OUR INSPIRATION
OUR INSPIRATION
Edmund Hilary and Tenzing Norgay were the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. We have been reading about their amazing adventure.
THE FIRST EVEREST ASCENT
WHO?
Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hilary were the first two people confirmed to climb to the summit of Everest. When they first met, Hilary was struck by Tenzing's flashing smile and wrote 'it was impossible to be warmed by his charming manner'.
WHEN?
Tenzing and Edmund summited Everest on 29th May 1953. Did you know they buried mementos in the snow? Tenzing buried some sweets, chocolate and a coloured pencil from his daughter, and Edmund buried a cross and some flags.
WHERE?
Everest sits on the border of Nepal and Tibet. We know it as Everest, but it has many names. In Nepalese, it is known as Sagarmatha
(Goddess of the Sky) and in Tibetan it is Chomolungma
(The Mountain So High No Bird Can Fly Over It).
THE TEAM
The team were the best prepared ever to set out for Everest. The 350 porters started by carrying 7.5 tonnes of kit over 150 miles to the foot of Everest. Wow! That's the same weight as five cars!
TRAINING
The team had to do lots of training including getting used to the weather, the temperature and the altitude. The air is very thin at the top of Everest, with less oxygen, so you have to acclimatise.
CELEBRATIONS
When they returned from Everest, their names were in the paper. They met Prime Minister Nehru from India and the Queen. They received lots of fan letters and people held parties in their honour.
