Why in News: May 29, 2026 marks the 73rd anniversary of the first successful summit of Mount Everest (8,848.86 m) by New Zealand mountaineer Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay at 11:30 AM IST on May 29, 1953, as part of the British Mount Everest Expedition led by Col. John Hunt. The route taken was via the South Col on the Nepal side. The day is observed informally as “Everest Day” in Nepal.
The 1953 Summit
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Date | May 29, 1953 |
| Time of summit | 11:30 AM (IST) |
| Climbers | Edmund Hillary (NZ) + Tenzing Norgay (Indian-born Sherpa, later Indian citizen) |
| Expedition leader | Col. John Hunt (British Army) |
| Sponsor | Joint Himalayan Committee of the Royal Geographical Society and Alpine Club |
| Route | South Col (Khumbu Icefall → Western Cwm → Lhotse Face → South Col → Southeast Ridge → Summit) |
| Approach side | Nepal |
| Equipment | Bottled oxygen (closed-circuit), ice axes, crampons, Sherpas |
| Total expedition members | ~400 (including porters); summit team of 2 |
| Camps established | 9 |
| Failed attempt by same expedition | May 26, 1953 (Tom Bourdillon + Charles Evans turned back short of summit) |
Mount Everest — Geographic Profile
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| Official height | 8,848.86 m (29,031.69 ft) |
| Height revision | Jointly revised by Nepal & China on December 8, 2020 (from previously accepted 8,848 m) |
| Mountain straddles | Nepal–China (Tibet Autonomous Region) border |
| Nepali name | Sagarmatha (“Forehead of the Sky”) |
| Tibetan name | Chomolungma (“Goddess Mother of the World”) |
| Range | Mahalangur Himal sub-range of the Greater Himalayas |
| Continental plates | Indian Plate (under-thrusting) + Eurasian Plate — continued uplift ~4 mm/year |
| First measured (height) | 1856 by Andrew Waugh, Surveyor General of India, in the Great Trigonometrical Survey of India |
| Renamed “Mount Everest” | 1865 in honour of Sir George Everest, predecessor of Waugh as Surveyor General |
| First recorded human visit | British Reconnaissance Expedition, 1921 |
| Climbers reaching summit (as of Dec 2025) | ~7,563 persons |
| Deaths on the mountain | ~330 (cumulative since 1922) |
| Park (Nepal side) | Sagarmatha National Park — UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979 |
| Park (Tibet side) | Qomolangma National Nature Preserve |
The Climbers — Quick Background
Edmund Hillary (1919-2008)
- New Zealand-born; trained as a beekeeper.
- Served in Royal New Zealand Air Force during WWII (Pacific theatre).
- Joined British expedition based on his Himalayan experience.
- Knighted on the day Queen Elizabeth II was crowned (June 2, 1953).
- Later climbed many other peaks; co-led the 1958 Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition reaching the South Pole.
- Founded the Himalayan Trust for Sherpa welfare (1960).
- New Zealand’s High Commissioner to India, Nepal, Bangladesh (1985-1988).
Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986)
- Born Namgyal Wangdi in Tengboche, Nepal (some accounts say Tibet); later took Sherpa name Tenzing Norgay.
- Resided in Darjeeling, British India; Indian citizen post-1947.
- Veteran of multiple prior Everest attempts (Swiss expeditions of 1952 came within 240 m of summit).
- Received Padma Bhushan (1959) from Govt of India.
- Founding director of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling (1954-1976).
- Refused British knighthood; accepted George Medal.
- Tenzing-Hillary “who summited first” question: by mutual agreement they always said they reached the top together.
Indian Connections — Beyond Tenzing
| Connection | Detail |
|---|---|
| Tenzing Norgay | Indian citizen at time of summit; Padma Bhushan 1959 |
| Avtar Singh Cheema | First Indian to summit Everest, May 20, 1965 (with Indian Army expedition led by Lt Col Mohan Singh Kohli) |
| Bachendri Pal | First Indian woman to summit Everest, May 23, 1984; Padma Shri 1984, Padma Bhushan 2019 |
| Arunima Sinha | First Indian female amputee to summit, May 21, 2013 |
| Anshu Jamsenpa | Indian woman with most ascents — 5 times by 2017 |
| Indian Army Mountaineering Institute (IMA) | Multiple expeditions |
| Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI), Darjeeling | Founded 1954; trained generations of Indian mountaineers |
Threats to the Mountain in 2026
Climate Change
- Khumbu Glacier retreating — base camp moved ~50 m in 5 years.
