South Col – South East Ridge Route – part 2.

Of the two main routes, the southeast ridge is technically easier and is the more frequently-used route. It was the route used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 / photo on the right/. With supplemental oxygen, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made their way to the top via the South Col, that became the most used climbing route to the summit.

In 1953, a ninth British expedition, led by John Hunt, returned to Nepal. Hunt selected two climbing pairs to attempt to reach the summit. The first pair turned back after becoming exhausted high on the mountain. The next day, the expedition made its second and final assault on the summit with its fittest and most determined climbing pair. The summit was eventually reached at 11:30 a.m. local time on May 29, 1953 by the New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay from Nepal climbing the South Col Route. At the time, both acknowledged it as a team effort by the whole expedition, but Tenzing revealed a few years later that Hillary had put his foot on the summit first. They paused at the summit to take photographs and buried a few sweets and a small cross in the snow before descending. News of the expedition’s success reached London on the morning of Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation. Returning to Kathmandu a few days later, Hillary and Hunt discovered that they had been promptly knighted for their effort.

* Previous story :

- Routes to summit Mount Everest.

- Routes of Mt Everest part 1. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Routes of Mt Everest part 2. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.2. /Version english and polish/

- Routes of Mt Everest part 3. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.3. /Version english and polish/

Mapka wyżej przedstawia drogę Edmunda Hilary’ego i Szerpy Tenzinga Norgaya :

Droga Edmunda Hilary’ego i Szerpy Tenzinga Norgaya, droga pierwszego udanego wejścia na szczyt z 29 maja 1953r., zwana też drogą klasyczną, a czasami ” łatwą” , ale to pozory bo wszak wiadomo, że w Wysokich Górach nic nie jest łatwe.
W tej pamiętnej wyprawie brało udział 10 Europejczyków i 39 Szerpów, a ciekawostka jest fakt, że tamta historyczna wyprawa założyła aż 9 obozów, obecnie zakłada się jedynie : obóz bazowy – zwany też BC i cztary obozy wyższe, czyli razem 5. Droga na szczyt wiodła wtedy od obozu I (5400m) na lodowcu Khumbu (obecnie obóz I to właśnie BC ), przez Iceffal z wielkimi i groźnymi szczelinami oraz serakami ( wielu twierdzi, że przejście Iceffalu to loteria o śmierć i życie ), aż do obozu IV (6400m) założonego w bezwietrznym wąwozie, który himalaiści nazwali Dolina Ciszy, a dalej nad Kotłem Zachodnim założono obóz VII (7300m), skąd wspinacze wspinali się na Przełęcz Południową do obozu VIII (7900m), a potem do obozu IX (8500m), stąd nastąpił atak szczytowy granią szczytową poprzez Wierzchołek Południowy i uskok przed szczytem dziś zwany uskokiem Hilary’ego.

Wejście na Everest miało być prezentem koronacyjnym dla Elżbiety II.

Other Routes – part 1.

A – 1953, a ninth British expedition, led by John Hunt, via the South Col, Nepal.

B – On May 19, 1980 Andrzej Czok and Jerzy Kukuczka (on the Polish National Expedition led by Andrezej Zswada) established a new Everest route by following the South Pillar on the right-hand edge of the Southwest Face.

The South Pillar

Another relatively safe route up Everest – if there really is such a thing as a “safe” route on Everest! – is the South Pillar, first climbed in 1980 by Polish super-alpinists Jerzy Kukuczka and Andrzej Czok.

The route has been climbed in it’s entirety a total of 17 times with one fatality. The Polish team spent 16 days establishing the route through the difficult rock barriers towards the top of the route, so many climbers opt to traverse across to the SE Ridge lower down.

28 climbers have traversed over from this route and safely summited. The one fatality that occurred on the complete S Pillar route was Josef Psotka in 1984, who after successfully summiting was killed in a fall, but it was from the Lhotse Face while descending the standard SE Ridge route. So to date there have been no fatalities on the South Pillar itself.

