Mt. Everest sits at a lofty 8,848 m above sea level. To gain some perspective on how high this is, imagine yourself sitting in a jet plane up above the clouds. The summit of Everest is about the same height as the cruising altitude of a jet airliner. Now imagine popping your head out of the window of your plane; that’s how extreme the air is on Everest!
Due to its unpredictable and dangerous weather, it’s no wonder that no fewer than eight British expeditions to scale Everest failed. In 1952, a Swiss expedition reached 28,210 feet, but could not complete the climb. This was a shock for the British who were in a hurry to summit first. They organized the biggest expedition till then, led by Colonel John Hunt. Along with the best British climbers, highly experienced Sherpas from Nepal were enlisted, as well as climbers from Commonwealth countries such as New Zealand. Edmund Hillary was one of them. Sherpa Tenzing Norgay was another.
The expedition set up camps along the way and traversed the treacherous Khumbu lcefall before making their way up to South Col at 26,000 feet. On May 28, Tenzing and Hillary went on ahead and set up high camp at 27,900 feet. They reached the South Summit of Everest by 9 am on May 29. At about 11:30 am they arrived at the summit of Everest and the rest is history!
Picture Credit : Google
