The First Ascent of Mount Everest (1953) History for Kids Ages 6-8

The First Ascent of Mount Everest (1953)

From the perspective of Sir Edmund Hillary, this story tells of his lifelong dream to climb Mount Everest, the world's tallest mountain. He describes the difficult journey he took with his friend and fellow climber, Tenzing Norgay. Facing freezing cold, howling winds, and dangerous ice, they relied on teamwork to move up the mountain. The story climaxes on May 29th, 1953, when they become the first people to ever reach the summit, sharing a moment of awe and accomplishment on 'the roof of the world.'

Expedition began approach 1953

Base Camp established 1953

First summit attempt 1953

Climbing the Roof of the World

Hello there. My name is Edmund Hillary, but my friends just call me Ed. Ever since I was a young boy growing up in New Zealand, I have loved the mountains. They felt like giant, sleeping puzzles waiting to be explored. I dreamed of climbing the biggest one of all: Mount Everest. It’s so tall that it pokes right through the clouds, which is why it’s nicknamed ‘the roof of the world.’ Back then, in the early 1950s, no one had ever reached its very top. Many people had tried, but the mountain was too cold, too windy, and too steep. But that didn't stop me from dreaming. I joined a big team of brave climbers, and it was there I worked closely with my good friend, a very strong and kind Sherpa climber named Tenzing Norgay. Together, we hoped we could be the very first to stand on top of the world.

The climb was harder than anything I had ever done. The cold bit at our noses and cheeks, and the wind howled so loudly it sounded like a whistling giant trying to push us off the mountain. Every step we took was a big effort, crunching deep into the snow. We had to carry heavy packs filled with our food, tents, and climbing gear. Teamwork was the most important thing. We all helped each other. We would set up our little tents in a line on the snowy slopes, huddling together to stay warm and share stories. After many weeks of climbing higher and higher, our team leader chose Tenzing and me for the final climb to the very top. My heart was thumping with excitement and a little bit of fear. We had to be so careful. We stepped over giant, deep cracks in the ice that we called crevasses and used our ice axes to pull ourselves up steep walls of snow. With every step, the air got thinner, making it harder to breathe, but we just kept going, getting closer and closer to the sky.

Then, on the morning of May 29th, 1953, it happened. I took one more step with my big, heavy boot, and there was nowhere left to climb. We were there. We were standing on the very top of Mount Everest. I felt a huge sense of wonder as I looked around. The world was a sea of fluffy white clouds below us, and all the other giant mountains looked like tiny, pointy peaks from where we stood. Tenzing and I smiled the biggest smiles. We shook hands and gave each other a friendly pat on the back. We had done it together. I took some pictures to show everyone back home that we had made it. Before we left, Tenzing buried a few sweets in the snow as a gift to the mountain, and I left a small cross that someone had given me. We showed the world that with a good friend and a brave heart, you can achieve your biggest dreams. What’s your Everest?