Sir Edmund Hillary Mountaineering, Exploration, and Philanthropy 1919-2008

Edmund Hillary was born on July 20, 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand. Shortly after his birth, his family moved south of the city to Tuakau, where his father, Percival Augustus Hillary, acquired land.
From an early age, Hillary was interested in having a life of adventure and when he was 16, he became attracted to mountain climbing after a school trip to Mount Ruapehu, located on the North Island of New Zealand. After high school, he went on to study math and science at Auckland University. In 1939, Hillary put his climbing interests to the test by summiting the 6,342 ft (1,933 m) Mount Ollivier in the Southern Alps.
Upon entering the workforce, Edmund Hillary decided to become a beekeeper with his brother Rex, since it was a seasonal job that allowed him the freedom to climb when he was not working. During his time off, Hillary climbed numerous mountains in New Zealand, the Alps, and eventually the Himalayas, where he confronted 11 peaks over 20,000 feet (6,096 meters) in elevation.

Sir Edmund Hillary and Mount Everest

After climbing these various other peaks, Edmund Hillary began to set his sights on the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest. In 1951 and 1952, he joined two surveying expeditions and was recognized by Sir John Hunt, leader of the planned 1953 expedition sponsored by the Joint Himalayan Committee of the Alpine Club of Great Britain and the Royal Geographic Society. Since the North Col route on the Tibetan side of the mountain was closed by the Chinese government, the 1953 expedition attempted to reach the summit via the South Col route in Nepal. As the climb progressed, all but two climbers were forced to descend the mountain due to fatigue and the effects of the high altitude.
The two climbers left were Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. After the final push for the ascent, the pair climbed atop the 29,035 foot (8,849 m) summit of Mount Everest at 11:30 a.m. on May 29, 1953.
At the time, Hillary was the first non-Sherpa to reach the summit and as a result became famous around the world but most notably in the United Kingdom because the expedition was British-led. As a result, Hillary was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II when he and the rest of the climbers returned to the country.

Post-Everest Exploration of Edmund Hillary

After his success on Mount Everest, Edmund Hillary continued climbing in the Himalayas. However, he also turned his interests toward Antarctica and exploration there. From 1955-1958, he led the New Zealand section of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition and in 1958, he was a part of the first mechanized expedition to the South Pole. In 1985, Hillary and Neil Armstrong flew over the Arctic Ocean and landed at the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles and the summit of Everest.

Edmund Hillary's Philanthropy

In addition to mountaineering and the exploration of various regions around the world, Edmund Hillary was very concerned with the well-being of the Nepalese people. During the 1960s, he spent a great deal of time in Nepal helping to develop it by building clinics, hospitals, and schools. He also founded the Himalayan Trust, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living in the Himalayas. Though he helped in developing the area, Hillary was also worried about the degradation of the unique environment of the Himalayan Mountains and the problems that would occur with increased tourism and accessibility. As a result, he persuaded the government to protect the forest by making the area around Mount Everest a national park.
In order to help these changes go more smoothly, Hillary also persuaded New Zealand's government to provide aid to those areas in Nepal that needed it. In addition, Hillary devoted the rest of his life to environmental and humanitarian work on the behalf of the Nepalese people.
Because of his many accomplishments, Queen Elizabeth II named Edmund Hillary a Knight of the Order of the Garter in 1995. He also became a member of the Order of New Zealand in 1987 and was awarded the Polar Medal for his participation in the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition. Different streets and schools in both New Zealand and around the world are also named for him, as is the Hillary Step, a technically demanding 40 ft (12 m) rock wall on the Southeast ridge near the summit of Mount Everest.
Sir Edmund Hillary died of a heart attack at Auckland Hospital in New Zealand on January 11, 2008. He was 88 years old.

Mount Everest Timeline 1848 Until World War II

Which mountain was the world's highest point remained unknown until a fateful day in 1856 when a surveyor dashed into the office of Sir Andrew Waugh, the Surveyor General of India, and proclaimed, "Sir! Sir! I've just discovered the highest mountain in the world!"

