To celebrate the 60th anniversary of the first successful ascent of Mount Everest on 29th May, 1953, by Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, Ammonite Press, in association with the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), presents a lavish photographic record of this historic event. The Earth's highest mountain, with a peak 8,848m (29,029ft) above sea level, located in the Himalayas between Nepal and China, has long been a lure for mountaineers and explorers. The dangers of altitude sickness, adverse weather conditions and ferocious winds make the peak tantalisingly difficult to attain. The ninth British expedition, led by John Hunt, made two attempts in 1953. The first climbing pair came to within 100m (300ft) of the summit on 26th May, but were forced to turn back after experiencing oxygen problems. Two days later New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepali Sherpa, made a second assault, reaching the summit at 11:30am on 29th May via the South Col Route. The Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)'s extensive archives contain an astonishingly detailed and intimate record of the unsuccessful expeditions in the 1920s and 1930s, and the landmark 1953 expedition, with many fascinating and beautiful images captured by the photographers who accompanied the climbing teams.
