hillary's home for most of his life
9765-553: The world". He then attended Auckland University College , and joined the Tramping Club there. But in 1938, "after two notably unsuccessful years studying mathematics and science" he gave up on formal education. He then became an apiarist with his father and brother Rex; with 1600 hives to attend, thousands of 90 lb (41 kg) boxes of honey comb to handle, and 12 to 100 bee-stings daily. He kept bees in summer, and concentrated on climbing in winter. His father also edited
9870-474: The world's fifth-highest mountain, was unsuccessful. Hillary was with the expedition for five months, although it lasted for ten. The expedition also searched for the fabled abominable snowman . No evidence of Yetis was found, instead footprints and tracks were proven to be from other causes. During the expedition, Hillary travelled to remote temples which contained "Yeti scalps"; however after bringing back three relics, two were shown to be from bears and one from
9975-500: Was a watchmaker , who immigrated to the northern Wairoa region in the mid-19th century. He married Annie "Ida" Fleming from Ireland having four children. His maternal great-grandparents, the Clarks, were both from Yorkshire . His family moved to Tuakau , south of Auckland, in 1920, after Percy was allocated eight acres (3.2 ha) of land there as a returned soldier. Percy had been a journalist prewar, and soon became founding editor of
10080-588: Was a property on Remuera Road in Auckland City, where he enjoyed reading adventure and science fiction novels in his retirement. He also built a bach at Whites Beach , one of Auckland's west coast beaches in West Auckland , between Anawhata and North Piha . A friend called it Hillary's place of solace, where he could escape media attention. The Hillary family has had a connection with the west coast of Auckland since 1925, when Louise's father built
10185-463: Was also a pioneer in developing new equipment and climbing methods. He started using shorter ice axes that could be used single-handedly, designed the modern crampons , and improved on the nail patterns used for the climbing boots. By the 1950s, all the eight-thousanders but two had been climbed starting with Annapurna in 1950 by Maurice Herzog and Louis Lachenal on the 1950 French Annapurna expedition . The highest of these peaks Mount Everest
10290-551: Was also the Honorary President of Mountain Wilderness , an international NGO dedicated to the worldwide protection of mountains. Hillary supported the Labour Party in the 1975 New Zealand general election , as a member of the " Citizens for Rowling " campaign. His involvement in this campaign was seen as precluding his nomination as governor-general ; the position was offered to Keith Holyoake in 1977. In 1985, Hillary
10395-635: Was appointed New Zealand High Commissioner to India (concurrently High Commissioner to Bangladesh and Ambassador to Nepal ) and spent four and a half years based in New Delhi . In 1975, Hillary served as a vice president for the Abortion Law Reform Association of New Zealand , a national pro-choice advocacy group. He was also a patron of REPEAL, an organisation seeking repeal of the restrictive Contraception, Sterilisation, and Abortion Act 1977 . On 22 April 2007, while on
10500-451: Was badly burnt in an accident. In January 1948, Hillary and others ascended the south ridge of Aoraki / Mount Cook , New Zealand's highest peak. He took part in an arduous rescue on La Perouse in 1948, befriending fellow climber Norman Hardie . In 1951 he was part of a British reconnaissance expedition to Everest led by Eric Shipton , before joining the successful British attempt of 1953. In 1952, Hillary and George Lowe were part of
10605-426: Was climbed in 1953 after the British had made several attempts in the 1920s; the 1922 expedition reached 8,320 metres (27,300 ft) before being aborted on the third summit attempt after an avalanche killed seven porters. The 1924 expedition saw another height record achieved but still failed to reach the summit with confirmation when George Mallory and Andrew Irvine disappeared on the final attempt. The summit
10710-791: Was established by Hillary in 2001. Two Antarctic features are named after Hillary. The Hillary Coast is a section of coastline south of Ross Island and north of the Shackleton Coast. The Hillary Canyon, an undersea feature in the Ross Sea, appears on the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans , published by the International Hydrographic Organization . Hillary married Louise Mary Rose (1930–1975) on 3 September 1953, soon after
10815-477: Was finally reached on 29 May 1953 by Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay from the south side in Nepal . Just a few months later, Hermann Buhl made the first ascent of Nanga Parbat (8,125 m), on the 1953 German–Austrian Nanga Parbat expedition , completing the last 1,300 meters walking alone, self-medicating with pervitin (based on the stimulant methamphetamine used by soldiers during World War II),
10920-737: Was the Himalayas in South Asia. They had initially been surveyed by the British Empire for military and strategic reasons. In 1892 Sir William Martin Conway explored the Karakoram Himalayas, and climbed a peak of 23,000 ft (7,000 m). In 1895 Albert F. Mummery died while attempting Nanga Parbat , while in 1899 Douglas Freshfield took an expedition to the snowy regions of Sikkim . In 1899, 1903, 1906, and 1908 American mountaineer Fanny Bullock Workman (one of
11025-413: Was the first to attempt to scale K2 . They reached 22,000 feet (6,700 m) before turning back due to weather and other mishaps. Undaunted, in 1905 Crowley led the first expedition to Kangchenjunga , the third highest mountain in the world, in an attempt which Isserman, Angas Weaver and Molenaar describe as "misguided" and "lamentable" due to Crowley's many failings as an expedition leader. Eckenstein
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