Na zdjęciu czerwone linie pokazują drogi na szczyt :
A- Brytyjska droga z 1953r wiodła m.in. przez Wierzchołek Południowy.
B- Polska droga z 1980r wiodła wzdłuż południowego filara.

Droga polska została wytyczona przez wyprawę kierowaną przez Andrzeja Zawadę, pierwsze wejście południowym filarem, a ściślej miedzy filarem a południowo -wschodnia granią; 19 maja 1980r na szczycie stanęli Jerzy Kukuczka i Andrzej Czok.

Ciekawostka jest, że Zawada kierował nieco wcześniej wyprawą zimową. Pamiętna wyprawa i wielki sukces polskich himalaistów, bo po raz pierwszy w zimie, 17 lutego 1980r szczyt Everestu zdobyli Leszek Cichy i Krzysztof Wielicki.

* Zapraszam też do oglądania albumu o Everescie, wystarczy kliknąć link : Odkrywanie Everestu

- oryginal post by : - http://himalman.wordpress.com/

* zapraszam do subskrypcji mojego bloga :

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

Mt. Everest has two main climbing routes, the southeast ridge from Nepal and the northeast ridge from Tibet, as well as many other less frequently climbed routes /watch the next posts/.

South Col - South East Ridge Route - part 1.

Of the two main routes, the southeast ridge is technically easier and is the more frequently-used route. It was the route used by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay in 1953 / photo on the right /. With supplemental oxygen, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay made their way to the top via the South Col, that became the most used climbing route to the summit. May 29, 1953: First Summit !!!!
In a present time the ascent via the southeast ridge begins with a trek to Base Camp at 5,380 m (17,600 ft) on the south side of Everest in Nepal. Expeditions usually fly into Lukla (2,860 m) from Kathmandu and pass through Namche Bazaar. Climbers then hike to Base Camp, which usually takes six to eight days, allowing for proper altitude acclimatization in order to prevent altitude sickness. Climbing equipment and supplies are carried by yaks, dzopkyos (yak hybrids) and human porters to Base Camp on the Khumbu Glacier. When Hillary and Tenzing climbed Everest in 1953, they started from Kathmandu Valley, as there were no roads further east at that time.

Climbers will spend a couple of weeks in Base Camp, acclimatizing to the altitude. During that time, Sherpas and some expedition climbers will set up ropes and ladders in the treacherous Khumbu Icefall. Seracs, crevasses and shifting blocks of ice make the icefall one of the most dangerous sections of the route. Many climbers and Sherpas have been killed in this section. To reduce the hazard, climbers will usually begin their ascent well before dawn when the freezing temperatures glue ice blocks in place. Above the icefall is Camp I at 6,065 m (19,900 ft).

From Camp I, climbers make their way up the Western Cwm to the base of the Lhotse face, where Camp II or Advanced Base Camp (ABC) is established at 6,500 m (21,300 ft). The Western Cwm is a relatively flat, gently rising glacial valley, marked by huge lateral crevasses in the centre which prevent direct access to the upper reaches of the Cwm. Climbers are forced to cross on the far right near the base of Nuptse to a small passageway known as the "Nuptse corner". The Western Cwm is also called the "Valley of Silence" as the topography of the area generally cuts off wind from the climbing route. The high altitude and a clear, windless day can make the Western Cwm unbearably hot for climbers.

Everest : South Col - South East Ridge Route.

From ABC, climbers ascend the Lhotse face on fixed ropes up to Camp III, located on a small ledge at 7,470 m (24,500 ft). From there, it is another 500 metres to Camp IV on the South Col at 7,920 m (26,000 ft). From Camp III to Camp IV, climbers are faced with two additional challenges: The Geneva Spur and The Yellow Band. The Geneva Spur is an anvil shaped rib of black rock named by a 1952 Swiss expedition. Fixed ropes assist climbers in scrambling over this snow covered rock band. The Yellow Band is a section of interlayered marble, phyllite, and semischist which also requires about 100 metres of rope for traversing it.