- Western Cwm temperature warming — ice-fall instability.
- Snowfall decreasing at high altitude; ice exposed.
- Climbing windows narrowing — May “good weather” period more variable.
Crowd and Commercial Pressures
- ~600 climbers/year reach summit during May season (Nepal side).
- “Traffic jams” at Hillary Step and at the summit ridge.
- 2019 image of ~300-person queue near summit became symbolic.
- Many climbers under-prepared; reliance on Sherpas, fixed ropes, supplemental oxygen.
- Royalty fee (Nepal) = USD 11,000/permit (peak season).
Environmental Degradation
- Estimated 50+ tons of garbage on the mountain.
- Nepal Army-led “Mountain Cleanup Campaign” since 2019.
- Mandatory waste-return policy — climbers must bring back 8 kg of garbage.
- Human waste disposal issues at base camp.
Geopolitical
- Border between Nepal and China runs along summit ridge.
- China’s Tibet (Northeast Ridge) route opens/closes based on political climate.
The Hindu Kush–Himalaya (HKH) Cryosphere Context
| Parameter | Detail |
|---|---|
| HKH region covers | 8 countries — Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bhutan, China, Myanmar, Bangladesh |
| Glaciers | ~54,000 — third-largest ice store outside polar regions |
| People dependent on HKH river systems | ~1.6 billion (Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra, Yangtze, Yellow, Mekong systems) |
| HKH glacier mass loss (2010-19) | ~65% faster than 2000-09 (per ICIMOD HKH Report 2023) |
| Projected loss by 2100 | 30-50% under 1.5°C scenario; 80% under higher warming |
| Implications | Initial increase in runoff (peak around 2050) followed by sharp decline; water security risk for 1+ billion people |
Wider Significance
- Cultural milestone — Everest summit is a global symbol of human aspiration and limit.
- India-Nepal-China linkage — three civilisations meet at the summit ridge.
- Soft power — mountaineering as people-to-people diplomacy.
- Climate adaptation — Himalayan ecosystem services to a quarter of humanity.
- Tourism economy — Nepal’s foreign exchange depends substantially on Everest tourism.
Way Forward
- Strict permit caps — Nepal’s recent talk of capping climbers.
- Mandatory experience requirement — must have summited a 7,000+ m peak before attempting Everest (Nepal MoU 2024).
- Carbon-neutral climbing — eco-base camps, solar-powered shelters.
- Cryosphere monitoring — ICIMOD + India MoES + China cooperation needed.
- South Asian Mountain Initiative — pan-regional mountain ecology framework.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 1 — Indian Geography / World Geography:
- Distribution of key natural resources across the world (including South Asia).
- Important Geophysical phenomena — climate, mountains, glaciers.
- Cyclone-related and topographic phenomena.
GS Paper 3 — Environment:
- Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation.
- Climate change impacts.
Analytical hooks for Mains:
- The HKH cryosphere and South Asian water security.
- Commercial mountaineering — environmental and ethical considerations.
- Tenzing Norgay’s legacy — South-North recognition asymmetry.
Facts Corner
- First successful Everest summit: May 29, 1953, 11:30 AM IST.
- Climbers: Edmund Hillary (NZ) + Tenzing Norgay (Indian-born Sherpa, Indian citizen).
- Expedition leader: Col. John Hunt (UK).
- Route: South Col, Nepal side.
- Official height: 8,848.86 m (jointly revised by Nepal & China, December 8, 2020).
- Nepali name: Sagarmatha; Tibetan name: Chomolungma.
- First measured: 1856, Great Trigonometrical Survey of India under Andrew Waugh.
- Named after: Sir George Everest, Surveyor General of India (1830-43); naming in 1865.
- First Indian to summit: Avtar Singh Cheema, May 20, 1965.
- First Indian woman to summit: Bachendri Pal, May 23, 1984.
- Total summiteers (Dec 2025): ~7,563 persons.
- Sagarmatha National Park: UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1979.
- HMI Darjeeling founded: 1954 (Tenzing Norgay was founding Director of Field Training).
- HKH region: 8 countries; glaciers third-largest ice store outside polar regions; 1.6 billion people downstream-dependent.
Sources: Britannica, Royal Geographical Society, ICIMOD HKH Report
Source: Mount Everest — 73rd Anniversary of the First Ascent (May 29, 1953) — Ujiyari.com | Free UPSC & State PCS Current Affairs
