Six Hours to the Top of the World
On May 29, 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made history by reaching the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on Earth. Their final six-hour push through the Death Zone is remembered as one of humanity’s greatest feats of endurance, courage, and determination.
It all began in March 1953, when nearly 400 climbers, porters, and guides gathered in Kathmandu, Nepal. Led by British Colonel John Hunt, the expedition’s goal was to conquer Everest’s 8,848-meter (29,032-foot) peak.
After weeks of acclimatization and establishing camps, the team made its final push from the South Col, situated at 25,938 feet. Early attempts failed. On May 26, Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon came within 300 feet of the summit but were forced to retreat due to exhaustion and malfunctioning oxygen equipment.
Then came Hillary and Norgay’s turn.
At 6:00 AM on May 29, from Camp IX at 27,900 feet, the pair crawled out of their two-man tent into brutal -25°C temperatures and 30 mph winds. The sun had just begun to rise, casting orange and gold hues across the frozen slopes. After a light breakfast of hot lemonade and biscuits, they began their summit bid—knowing they had only six hours of oxygen to go up and come back down.
The first stage was the 850-foot climb to the South Summit. This stretch was treacherous—narrow ridges of unstable snow flanked by deadly drops of thousands of feet. Each step sapped their strength. Their oxygen-starved bodies screamed for rest, but they pushed on.
By 8:00 AM, they reached the South Summit. From here, the true summit was less than 300 feet away—but one massive obstacle loomed between them and history: a 40-foot rock face now known as the Hillary Step.
At 28,800 feet, the Hillary Step was a vertical wall of ice and rock with no clear footholds. One slip meant instant death. But Hillary spotted a narrow crack between the rock and an overhanging cornice. Wedging himself in, he clawed and kicked his way up, using every ounce of strength. Norgay belayed from below, the rope held tight in his gloved hands.
After nearly two hours of grueling effort, Hillary hauled himself to the top of the Step and helped pull Norgay up. Time was running out, but the summit was now within reach.
At 10:00 AM, they began the final ascent—a 250-foot snow ridge lined with dangerous cornices that could collapse without warning. The path was narrow, the snow deep, and the winds relentless. They moved slowly, their knees buckling, lungs burning, toes frozen solid inside their boots.
But they climbed on, driven by a deep resolve. When one faltered, the other encouraged. They moved as a team—bound by a rope and a singular purpose.
At 11:30 AM, Hillary stepped onto a rounded patch of snow—the summit of Mount Everest. Moments later, Norgay joined him. They stood at the top of the world, their oxygen low, but their spirits soaring.
Hillary took photographs. Norgay placed an offering of biscuits in the snow. Hillary left a small crucifix given by Colonel Hunt. Together, they planted four flags—representing the United Nations, the United Kingdom, Nepal, and India.
They stayed only about 15 minutes. With just enough oxygen left for the descent, they began their return at 11:45 AM, leaving behind footprints that would guide generations to follow.
Back at Camp IX, Hillary reported to teammate George Lowe: “We knocked the b*****d off.” The news was sent to London through a coded message via Sherpa runner and journalist James Morris. On June 2, 1953, the same day Queen Elizabeth II was crowned, the world learned that two men had finally reached the top of Everest.
Their success wasn’t just about climbing a mountain. It symbolized the triumph of human will over nature’s harshest challenges. Hillary, a New Zealand beekeeper, and Norgay, a Sherpa from Nepal’s Khumbu Valley, proved that courage and determination could defy even death and history.
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