On the South Col, climbers enter the death zone. / photo on the right - Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay on the South Col/

Climbers typically only have a maximum of two or three days they can endure at this altitude for making summit bids. Clear weather and low winds are critical factors in deciding whether to make a summit attempt. If weather does not cooperate within these short few days, climbers are forced to descend, many all the way back down to Base Camp.

From Camp IV, climbers will begin their summit push around midnight with hop es of reaching the summit (still another 1,000 metres above) within 10 to 12 hours. Climbers will first reach "The Balcony" at 8,400 m (27,700 ft), a small platform where they can rest and gaze at peaks to the south and east in the early dawn light. Continuing up the ridge, climbers are then faced with a series of imposing rock steps which usually forces them to the east into waist deep snow, a serious avalanche hazard. At 8,750 m (28,700 ft), a small table-sized dome of ice and snow marks the South Summit.

From the South Summit, climbers follow the knife-edge southeast ridge along what is known as the "Cornice traverse" where snow clings to intermittent rock. This is the most exposed section of the climb as a misstep to the left would send one 2,400 m (8,000 ft) down the southwest face while to the immediate right is the 3,050 m (10,000 ft) Kangshung face.

At the end of this traverse is an imposing 12 m (40 ft) rock wall called the "Hillary Step" at 8,760 m (28,750 ft).

Hillary and Tenzing were the first climbers to ascend this step and they did it with primitive ice climbing equipment and without fixed ropes. Nowadays, climbers will ascend this step using fixed ropes previously set up by Sherpas. Once above the step, it is a comparatively easy climb to the top on moderately angled snow slopes - though the exposure on the ridge is extreme especially while traversing very large cornices of snow.

After the Hillary Step, climbers also must traverse a very loose and rocky section that has a very large entanglement of fixed ropes that can be troublesome in bad weather. Climbers will typically spend less than a half-hour on "top of the world" as they realize the need to descend to Camp IV before darkness sets in, afternoon weather becomes a serious problem, or supplemental oxygen tanks run out.

* Previous story :

- Routes to summit Mount Everest.

- Routes of Mt Everest part 1. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.1. /Version english and polish/

- Routes of Mt Everest part 2. Drogi na szczyt Mt. Everest cz.2. /Version english and polish/

Droga pierwszych zdobywców Everestu.

Mapka na początku pokazuje drogę jaką pokonali na szczyt jego pierwsi zdobywcy Edmund Hillary i Tenzing Norgay 29 maja 1953 r. Po wielu latach nieudanych prób od północnej , tybetańskiej strony udało się zdobyć Everest od strony Nepalu.

Ta droga na szczyt nazywana jest do dziś drogą klasyczną i w opinii wielu himalaistów jest ona jedną z łatiejszych dróg na szczyt, choć należy pamiętać, że na Everescie NIC nie jest łatwe.

Przypomina o tym książka Wszystko za Everest - Jona Krakauera, w której autor opisuje wielką tragedię jaka wydażyła się na Everescie właśnie na wyprawie chcącej zdobyć Everest od srony Nepalu, kiedy to zgineli tak sławni i doświadczeni himalaiści jak : Scott Fischer i Rob Hall

1. Sherpa people.

2. Tenzing Norgay - The most famous Sherpa. /Version polish and english/

3. Nepali mountaineers to lead their own destiny: Sherpa climbers First Ever Meet held on 21 June in Kathmandu.

The Sherpa (Tibetan:ཤར་པ། "eastern people", from shar "east" + pa "people") are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalayas. Sherpas migrated from eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 300-400 years.

The term Sherpa is also used to refer to local people, typically men, who are employed as guides for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas, particularly Mt. Everest. They are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local terrain. Most Sherpas live in the west regions; however, some live farther west in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. Pangboche is the Sherpas' oldest village in Nepal. Sherpas speak their own Sherpa language which in many ways resembles a dialect of Tibetan. The Jirels, native people of Jiri, are ethnically related to the Sherpas. In India, Sherpas also inhabit the towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the Indian state of Sikkim. The 2001 Nepal Census recorded 154,622 Sherpas in that country, of which 92.83% were Buddhists, 6.26% were Hindus, 0.63% were Christians and 0.20% were Bön.