The Unknown Himalayas

At that time, the Himalayas were completely unexplored, unmapped, and unknown. Not even the indigenous people had explored this vast mountain range and most of the peaks were unnamed. From the discovery of the world's highest peak in 1856, another 97 years passed before the mountain was thoroughly mapped and finally climbed in 1953. For more info, go to Mount Everest: The British Story.

Follow the Everest Timeline

To find out more about the history of Mount Everest, follow this timeline from its first survey in 1848 through successive explorations and a series of British expeditions that attempted to climb the peak before World War II. After the war, climbing changed considerably with expeditions altering their strategies. The northern approach was closed when the Chinese invaded Tibet in 1949 and Nepal allowed outsiders to approach Mount Everest from the south.

1848: First Survey

Mount Everest was first surveyed. A British expedition made several observations of "Peak b" from 108 to 118 miles away and calculated the mountain's elevation as 30,200 feet high.

1854-56: First Elevation Estimate

General Andrew Waugh, head of a British surveying team, made new observations of "Peak b" and recalculated it's elevation with adjustments for barometric pressure, temperature, and refraction. He renamed it Peak XV and set its elevation as 29,002 feet--the highest mountain on earth. His elevation was remarkably accurate and was only adjusted almost 100 years later by an Indian survey team that called it 29,028 feet--a difference of less than 0.1% of Waugh's original estimate.

1865: Named Mount Everest

Peak XV is renamed Mount Everest for Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India, by the Royal Geographical Society.

1913: Explored by John Noel

British explorer Captain John Noel travelled undercover and illegally into Tibet, which was closed to outsiders, and made an initial survey of the region north of Mount Everest. He got within 60 miles of the peak. Noel darkened his face, skin, and hair so he could pass as a native.

1921: North Side Explored

A small private expedition led by Irish aristocrat Colonel Charles Howard-Bury receives permission, after a personal appeal to the Dalai Lama, to approach Mount Everest from Tibet and maps and explores its north side. At that time, the entire Everest region was unmapped and unknown territory. After four months of exploration, George Leigh Mallory, a party member, and others left Windy Gap, crossed the East Rongbuk basin, and climbed toward the North Col. From his high point, Mallory's experienced eyes figured out a feasible route to the summit from the North Col up the Northeast Ridge to the world's highest summit.

1922: First Climbing Attempt

A British expedition led by General Charles Bruce made the first serious attempt on Mount Everest. George Finch and Geoffrey Bruce, using bottled oxygen, climbed to an elevation of 27,456 feet (8,320 meters) on the peak's north side. The first climbing fatalities are also recorded when seven Sherpas died in an avalanche triggered by George Mallory and his partners below the North Col. Guilt for the deaths consumed Mallory afterwards.

1924: Mallory and Irvine Summit Bid

A third British expedition led by Major Edward Norton attempted the Northeast Ridge route on Mount Everest. Norton reached 28,314 feet (8,580 meters) without oxygen, an altitude record that stood until 1952, on a solo summit attempt across the Great Couloir on Everest's North Face. Team members George Mallory and Andrew "Sandy" Irvine, climbing without oxygen, left their high camp at 26,700 feet (8,138 meters) on June 8 on their summit bid. Noel Odell last saw them "going strong for the top" at 1 p.m. before they disappeared in clouds below the Second Step. Whether they became the first humans to stand atop the world's pinnacle remains an enduring climbing mystery, although evidence collected from Mallory's corpse in 1999 indicates they fell from the ridge and never reached the summit.

1933: Fourth British Attempt

The fourth British expedition led by Hugh Ruttledge attempted the Northeast Ridge and reached 27,750 feet (8,409 meters) but an early monsoon and dissension in the party led to failure. That same year, Charles Houston made the first aerial photographs of Mount Everest.

1934: Eccentric Tries Solo Ascent

Maurice Wilson, an eccentric Englishman nicknamed the "Mad Yorkshireman," planned to crash-land a plane high on Mount Everest and then climb to the summit. The Indian government, however, refused to allow Wilson and his plane, named "Ever Wrest," permission to fly. Wilson, who had no climbing experience, sold the plane and trekked north to the mountain. His solo attempt ended with death on the Rongbuk Glacier at 21,000 feet (6,363 meters). His body was found near the North Col the following year.

