Triumph on Mt. Everest : First summiteers of 83 countries
By Ramesh Tiwari :
Sixty years ago on May 29, 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay first set foot on the summit of Mount Everest. The successful ascent of Mt. Everest was the beginning of a long march to 8,848 m. high Everest for mountaineers all over the world. During the 60 years of first ascent, Mt. Everest has recorded 5,099 ascents, of which 3,144 mountaineers have successfully reached the top of Mt. Everest and 227 climbers have lost their lives during the expeditions according to Ms. Elizabeth Hawley.
Since the ascent of Mt. Everest has been one of the best adventure achievements of the human being, Tenzing and Hillary will be remembered all over the world for centuries. Their ascent is rated equivalent to the first journey of South Pole by Ryan Edmondson in 1911 and single Trans Atlantic flight of Charles Lindbergh in 1927.
Royal Geographical Society Alpine Club expedition team led by John Hunt comprising of 13 climbers with 35 Sherpa guides, 18 ton of food and climbing equipments, and 350 porters proceeded to Mt. Everest in 1953. The British expedition led by John Hunt set out for Everest in 1953. It was the eighth major expedition since 1852.
The first two-man team to make the push to Everest was Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, on May 26, but they had to turn back just 300 feet short of the summit when one of their oxygen masks failed. After their failure , Hillary of 33 years of age and 39 years old Tenzing reached the top on May 29,1953 creating a history of triumph over highest point in the beautiful planet.
A New Zealand bee keeper Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Mount Everest together on Friday, May 29, 1953 making a milestone in world mountaineering history. Hillary recalled that both of them shook hands, threw their arms around each other and thumped shoulders in exuberant joy. The news of successful ascent of Mt. Everest – the highest point on earth at 29,028 ft. (8848 m.) – broke in Britain on the eve of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II.
Tenzing Norgay was born in Nepal in May of 1914. After he moved to Darjeeling, India at the age of 19, the British Everest expedition leader Eric Shipton hired him as a high-altitude porter for a 1935 reconnaissance of the northern (Tibetan) face of the Himalaya. He joined a Swiss expedition led by the famous climber Raymond Lambert In 1952, as it made an attempt on the Lhotse Face of Everest. Tenzing and Lambert got as high as 28,215 feet (8,599 meters), less than 1,000 feet from the summit, before they were turned back due to adverse weather. Lastly, Tenzing reached the summit of Everest together with Hillary being involved in the British expedition . Tenzing Norgay passed away on May 9, 1986, at the age of 71.
Edmund Hillary was born on July 20, 1919 in Auckland, New Zealand. He was attracted to mountain climbing at the age of 16 after a school trip to Mount Ruapehu, located on the North Island of New Zealand. After climbing different mountains in New Zealand, the Alps, and the Himalayas, he successfully climbed Mt. Everest along with Tenzing Sherpa.
Hillary was very concerned with the well-being of the Nepalese Sherpa and thus helped to build schools and other infrastructures in Khumbu region of Nepal. He established the Himalayan Trust, an organization dedicated to improving the lives of people living in the Himalayas.
He was also worried about the degradation of environment in the Himalayas and commercialization of climbing Everest in recent years. Hillary died of heart attack in Auckland Hospital in New Zealand in 2008 at the age of 88.
Ernst Schmied and Juerge Marmet, members of the Swiss Expedition, became the third and fourth summiteers to reach the summit on May 23, 1956.
Three young Chinese mountaineers reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 25, 1960, conquering the world’s highest peak from its difficult northern slopes for the first time in mountaineering history.
Wang Fu-chou (25-year-old geologist from Peking, Master of Sports and member of the Chinese Communist Party), Konbu (27-year-old People’s Liberation Army man of Tibetan nationality, First Grade Sportsman) and Chu Yin- hua (25-year-old lumberjack from Szechuan Province, Master of Sports and Communist Party Member) successfully reached the summit.
Jim Whittaker was the eighth summiteer and the first American to climb Mt. Everest on May 1, 1963. He is an author of an award-winning memoir ‘ A Life on the Edge: Memoirs of Everest and Beyond.’ Stacy Allison was the first North American woman to climb Mount Everest.
Mountaineer Nawang Gombu was the 10th summiteer to reach the summit of Everest, who was the youngest climbing Sherpa on the team of Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary in 1953.Gombu had served the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) Darjeeling for more than 40 years before retiring as Field Director in 1999.