Famous Sherpas.

One of the most well known Sherpas is Tenzing Norgay. In 1953, he and Edmund Hillary became the first people known to have reached the summit of Mount Everest.^[2][3][4] Norgay's son Jamling Tenzing Norgay also climbed Everest in honor of his father with the famous Ed Viesturs during the disastrous year of 1996.

Two Sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, recently competed to see who could climb Everest from Basecamp the fastest. On May 23, 2003, Dorjie summited in 12 hours and 46 minutes. Three days later, Gelu beat his record by two hours, summiting in 10 hours 46 minutes. On May 21, 2004, Dorjie again improved the record by more than two hours with a total time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.^[5]

On May 21, 2009, Apa Sherpa successfully summited Everest for the nineteenth time, breaking his own record for most successful ascents.^[6] Perhaps the most famous Nepalese female mountaineer is Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepalese female climber who died during the descent. Another woman Sherpa who is well known is the two-time Everest summiteer Pemba Doma Sherpa, who died after falling from Lhotse on May 22, 2007.^[7]

* Source : – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sherpa

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

Everest legend Edmund Hillary has died at the age of 88. This is a big loss to the world of exploration, Hillary's family and also to Himalaya chronicler Elizabeth Hawley, 83, who remained one of Hillary's closest friends since his great Everest ascent.
Full story : http://www.mounteverest.net/
Edmund Hillary has passed away, taking a big chunk of Everest history with him.

Edmund Hillary, nowozelandzki himalaista, który przeszedł do historii jako pierwszy zdobywca Mount Everest, zmarł w piątek w wieku 88 lat - powiadomiła ze smutkiem premier Nowej Zelandii Helen Clark. - Legendarny alpinista, poszukiwacz przygód i filantrop był najbardziej znanym Nowozelandczykiem, jaki kiedykolwiek żył - oznajmiła Clark.

Edmund Hillary dokonał pionierskiego wejścia na Mount Everest wraz z Szerpą Tenzingiem Norgayem 29 maja 1953 r. "Załatwiliśmy skurczybyka" powiedział do towarzyszy eskapady po zejściu ze szczytu, a dzięki relacji BBC słowa te usłyszał cały świat. W szeregu wielkich poszukiwaczy przygód stawiają go również inne wyczyny: zdobył m.in. oba bieguny i pokonał łodzią motorową rzekę Ganges od jej ujścia aż do źródeł.

Nie podano przyczyny jego śmierci, jednak nowozelandzkie media donoszą, że od pewnego czasu chorował na zapalenie płuc.

Przeczytaj więcej o tym jak sir Edmund Hillary zdobył najwyższy szczyt świata:
http://www.e-gory.pl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=228&Itemid=99

I invite on viewing of gallery of photo.... Discoverind Mt Everest with photos from expedition from 1953 -year - Edmund Hillary summit Everest

Tenzing Norgay (Nepali: तेन्जिङ नोर्गे शेर्पा) GM (May 1914 – 9 May 1986), often referred to as Sherpa Tenzing, was a Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer. He and Edmund Hillary were the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest on 29 May 1953.

Early lifehu

Tenzing came from a peasant family from Khumbu in Nepal, very near Mount Everest, which the Sherpas call Chomolungma. At the time he climbed Everest it was generally believed that he was born there, but in the 1990s it emerged that he was actually born and spent part of his early life in the Kharta Valley region in Tibet to the east of Mount Everest, but this had been kept secret for political reasons.

His exact date of birth is not known, but he knew it was in late May by the weather and the crops. After his ascent of Everest on 29 May, he decided to celebrate his birthday on that day thereafter.

