Epic Everest
Seventy years ago on the 29th May two men successfully reached the summit of Everest – Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. A remarkable and historic achievement, which caused a sensation around the world, particularly since Everest had been shadowed by tragedy from the many unsuccessful attempts in the past.
One example of this tragic past, is the 1933 Everest Expedition, led by Hugh Ruttledge who narrates the story in his book Everest 1933. This was the first attempt since the disastrous 1924 expedition which killed Mallory and Irvine. The weather as well as disagreements among members of the party caused the 1933 expedition to fail.
Despite this failure Ruttledge was chosen to lead the next expedition in 1936: Everest the unfinished adventure. Many of the same men took part including Frank Smythe and Eric Shipton. Ruttledge also included Tenzing Norgay, who later reached the summit with Hillary in 1953.
Norgay’s autobiography gives a remarkable insight into the life of climber as well as the hardships they face but it also gives an interesting insight into fame and its effect on someone’s personal life. Again Ruttledge’s expedition failed due to weather issues: the sacred mountain was proving difficult.
After several more failed attempts between 1938 and 1952, John Hunt led the historic British expedition that was to finally scale Everest, and on the 29th May 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stood on the summit. Hunt’s famous account The Ascent of Everest remains to this day a classic story of man against mountain.
James (later Jan) Morris, The Times correspondent, attached to the expedition broke the news, and the success caught the public imagination. On our shelf we have a copy of Coronation Everest signed by Edmund Hillary.
