The First Ascent of Mount Everest (1953)

Hello there. My name is Edmund Hillary, but you can call me Ed. You might be surprised to learn that when I wasn’t climbing mountains, I was a beekeeper back home in New Zealand. I loved the quiet work with my bees, but my heart always longed for the high, snowy peaks of the world’s greatest mountains. And the greatest of them all was Mount Everest, or Chomolungma, as the people of Tibet call it, which means 'Goddess Mother of the World.' For a climber like me, reaching its summit was the biggest dream imaginable. In 1953, I was chosen to join a big British expedition to try and climb it. Our leader, Colonel John Hunt, made sure we had everything we needed: special boots, warm clothes, oxygen tanks, and tons of food. It took months of planning. On that trip, I was paired with a climbing partner who became one of my dearest friends, Tenzing Norgay. He was a Sherpa, one of the local people who knew the mountains better than anyone. From the moment we started climbing together, I knew we were a good team. We trusted each other completely, which is the most important thing when you are tied together by a rope on the side of a giant, icy mountain.

Our journey was long and incredibly difficult. First, we had to trek for weeks just to get to the base of the mountain. Then, the real work began. The air grew thinner with every step, making it feel like we were breathing through a tiny straw. The cold was like nothing I had ever felt before; it bit at our faces and froze our fingers and toes. One of the scariest parts was a place called the Khumbu Icefall. It was like a frozen, tumbling river filled with giant blocks of ice as big as houses. These blocks could shift and fall at any moment, so we had to move through it very, very carefully. We couldn't have done any of this alone. Our whole team worked together, especially the amazing Sherpas who carried heavy loads to help us set up camps higher and higher on the mountain’s slope. We set up Camp I, then Camp II, and so on, slowly getting closer to our goal. Finally, on May 28th, Tenzing and I made it to our last camp, high up in what climbers call the 'death zone.' Another team from our expedition had tried for the summit just before us but had to turn back because of exhaustion. Now, it was our turn. The next morning, we set out for the final climb. The biggest obstacle stood before us: a 40-foot wall of rock and ice. It looked impossible. But as I searched for a way up, I found a small crack between the rock and the ice. I wedged myself into it and slowly wiggled my way up. It was tough, but I made it. People now call that tricky part the 'Hillary Step.'

After climbing that step, the ridge ahead of us curved into the distance. With every step, we grew more tired, but our excitement pushed us forward. We took turns in the lead, cutting steps into the snow for the other to follow. Then, I looked up and saw that the ridge ahead dropped away sharply. There was no more mountain to climb. We were there. On the morning of May 29th, 1953, at 11:30 a.m., Tenzing and I stood on the summit of Mount Everest, the very top of the world. The feeling was overwhelming. Below us, the clouds looked like a soft, white blanket, and the peaks of other huge mountains looked like tiny points. We felt a quiet joy, too tired for a big celebration. I took out my camera and took a picture of Tenzing holding his ice axe with the flags of Great Britain, Nepal, India, and the United Nations fluttering from it. Tenzing dug a small hole in the snow and left some sweets as an offering to the mountain gods. We could only stay for about fifteen minutes because our oxygen was running low. The climb down was just as dangerous, but when we finally saw our friend George Lowe waiting for us, I couldn't help but shout, 'Well, George, we knocked the bastard off!'. The news spread across the world, and everyone celebrated with us.

Looking back, I realize that climbing Everest was about so much more than just being the first to stand on its peak. It was a victory for our entire team. It showed that with great preparation, friendship, and determination, people can achieve things that seem impossible. Tenzing and I reached the top together, as a team. That day taught me that everyone has their own 'Everest' to climb in life, a special goal that might seem scary or too hard. But if you work together and never give up, you might just find yourself on top of the world.