He was originally called "Namgyal Wangdi", but as a child his name was changed on advice from the head lama and founder of the famous Rongbuk Monastery - Ngawang Tenzin Norbu. Tenzing Norgay translates as "wealthy-fortunate-follower-of-religion". His father, a yak herder, was Ghang La Mingma (who died in 1949) and his mother was Dokmo Kinzom (who lived to see him climb Everest); he was the 11th of 13 children, most of whom died young.

He ran away to Kathmandu twice as a boy, and, at age 19, eventually settled in the Sherpa community in Too Song Bhusti in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India.

Mountaineering - Tenzing Norgay's monument

He took part as a high-altitude porter in three official British attempts to climb Everest from the northern Tibetan side in the 1930s.

Tenzing also took part in other climbs in various parts of the Indian subcontine

nt, and for a time in the early 1940s he lived in what is now Pakistan; he said that the most difficult climb he ever took part in was on Nanda Devi East, where a number of people were killed.

In 1947, he took part in an unsuccessful summit attempt of Everest. An eccentric Englishman named Earl Denman, Ange Dawa Sherpa, and Tenzing entered Tibet illegally to attempt the mountain; the attempt ended when a strong storm at 22,000 ft (6,700 metres) pounded them. Denman admitted defeat and all three turned around and safely returned.

In 1952, he took part in two Swiss expeditions led by Raymond Lambert, the first serious attempts to climb Everest from the southern Nepalese side, during which he and Lambert reached the then record height of 8,599 m (28,215 ft).

Success on Mount Everest

In 1953, he took part in John Hunt's expedition, his own seventh expedition to Everest, in which he and Hillary became the first to reach the summit. Afterwards he was met with adulation in India and Nepal, and was even worshipped by some people who believed him to be an incarnation of Buddha or Shiva.

He was awarded the George Medal from the British Government for his efforts with the expedition.

"It has been a long road...From a mountain coolie, a bearer of loads, to a wearer of a coat with rows of medals who is carried about in planes and worries about income tax."—Tenzing Norgay

Tenzing and Hillary were the first people to conclusively set their feet on the summit of Mount Everest, but journalists were persistently repeating the question which of the two men had the right to the glory of being the first one, and who was merely the second, the follower. Tenzing stressed the unity of such teams and of their achievements. He shrugged off the allegation of ever being pulled by anyone, but disclosed that Hillary was the first to put his foot on the summit. He concluded: "If it is a shame to be the second man on Mount Everest, then I will have to live with this shame."

Another interesting aside of this ascent was that all the photos that existed of the mountaineers on the top showed only Tenzing. When asked why there were no photos featuring Hillary, Sir Edmund replied, "Tenzing did not know how to operate the camera and the Everest top was no place to start teaching him how to use it". Hillary and Tenzing remained on friendly terms throughout their life.

Family life

Tenzing was married three times. His first wife, Dawa Phuti, died young in 1944. They had a son, Nima Dorje, who died at the age of four, and two daughters, Pem Pem, whose son Tashi Tenzing climbed Everest, and Nima, who married a Filipino graphic designer, Noli Galang. His second wife was Ang Lahmu, a cousin of his first wife. They had no children, but she acted as stepmother to his daughters. His third wife was Dakku, whom he married while his second wife was still alive, as allowed by Sherpa custom. They had sons Norbu, Jamling and Dhamey. Other relatives include his nephews Nawang Gombu and Topgay who took part in the 1953 Everest expedition.

Tenzing never learned to read or write, but he spoke several languages. His native language was Sherpa but he spoke fluent Nepali and had a working knowledge of English, Tibetan, and a few other languages of the Indian sub-continent.

After Everest

Tenzing later became director of field training for the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. In 1978 he founded Tenzing Norgay Adventures, a company providing trekking adventures in the Himalaya. As of 2003 the company was run by his son Jamling Tenzing Norgay, who himself reached the summit of Everest in 1996. Tenzing died of a bronchial condition in Darjeeling, West Bengal, India in 1986.

Tenzing House is a Primary Wing House at St Paul's School, Darjeeling in India, named in his honour.

