In May 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay took part in John Hunt’s expedition to summit Everest.
Norgay and Hillary pitched a tent at 27,900 feet on 28 May while their support group returned down the mountain.
On the following morning Hillary discovered that his boots had frozen solid outside the tent. He spent two hours warming them before he and Tenzing attempted the final ascent wearing 14 kg packs.
The last part of the ascent comprised a 40-foot rock face later named the “Hillary Step”. Hillary saw a chance to wedge his way up a crack in the face between the rock wall and the ice and Norgay followed.
From there, the following effort was relatively simple. They reached Everest’s 29,028 ft summit, the highest point on Earth, at 11:30 a.m.
As Hillary put it, “A few more whacks of the ice axe in the firm snow, and we stood on top.”
Hillary used his fame and profile to help the Sherpa as he has said he couldn’t have achieved his feat without them.
Sherpa’s are expert guides.
They carry heavy loads.
They stop people falling to their death.
They make sure the expedition leader gets to the summit.
One of the hidden benefits for my clients is access to a team of Sherpa’s.
They aren’t there to lead but when the leader gets tired and frustrated they always have a simple fix.
Business is hard enough without being forced to sit there bashing your head against a keyboard at 11pm trying to complete a ‘simple task’.
The Sherpa’s are there to show you the shortcuts.
If you want to make it to the summit then you need to choose your guides carefully.