Gombu was the first man to have scaled Mount Everest twice (1963, 1965). In 1963, Gombu scaled Mount Everest with James W Whittaker- the first American team to climb Mt Everest and in 1965, he again climbed with Captain AS Cheema- the first Indian ascent team.
Naomi Uemura and Teruo Matsuura were the first Japanese to reach the summit of Mt. Everest (May 11th 1970) , though there is controversy regarding the first summiteers .It is said that Naomi Uemura led almost all route from the last camp to the top, but at final moment, Uemura gave way to the elder Matsuura.
Italian Summiteers Rinaldo Carrel and Mirko Minuzzo were the first summiteers from Italy to scale Everest in 1973, when Sambhu Tamang also successfully climbed Mt. Everest at the age of 18, being the youngest climber to reach the summit.
Mountaineer Doug Scott became the first Briton to summit Everest in 1975 and his climbing partner Dougal Haston made a first ascent up the Southwest Face. Doug Scott co-founded a charity Community Action Nepal to help primary and secondary schools, deaf children, health posts and clean water supplies.
Wolfgang Nairz summited Everest on May 3, 1978 becoming the first from Austria together with Horst Bergmann. Nairz is better known as the expedition leader in which Reinhold Messner and Peter Habeler summited Everest five days later, becoming the first climbers to summit Everest without the use of bottled oxygen.
As the men had dominated the climbs of Mt. Everest for more than 22 years after first ascent by Tenzing and Hillary, a history was created in 1975. Junko Tabei, born on September 22, 1939 in Fukushima Prefecture of Japan, became the first woman to reach the summit of Mount Everest on May 16, 1975.
She opines, “Climbing Everest has become a status symbol, and even a big entertainment. People have started competing over the speed with which they’ve made the ascent, whether they climbed to the peak by themselves, and how old they were when they made it to the top. They have boasted how long they could stay on the summit, how long they were free of oxygen tanks, or how they managed to be naked on the peak. There’s been this thinking that you have to do something to get attention.”
Tabei says she is lucky to have climbed the mountain before such stunts became the norm. In her time, mountaineers aimed for Everest simply for the challenges and joys of climbing it. The Himalayan Adventure Trust of Japan, a nonprofit environmental group headed by Junko Tabei, has campaigned for sustainable mountaineering, and garbage problem management on Everest.
Pasang Lhamu Sherpa, the first Nepali woman to reach top of the world in 1993, lost her life during descent on May 10 that year due to adverse weather in Everest region.
Phu Dorje Sherpa was the 23rd person to Summit Everest. Some would say he was the first Nepali Everest Summiter, others say Tenzing Norgay Sherpa was. Phu Dorje , a native of Khumjung Solukhumbu died in a fall in the icefall on Everest October 18, 1969.
The world’s highest mountain has claimed lives of more than 225 mountaineers after George Mallory and Andrew Irving disappeared in 1924 in the Everest region .George Mallory, summed up the allure of Everest before his fatal attempt to climb it in 1924: “Because it’s there”.
All the summiteers have created a history of their adventures and climbed the popular peaks all over the world. So far, climbers from different 83 countries have reached the summit of Mt. Everest.
Details of the first Everest summiteers (ascents on the same day) from different countries of the world till 2012 December –
First Summiteers of Mt. Everest from different countries (1953-2012)