Tenzing Norgay (ur. 15 aja 1914, zm. 9maja 1986) - himalaista nepalski, Szerpa z Solukhumbu, który wraz z Edmundem Hillarym 29 maja 153 dokonał pierwszego wejścia na Mount Everest - najwyższą górę Ziemi.

W latach 1935, 1936 i 1938 pracował jako tragarz dla brytyjskich wypraw usiłujących zdobyć Everest od tybetańskiej, północnej strony. W 1951 brał udział jako sirdar we francuskiej wyprawie na Nanda Devi wchodząc wraz z L. Dubostem na jej wschodni wierzchołek, zdobyty przez Polaków w 1939. Uważał potem to wejście za swoją najtrudniejszą wspinaczkę. W 1952 był sirdarem i zarazem członkiem szwajcarskiej wyprawy na Mount Everest i wraz z R. Lambertem osiągnął rekordową podówczas wysokość około 8600 na południowej grani.

W 1953 wziął udział w brytyjskiej, kierowanej przez Johna Hunta, wyprawie na Everest od południowej strony i 29 maja, wraz z Edmundem Hillarym stanął na jego wierzchołku.

Po zdobyciu Everestu osiadł w Dardżylingu (Indie), gdzie był kierownikiem Instytutu Górskiego i prezesem Stowarzyszenia Szerpów.

* zobacz : Album - Zdobywanie Mt. Everst

* zapraszam do subskrypcji mojego bloga :

** zapraszam na relacje z wypraw polskich himalaistów.

I would like to invite you on viewing of new photo gallery which pictures the story of the discovery and climbing the Mt Everest ..
Zapraszam na pokaz zdjęć z odkrywania i zdobywania Everestu :

Sherpa people

The Sherpa are an ethnic group from the most mountainous region of Nepal, high in the Himalaya. In Tibetan shar means East; pa is a suffix meaning 'people': hence the word sharpa or Sherpa. Sherpas migrated from eastern Tibet to Nepal within the last 500 years. A female sherpa is known as a "sherpani".

The term 'sherpa' (the preferred spelling with a lower case first letter) is also used to refer to local people, typically men, employed as porters or guides for mountaineering expeditions in the Himalayas. They are highly regarded as elite mountaineers and experts in their local terrain, as well as having good physical endurance and resilience to high altitude conditions. However, a sherpa is not necessarily a member of the Sherpa ethnic group.

Native territory

Most Sherpas live in the eastern regions of Nepal Solu, Khumbu or Pharak. However, some live farther west in the Rolwaling valley and in the Helambu region north of Kathmandu. Pangboche is the Sherpas' oldest village in Nepal, and is estimated to have been built over 300 years ago. Sherpas speak their own Sherpa language which in many ways resembles a dialect of Tibetan. They traditionally are traders and farmers, cultivating their high altitude fields of potatoes, barley, wheat and buckwheat. Some live near Namche Bazaar. The Jirels, native people of Jiri, are ethnically related to the Sherpas. It is said that the Jirels are descendants of a Sherpa mother and Sunuwar (another ethnic group of the eastern part of Nepal) father. In India, Sherpas also inhabit the towns of Darjeeling and Kalimpong and the Indian state of Sikkim. The 2001 Nepal Census recorded 154,622 Sherpas in that country, of which 92.83% were Buddhists, 6.26% were Hindus, 0.63% were Christians and 0.20% were Bön.

Famous Sherpas

The most famous Sherpa is Tenzing Norgay, who climbed Mount Everest with Edmund Hillary for the first time in 1953.

Two Sherpas, Pemba Dorjie and Lhakpa Gelu, have recently competed as to who can climb Everest from Basecamp the fastest. On May 23. 2003 Dorjie summitted in 12 hours and 46 minutes. Three days later, Gelu beat his record by two hours, summitting in 10 hours 46 minutes. On May. 21 2004 Dorjie again improved the record by more than two hours with a total time of 8 hours and 10 minutes.

On May 16 2007 Appa Sherpa successfully climbed Mt. Everest for the 17th time, breaking his own record for most successful ascents.