Watch Sir Edmund Hillary Describe His Everest Ascent, on the 60th Anniversary of His Climb

Watch Sir Edmund Hillary Describe His Everest Ascent, on the 60th Anniversary of His Climb:

Sixty years ago today, New Zealand explorer Sir Edmund Hillary and his Sherpa guide Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers to ever reach the summit of Mount Everest. This feat may not seem so significant now, when upwards of 150 people may reach the top of the 29,000-foot mountain on the best climbing day. In fact the summit has become so overcrowded that officials are even debating installing a ladder for descents (to the horror of serious mountaineers). But in 1953, Hillary and Norgay’s ascent was a pretty big deal, you might say. In the video above, excerpted from Hillary’s appearance on the educational program Omnibus, watch the famous explorer nonchalantly tell the story of his and Norgay’s conquering of Everest.
And if you’re in a mood to do some virtual exploring yourself, from the comfort of your own home, you can look around the Everest summit courtesy of Google Earth.
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Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Washington, DC. Follow him at @jdmagness
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