Name Country Date Route
1 Tenzing Norgay Nepal 29.5.1953 South Col
2 Edmund Hillary New Zealand 29.5.1953 ”
3 Ernst Schmied Switzerland 23.5.1956 ”
4 Juerge Marmet Switzerland 23.5.1956 ”
5 Wang Fu Chou China 25.5 .1960 North Col
6 Gonpa ( Konbu) China ” “
7 Chu Ying Hua China ” “
8 Jim Whittaker USA 1.5.1963 South Col
9 Nawang Gombu India 1.5.1963 ”
10 Naomi Uemora Japan 11.5.1970 “
11 Teruo Matsuura Japan 11.5.1970 ”
12 Ranaldo Carrel Italy 5.5.1973 ”
13 Miko Minunzzo Italy 5.5.1973 ”
14 Doug Scott British 24.9.1975 S-W Face
15 Ko Sang Don Korea 15.9.1977 South Col.
16 Wolfgang Nairz Austria 3.5.1978 ”
17 Robert Sxhauer Austria 3.5.1978 “
18 Horst Bergmann Austria 3.5.1978 ”
19 Rainhard Karl Germany 10.5.1978 “
20 Jean Afanvassief France 15.10.1978 South Col
21 Hicolas Jaeger France 15.10.1978 South Col
22 Pierre Mazeaud France 15.10.1978 South Col
23 Ms. Wanda Rutkewicz Poland 16.10.1978 South Col
24 Zaplotnik Zerej Yugoslavia 13.5.1978 West Ridge
25 Stremfel J. Andre Yugoslavia 13.5.1978 West Ridge
26 Martin Zabaleta Spain 14.5.1980 South Col
27 Myslovsky Eduard USSR 4.5.1982 South -West Face
28 Ralyberdin Vladmir USSR 4.5.1982 “
29 Bershov Serget USSR 4.5.1982 ”
30 Turkevttch Mikhail USSR 4.5.1982 ”
31 Laurie Skreslet Canada 5.10.1982 South Col
32 Hristo I. Prodanov Bulgaria 5.5.1984 West Ridge
33 Iva G. Valcheev Bulgaria 5.5.1984 “
34 Metodi S. Savov Bulgaria 5.5.1984 ”
35 Tim Mccartnet Snape Australia 3.10.1984 North Face
36 Greg Mirtimer Australia 3.10.1984 North Face
37 Bart Vos Netherlands 8.10.1984 South E.
38 Jozef Psotka Czechoslovakia 15.10.1984 South
39 Zoltan Demzan Czechoslovakia 15.10.1984 South
40 Bjorn Myerl und Norway 21.4.1985 S-E Ridge
41 Ricardo Torres Nava Mexico 16.5.1989 S-W Face
42 Oskar Bertil Kihlburg Sweden 10.5.1990 South Col
43 Rudy Van Snick Belgium 10.5.1990 South Col
44 Cham Yick Kal Hong Kong 12.5.1992 S-E Ridge
45 Doron Meir Erel Israel 12.5. 1992 S-E Ridge
46 Mauricio Purto Chile 15.5.1992 S-E Ridge
47 Jonathan C. Pratt Chile 15.5.1992 S-E Ridge
48 Eugene Berger Luxembourg 1.10.1992 S-E Ridge
49 Augusto Ortega Peru 1.10.1992 S-E Ridge
50 Vcikka Gustafsson Finland 10.5.1993 South Ridge
51 Ivan Dusharin Russia 12.5.1992 S-E Ridge
52 Andrew Volkov Russia 12.5.1992 S- E Ridge
53 Lliy Babelnikov Russia 12.5.1992 S- E Ridge
54 Alexandre Guerassimev Russia 12.5.1992 S- E Ridge
55 Ramon B. Suarez Venezuela 7.10. 1993 South Ridge
56 Graham F. Hoyland Venezuala 7.10.1993 South Ridge
57 David Kim Adams Venezuala 7.10.1993 South Ridge
58 Tomas Heinrich Argentina 15.5.1995 S-E Ridge
59 Makalu Mingho Gau Taipei China 10.5.1996 Normal
60 Ms. L. Gammer Gaurd Kazakhastan 10.5.1996 South
61 Charlotte Fox Denmark 10.5.1996 South
62 Ian Woodall South Africa 25.5.1996 S-E Ridge
63 Ms. Cathy O’ Dowd South Africa 25.5.1996 S-E Ridge
64 Misrin Indonesia 11.10.1996 S-E Ridge
65 Asmujino Indonesia 11.10.1996 S-E Ridge
66 Bjorn Olasson Iceland 21.5.1997 S-E Ridge
67 Einar Stefanson Iceland 21.5. 1997 S-E Ridge
68 Hallgrimur Magnisson Iceland 21.5.1997 S-E Ridge