1935: Shipton's Party Explores Region

Explorer Eric Shipton led a lightweight fifth British expedition and explored the region north and west of Mount Everest. Shipton's party, arriving during the monsoon season, climbed to the North Col, found Wilson's body, did the first ascents of 26 peaks over 20,000 feet high, and made a detailed survey of Everest's North Face. The party included Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, who made the peak's first ascent in 1953, on his first Everest expedition.

1936: Sixth British Expedition

Hugh Ruttledge led the sixth British expedition to Everest's Northeast Ridge. The well-equipped team was stymied by an early monsoon season and only reached the North Col for a high point.

1938: Small 7th Party Fails

H.W. "Bill" Tillman, a member of the 1935 expedition, led a small, lightweight, mobile party for a cost of only $3,700. The seven-member group arrived at Basecamp on April 6 but bad snow conditions kept them from establishing camp at the North Col until May 26. The monsoon again thwarted their attempts to a high point of 27,456 feet (8,320 meters) before deep snows pushed them back down.

Mount Everest's Geology is Simple

The geology of Mount Everest then is very simple. The mountain is a huge slice of solidified sediments that once lay at the bottom of the Tethys Sea, an open waterway that existed between the Indian sub-continent and Asia over 400 million years ago. The sedimentary rock was slightly metamorphosed from its original deposition and then lifted upward at an amazingly speedy rate-as much as 4.5 inches (10 centimeters) a year as the Himalayas rose.

Sedimentary Layers Form Most of Everest

The sedimentary rock layers found on Mount Everest are limestone, marble, shale, and pelite that are divided into rock formations; below them are older rocks including granite, pegmatite intrusions, and gneiss, a metamorphic rock. The upper formations on Mount Everest and Lhotse are filled with marine fossils.

Three Distinct Rock Formations

Mount Everest is composed of three distinct rock formations by geologists. From the mountain base to the summit, they are: the Rongbuk Formation; the North Col Formation; and the Qomolangma Formation. These rock units are separated by low-angle faults, forcing each one over the next in a zigzag pattern.

The Rongbuk Formation at the Bottom

The Rongbuk Formation composes the basement rocks below Mount Everest. The metamorphic rock includes schist and gneiss, a finely banded rock. Intruded between these old rock beds are great sills of granite and pegmatite dikes where molten magma flowed into cracks and solidified.

The North Col Formation

The complex North Col Formation, located between 7,000 and 8,600 meters, divides into several distinct sections. The upper 400 meters composes the famous Yellow Band, a yellowish brown rock band of marble, phyllite with muscovite and biotite, and semischist, a slightly metamorphosed sedimentary rock. The band also contains fossils of crinoid ossicles, a marine organism with a skeleton. Below the Yellow Band are more alternating layers of marble, schist, and phyllite. The lower 600 meters is composed of various schists formed by metamorphism of limestone, sandstone, and mudstone. At the bottom of the formation is the Lhotse detachment, a thrust fault that divides the North Col Formation from the underlying Rongbuk Formation.

The Qomolangma Formation at the Summit

The Qomolangma Formation, the highest rocks on the summit pyramid of Mount Everest, is formed by layers of Ordovician-age limestone, recrystallized dolomite, siltstone, and laminae. The formation starts at 8,600 meters at a fault zone above the North Col Formation and ends on the summit. The upper layers have many marine fossils, including trilobites, crinoids, and ostracods. One 150-foot-thick layer at the bottom of the summit pyramid contains the remains of micro-organisms including cyanobacteria, deposited in shallow warm water.

Geology of Mount Everest

The Himalayan range, topped by 29,035-foot (8,850-meter) Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, is one of the largest and most distinct geographic features on the earth's surface. The range, running northwest to southeast, stretches 1,400 miles (2,300 kilometers); varies between 140 miles and 200 miles wide; crosses or abuts five countries-India, Nepal, Pakistan, Bhutan, and People's Republic of China; is the mother of three major rivers-Indus, Ganges, and Tsampo-Bramhaputra rivers; and boasts over 100 mountains higher than 23,600 feet (7,200 meters)-all higher than any mountains found on any other continent.
 The sedimentary and metamorphic rock layers on Mount Everest gently tilt northward while granite basement rocks are found on Nuptse and below the mountain.

