Everest guaranteed Hillary possible death, cold, wind, and seclusion along with many other dangers but only few comforts and certainties during his expedition to climb to the summit of Mount Everest. In May of 1953, along with Tenzing Norgay, Hillary summited and conquered the Mother Goddess of Earth. Their successful attempt inspired thousands of people and their act of conquering earth’s highest summit proved humans’ capability of conquering significant obstacles. Once believed impossible for humans to reach the summit at such great altitude, Hillary and Norgay defied expectations and attained their goal. Conquering fear and obstacles to reach the edge of earth, Sir Edmund Hillary inspired young children to venture into the unknown and …show more content…
In present day climbing, each climber uses a personal walkie-talkie and consistently communicates with the camps, guides, and other climbers. During Hillary’s climb, “ Radio communication technology was widely available though heavy and not easy to use in the high alpine (National Geographic).” As a result of limited radio communication, when Hillary and Norgay summited the peak, everyone in the camps below peered through binoculars to monitor and track the progress up the final portion of the peak now called HIllary’s Step” (Smith). Beyond the equipment used for groups, personal equipment also proved critical to any attempt of conquering Everest. Presently almost just an afterthought, any climber desperately needed equipment such as sleeping bags, crampons, and head protection (National Geographic). While technology advanced, personal items became more efficient, cheap, durable, and light, but when man first summited Everest, equipment weighed much more and made the attempt even more difficult. Just as Hillary and Norgay needed to overcome physical difficulties, the climbers also faced technological and equipment difficulties which they brilliantly …show more content…
Summiting Everest mesmerizes many climbers, but often the public overlooks the difficulty of the life threatening descent of the mountain. In fact, some researchers believe climbers George Mallory and Andrew Irvine summited Everest in the 1924 British expedition and then fell to their deaths on the descent (The Guardian). Even though these men perhaps reached glory, their deaths kept them from living to enjoy and recount the stories of their possible success. Statistics of the casualties on Everest illustrate the difficulty of descent. “Among climbers who died after scaling higher than 8,000 meters above sea level, 56 percent succumbed on their descent from Everest’s 8,850-meter summit, and another 17 percent died after turning back” (Lite). Although ascending the mountain provides difficulties, the real treachery begins on the descent of the mountain. As oxygen levels run low, climbers often lose focus, energy, and determination as the attempt to return to base camp. This simple decrease in energy often leads to one small slip or poor decision which quickly endangers the lives of the climber and others on the expedition. Even though there are four camps along the common routes taken up Everest where climbers often refocus and find support, climbers never solidify their success and safety until they reach base