69 Nicola Kekus Iceland 21.5.1997 S-E Ridge
70 Magendran Munisamy Malaysia 23.5.1997 S-E Ridge
71 Mohandas Nagappan Malaysia 23.5.1997 S-E Ridge
72 Hamid Reza Olanj Iran 20.5.1998 S-E Ridge
73 Mohammad Oraz Iran 20.5.1998 S-E Ridge
74 Mohammad H.Najarian Iran 20.5.1998 S-E Ridge
75 Jalal Cheshmeh Gasabani Iran 20.5.1998 S-E Ridge
76 Bernardo Gurachim Bolivia 24.5.1998 S-E Ridge
76 Swee Chiow Khoo Singapore 25.5.1998 S-E Ridge
77 Edwin Cheok Wai Siew Singapore 25.5.1998 S-E Ridge
78 Benedict Kashakavili Georgia 12.5.1999 S-E Ridge
79 Bindznia Georgia 12.5.1999 S-E Ridge
80 Aphi Gigani Georgi a 12.5.1999 S-E Ridge
81 Ms. Elsa Avila Georgia 12.5.1999 S-E Ridge
82 Lev Sarkisov Armenia 12.5.1999 S-E Ridge
83 Nazir Ahmad Sabir Pakistan 17.5.2000 S-E Ridge
84 Davorin Kamicar Slovenia 7.10.2000 S -E Ridge
85 France Oderlap Slovenia 7.10.2000 S-E Ridge
86 Tunc Findik Turkey 23.5.2001 S-E Ridge
87 Zsolt Eross Hungary 25.5.2002 S-E Ridge
88 Laszlo Varkonvi Hungary 25.5.2002 S-E Ridge
89 Sibusiso Emmanuel Vilane Swaziland 26.5.2003 S-E Ridge
90 Michael Murphy Ireland 22.5.2003 S-E Ridge
91 Gerard McDonnell Ireland 22.5.2003 S-E Ridge
92 Nikolaos Magitsis Greece 17.5.2004 S-E Ridge
93. Jose Luis Peralvo Ecuador 2.6.2005 S-E Ridge
94 Waldemar Niclevicz Brazil 2.6.2005 Normal Route
95 Iravan Gustavo Burda Brazil 2.6.2005 Normal Route
96 Usuhbayar Gotovdor Mongolia 30.5.2005 S-E Ridge
97 Romeo Garduce Philippines 19.5.2006 Normal
98 Omar Sherif Samara Egypt 17.5.2007 S-E Ridge
99 Pavel Bem Czech 18.5.2007 S-E Ridge
100 Nadir Dendoune Algeria 25.5.2008 S-E Ridge
101 Faruk Saad H.Alzuman Saudi Arabia 21.5.2008 S-E Ridge
102 Sergiey Kovalov Ukraine 27.5.2008 S-E Ridge
103 Oleg Paliy Ukraine 27.5.2008 S-E Ridge
104 Oleksiy Lykov Ukraine 27.5.2008 S-E Ridge
105 Igor Storozhenko Ukraine 27.5.2008 S-E Ridge
106 Mustafa M.M.Mustafa Jordan 21.5.2008 S-E Ridge
107 Vitidnan Rojanapanich Thailand 22. 5.2008 Normal
108 Phan Thanh Nhien Vietnam 22.5.2008 Normal
109 Bui Van Neogi Vietnam 22.5.2008 Normal
110 Nguyen Mau Linh Vietnam 22.5.2008 Normal
111 Michael A.Morles Carter Panama 23 .5.2009 Normal
112 Ms. Darija Bostjancic Croatia 19 .5.2009 Normal
113 Ms.Iris Bostjancic Croatia 19 .5.2009 Normal
114 Sashko Kedev Macedonia 19 .5.2009 Normal
115 Angelo Eduard Sousa Portugal 17.5.2010 Normal
116 Nelson Cardona Carvajal Colombia 17.5.2010 Normal
117 Ms. Rafael A.Avila Velandia Colombia 17.5.2010 Normal
118 Ms. Andrea M.C.Mortin Guatemala 23.5.2010 Normal
119 Khalid S. H. Al Siyabi Oman 23.5.2010 Normal
120 Gergory Attard Malta 17.5.2010 Normal
121 Mark Cremona Malta 17.5.2010 Normal
122 Dr. Robert M.Gatt Malta 17.5.2010 Normal
123 Jan Karnogursky Slovakia 19.5.2011 Normal
124 Ms. Suzan S. H. A. Rasmia Palestine 21.5.2011 Normal
125 Ivan EG Carrasco Dominican Rep. 21.5.2011 Normal
126 Ms. Nishat Mazumdar Bangladesh 19.5.2012 Normal
127 Abdul Mohit Bangladesh 19.5.2012 Normal
128 Naim Logic Bosnia Herzegovina 19.5.2012 Normal
129 Georgios Andreou Cyprus 19.5.2012 Normal
130 Wilfred Cyril Moshi Tanzania 19.5.2012 Normal