            

The Himalayas Created by the Collision of 2 Plates

The Himalayas and Mount Everest are young geologically speaking. They began forming over 65 million years ago when two of the earth's great crustal plates-the Eurasian plate and the Indo-Australian plate-collided. The Indian sub-continent steamed northeastward, crashing into Asia, folding and pushing the plate boundaries, and steadily shoving the Himalayas over five miles high. The Indian plate, moving forward about 1.7 inches a year, is being slowly pushed under or subducted by the Eurasian plate, which obstinately refuses to move, forcing up the Himalayan range and the Tibetan Plateau, both rising from 5 to 10 millimeters a year. Geologists estimate that India will continue moving northward for almost a thousand miles over the next 10 million years.

Light Rocks are Pushed Up as High Peaks

Heavier rock is pushed back down into the earth's mantle at the point of contact, but lighter rock, like limestone and sandstone is pushed upward to form the towering mountains. At the tops of the highest peaks, like Mount Everest, it is possible to find 400-million-year-old fossils of sea creatures and shells that were deposited at the bottoms of shallow tropical seas that are now over 25,000 feet above sea level.

"The Summit of Mt. Everest is Marine Limestone"

The great nature writer John McPhee wrote about Mount Everest in his book Basin and Range: "When the climbers in 1953 planted their flags on the highest mountain, they set them in snow over the skeletons of creatures that had lived in the warm clear ocean that India, moving north, blanked out. Possibly as much as twenty thousand feet below the seafloor, the skeletal remains had turned into rock. This one fact is a treatise in itself on the movements of the surface of the earth. If by some fiat I had to restrict all this writing to one sentence, this is the one I would choose: The summit of Mt. Everest is marine limestone."

MOUNTAIN FLIGHT

Mountain flight is very popular and common tours for those tourists who have less time but want to explore the mountains of Nepal. The mountain flight no doubt offers panoramic views and exciting experience as if you encountered with breathtaking massifs of rock and ice. The flight departs from Kathmandu and alongside the Himalayas to give you eye-level views of the snow peaks and then brings you back to Kathmadnu within one hour. With in a short span of time taking off from the airport towards the east, you can see Gosaithan (also called Shisha Pangma) that stands at the majestic height of 8,013 m, on the right, you view the peak called Dorje Lhakpa (6,966 m), looks like the number 8 lying down and covered with snow, on the right there is Phurbi-Chyachu, which looms over the Kathmandu Valley. Subsequently, you can see the Choba-Bhamare, the smallest one of the lot at 5,933 m then, Gauri-Shankerand, and then Mt. Melungtse, Chugimago, Numbur, Karyolung , Gyachungkang Gyachungkang, Pumori (7,161 m) and many other mountains including Mt. Everest the highest peaks of the world.

EVEREST REGION

The classic walk through the Sherpa homeland of Solu-Khumbu is a tough trek with a clearcut goal - to see Mt. Everest, the highest peak of the world. There are many ways to trek in this area. One can either walk all the way up and back, or walk one way and fly out on the way back, or fly in and out depending on the time at hand and inclination. The first requires a month, the second just about three weeks and the third at least two weeks.

Most Everest trekkers avoid the hardest walking by flying in and out of Lukla airstrip. If you have got time and energy, the walk in from Jiri through the Sherpa's traditional homeland is worth the extra effort. It passes through the lovely region called Solu and the narrow gorge of the Dudh Kosi (Pharak) to reach the high mountain region of Khumbu in a little over a week. Khumbu is exceptionally at high altitude with trekking routes going up to 5,400 meters. Solu can be trekked year around while Khumbu's trekking season is limited. October-November and March-May are the busiest trekking season of Khumbu. Besides good weather, this period offers the five-day Dumje festival (usually April) and the masked Mani Rimdu dances held at major monasteries in spring and fall. Khumbu is a good region for a monsoon trek. High pastures are full of wildflowers and grazing yaks, and the people are relaxed, taking a well-deserved break from trekking and expedition work.