131 Warner R. Chinchilla Costa Rica 25.5.2012 Normal
132 Vadims Prudnikovs Latvia 26.5. 2012 Normal
133 Ms. Olga Kotova Latvia 26.5. 2012 Normal
First Women Summiteers of Mt. Everest from different countries
(1975-2012)
Name Country Date Route
1 Mrs. Junko Tabei Japan 16 May 1975 South Col
2 Mrs. Phantog China 27 May 1975 North Col
3 Ms. Wanda Rutkewicz Poland 16 Oct.1978 South Col
4 Ms. Bachendripal India 23 May 1984 South E. Ridge
5 Ms. Stacy Marie Allison USA 29 Sept.1988 South Col
6 Ms. Ingrid M. Baeyend Belgium 12 May 1992 South E. Ridge
7 Ms. Ginette Harrison UK 10 May 1993 South E. Ridgel
8 Ms. Hyun Ok Gi Korea 10 May 1993 S.E. Ridge
9 Ms. Jan Elizabeth Amold New Zealand 10 May 1993 SE Ridge
10 Ms. Pasang Lhamu Sherpa Nepal 22 May 1993 E. Ridge
11 Ms. Charlotte Fox Denmark 10 May 1996 South Col
12 Ms. L. Gammer Gaurd Kazhakastan 10 May 1996 South Col
13 Ms. Araceli Segarra Roca Spain 23 Oct.1996 SE Ridge
14 Ms. Cathy O’ Dowd South Africa 25 May 1996 SE Ridge
15 Ms. Brigitte Muir Australia 27 May 1997 South E. Ridge
16 Mrs. Katja K. Staartjes Netherlands 12 May 1999 South E. Ridge
17 Ms. Elsa Avila Georgia 12 May 1999 South E. Ridge
18 Ms. Reneta Chlumska Sweden 5 May 1999 South E. Ridge
19 Ms. Anna Czerwinska Canada 22 May 2000 South E. Ridge
20 Ms. Patricia A.S. Borqueze Chile 22 May 2001 South E. Ridge
21 Ms. Cristina A.P. Overem Chile 22 May 2001 South E. Ridge
22 Mrs. Edurne P. Lizarribar Germany 23 May 2001 South E. Ridge
23 Ms. Alexia Zuberer France 22 May 2003 South E. Ridge
24 Ms. Manuela Di Centa Italy 23 May 2003 South E. Ridge
25 Ms. Farkhondeh Sadegh Iran 30 May 2005 South E. Ridge
26 Ms. Ana Elise T. Boscarioli Brazil 19 May 2006 “
27 Ms. Marina Binti Ahmad Malaysia 21 May 2007 “
28 Mrs. Noewe C. Wencelsao Philippines 17 May 2007 “
29 Mrs. Janet Belarmino Philippines 17 May 2007 “
30 Mrs. Carina Dayondon Philippines 17 May 2007 “
31 Ms. Petya S. Kolcheva Bulgaria 22 May 2009 “
32 Ms Lee Zhen Zhen Jane Singapore 20 May 2009 “
33 Ms. Lee Li Hui Singapore 20 May 2009 “
34 Ms. Tan Yinxuan Singapore 20 May 2009 “
35 Ms.Darija Bostjancic Croatia 19 May 2009 “
36 Ms.Iris Bostjancic Croatia 19 May 2009 “
37 Ms. Hsiuchen Chiang Taiwan 19 May 2009 “
38 Ms. Laura G.D.C. Aranda Mexico 21 May 2009 “
39 Ms. Anita Ugyan Hungary 21 May 2009 “
40 Ms. Mercedes N. Sahores Argentina 19 May 2009 “
41 Ms. Rafael A.A. Velandia Colombia 17 May, 2010 Normal
42 Ms. Andrea M.C.Mortin Guatemala 23 May, 2010 “
43 Ms. Kirsi Carina Raiha Finland 17 May, 2010 ”
44 Ms. Suzan S.H.Alhouby Rasmia Palestine 21 May 2011 “
45 Ms. Dominika M.D.Degelo Switzerland May 13, 2011 “
46 Ms. Nishat Mazumdar Bangladesh May 19, 2012 “
47 Ms. Tsogzolmaa Tseren Mongolia May 19, 2012 “
48 Ms.Olga Kotova Latvia May 26, 2012 “
(The writer is Editor of e-paper on travel and tourism Travelbiznews.com and Former Editor-in-Chief of Gorkhapatra National Daily.)
Courtesy: NEPAL PARBAT, Official Publication of Nepal Mountaineering Association published on the occasion of Diamond Jubilee of First Ascent of Mount Everest