Namche Bazaar (3,446 m), the modern Sherpa capital, is the nerve center of upper Khumbu: from here the trails branch out to explore at least four separate high valleys. It's a cosmopolitan little village, a good place to pick up tips on trails and conditions from descending trekkers. Food prices skyrocket above here, since all supplies must be carried in from a distance; budget extra for this trip.It is the entrance to the Everest region Situated in the lap of the Khumbu Himal range,Namche Bazaar is about 24 km from Kathmandu and the distance is generally covered within 15 days by trekking. This place is the home of the legendary Sherpas, who have won international reknown as the world's most sturdy climbers with an indomitable will to scale peaks. One can fly from Kathmandu to Lukla and Syangboche in the Everest region. At Lukla accommodations are available in Sherpa huts and lodges Lukla is the most popular base for trekking in the Khumbu region. Days could be spent hiking and visiting the Sherpa villages, Thyangboche Monastery, Khunde Hospital, Khumjung Hilary School and trekking towards the Everest Base Camp. Accommodations are available at Thyangboche, Debuche, Pheriche, Pangboche, Lobuche and Gorakhshep.

Note: We can customize the above itinerary according to your duration of holiday. For price and further information email us at : travel@bluebird.wlink.com.np , bluebirdtour@gmail.com

Everest expedition

Everest expedition info

Everest Expedition in Nepal with Hiking in Mountain trekking agency Nepal. World highest peak Mount Everest elevation is 8,848 m (29,028 feet) above the sea-level. Mt. Everest is located in the Mahalangur range section of the great Himalayas. Mt. Everest summit ridge separates Nepal and Tibet. Climbing Everest or Everest summit popularity is increasing in recent years.  Mount Everest located in Himalayan range along the border of Nepal and Tibet. Nepali name of Mt. Everest is ‘Sagarmatha’, Tibetan name of Mount Everest is ‘Jomolungma’ Mt Everest got its name after the land Surveyor General ’Sir George Everest’ that first tried to locate the exact position of the peak. Until then, it was named simply “Peak fifteen or peak XV”. In 1852 Survey declared the Peak XV is the highest peak / mountain of the world. Mount Everest is the highest peak of the world. It was first successful climbed at 11:30 a.m. May 29, 1953 via south col by a New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal.  Everest expedition offer great Himalayan view including neighboring peaks as Lhotse (8516m), Nuptse (7855m) Pumori, cho oyu and Changtse (7580m).
Main commercial summit routes of Mount Everest are South East Ridge from Nepal and North Ridge from Tibet.  Everest summit via North ridge (North Face Tibet) Climbing royalty is lower than Nepal side  but the climbing summit  from Nepal throw  Khumbu icefall or South East Ridge is extremely  spectacular, easier and sheltered from winds. World class adventure travel and tour operator proudly offers mountaineering trip in Himalayan region. Basically we operates two types of expedition services like trekking service up to base camp, base camp service  and high camp full summit support service.  Everest expedition  cost  depend on group size, trip  types (full board/ up  to base camp service), budget, tailored itinerary,  accommodation (budget to luxurious), level of service above  base camp, number of climbing guide,  porter, other support staffs, mode of transportation  and many other factors. In this way price range for the same trip widely different, if you would like to discuss your requirements please Contact us for up to date price for Mt. Everest summit.
Mount Everest climb or summit worker of highlands prepare four camps in different height. Highest peak summit base camp at 5335 m and high camp situated at heights of 6,100m, 6,500m, 7,400m and 8,000m and of course the summit, at 8850m. Everest Expedition itinerary has been carefully designed to allow for gradual ascend and proper acclimatization by our expert climbing guide Sherpa. Best season for Everest Expedition is spring and autumn. If given Everest climbing itinerary doesn’t suit and require our support to create another climbing itinerary for Everest summit to cover your desire as well as duration of your holidays then please fell free to contact us with your own desire. Mount Everest expedition also combine with such a adventure travel activities known a  safari, bungee jumping, as well as Rafting and so on in Nepal.

• Everest expedition Itenery
• Fix Departure

Day 01 :	Welcome to Nepal. upon your arrival at Nepal our representative welcome and assists to transfer in your hotel.
Day 02 :	Kathmandu  Sightseeing and preparation for Everest expedition.
Day 03 :	Official works for expedition and Briefing in Ministry of Tourism.
Day 04 :	Flight from Kathmandu to Lukla then trek to Phakding (2640m).
Day 05 :	Trek from Phakding to Namche Bazar (3446m).
Day 06 :	Rest at Namche Bazar (3446m) for Acclimatization.
Day 07 :	Trek from Namche Bazar to Thyanboche Monastry (3867m).
Day 08 :	Trek from Thyanboche to Pheriche (4243m).
Day 09 :	Trek from Pheriche to Lobuche (4930m).
Day 10 :	Trek from Lobuche to Everest Base Camp (5400m).
Day 65 :	Climbing Period of Mt. Everest (Sagarmatha / Chomolongma) 8848m.
Day 66 :	Trek from Everest Base Camp to Thyanboche (3800m).
Day 67 :	Trek from Thyanboche to Khumjung.
Day 68 :	Trek from Khumjung to Manjo.
Day 68 :	Trek from Manjo to lukla (2800m).
Day 69 :	Flight from Lukla to Kathmandu.
Day 70 :	Free day in kathmandu you can contiunue little sightseeing around kathmandu valley.overnight farewell Diner.
Day 71 :	After Everest Expedition adventure if you are interested for other activities like Safari, Rafting, Biking, Tours, Peak climbing and trekking, we can organize as your desire. If you decide to leave Nepal we will transfer to airport for your onward destination.

Everest expedition Serivce Include

	Accommodation in Kathmandu with breakfast (hotel 4 star 3 Nights).
	Domestic round trip flight tickets with 60 KG cargo per member.
	Two porter per climbing member to carry cargo.
	Trekking from Lukla, base camp to Lukla lodge or camping basic.
	Food and fuel for trekking  and climbing period in Everest base camp.
	Per person per tent north face brand or Similar.
	All camping equipment like member tent, dining tent, kitchen tent, chairs, tables, toilet tent, mattresses etc.
	Liaison officer's allowances equipment, flight ticket, insurance, daily wages sharing with other group.
	Expedition Crew's allowances, flight ticket, insurance, daily wages.
	Peak permit for Everest South east face.
	All transfer airport-hotel-airport.
	Base camp guide, cook, kitchen boy and Kitchen helper sharing with other member.
	Emergency Oxygen - Mask and regulator (If use, pay it full cost).
	Gamow Bag sharing with group member.
	Solar panel for light and charges batteries.
	Company service charges.

Everest expedition Serivce Exclude

	Lunch and dinner in Kathmandu
	High altitude climbing food, fuel, Gas
	Expedition personal climbing gears above base camp.
	Personal accident insurance and emergency rescue operation.
	Emergency evacuation, Helicopter rescue if required
	International airport departure tax
	Nepal custom duty for import of expedition goods arriving into Nepal
	Bar bills and beverage
	Sherpa non summit bonus US$ 1000
	Sherpa summit bonus US$ 1000 + 500 climbing bonus
	Air cargo custom clearance duty fee US$ 100 per person
	Personal Satellite phone with e-mail and internet permit
	Satellite phone (Pay call)
	Wake talkies permit
	Extra expenses for personal
	Filming permit
	Oxygen and Mask regulator for member and Sherpa
	Ice fall fees
	Garbage Deposit (Sharing with other member)

Everest expedition note

Hiking in Mountain Pvt. Ltd  is always thinking about our clients safety and comfort as much as possible. Mountaineering is an adventure tour we reach remote mountain region and high altitude. Sometime health condition of member, natural disaster, and weather condition of mountain region changed unexpectedly we cannot guarantee it. Please note that trekking / climbing guide/ climbing leader Sherpa has the authority to cancel any part of Mountaineering itinerary if it is necessary due to safety concerns, be prepared to be flexible if required. Otherwise trekking / climbing guide/ climbing leader Sherpa follow the above itinerary.

Everest expedition Addition Information

Contains of our website provide details information as much as possible about this Everest expedition climbing package. If you need extra information and wish to discuss any aspect of this trip or your suitability for it please Contact Us or If you like to talk with us directly please feel free to call us at:  00977-1-4425073.