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(WIND WHISTLES)
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(GENTLE MUSIC)
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(SLOW, MUFFLED BREATHING)
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(MUSIC BUILDS)
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(STATIC ON RADIO)
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MAN ON RADIO:
Well, now, the Himalay as...
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(STATIC)
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MAN ON RADIO:
Well, we introduce to you this morning
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Ed Hillary, a very interestingpersonality in the alpine world.
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Good morning, Ed.
EDMUND HILLARY: Good morning.
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How many attempts have beenmade on Everest altogether?
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Well, there havebeen at least 10.
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Well, why havethe others failed?
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A combination of circumstanceswhich hasn't been right.
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Well, do you thinkit's possible to climb Everest?
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Yes, I definitely thinkit's possible to climb it
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and, well, I'm sureit will be done some day.
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(RADIO STATIC)
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MAN: It's only 60 years ago, but
it was a completely different world,
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and the idea that
you would be the first man
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to stand on the highest
point on earth
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is a quest, a romantic quest,
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MAN 2: There was a real race on
for the world's highest peak,
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And it wasn't just Britain,
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There were other nations
in the queue,
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This really was Britain's
last chance to grab this great prize,
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(RISING MUSIC)
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MAN: Nobody knew if someone
could survive at 29,000 feet,
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Like the guys going into space,
you know, you 're breaking frontiers,
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MAN 2: There is a physiologic limit
of what human beings can take,
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I'm sure they didn't want to die,
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but you 're taking risks in which
death is one of the outcomes,
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MAN: You are going into the unknown,
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Could it be done?
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Back in 1953, it was
a great big question mark,
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EDMUND HILLARY: I think
it's all really a matter of challenge,
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Not so much challenge
only with the mountain,
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but challenge with oneself,
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seeing if you can force yourself
to overcome your fears
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and hopefully, ultimately,
get to the top,
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(WONDROUS MUSIC)
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(NEWSREEL FANFARE)
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VOICEOVER: Members ofthe British Everest expedition
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have begun assemblingon the Subcontinent
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where deputy leader Major Wylie
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is looking forw ardto the adventure to come.
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We are very pleasedthat the first stage
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of our journeyto Mount Everest is over.
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We are now off tow ards the hills.
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If we get some fine weathertow ards the end of May
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just before the monsoon arrives
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we should have a chanceof getting to the top.
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(FANFARE CONTINUES)
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(PENSIVE MUSIC)
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(MEN CHATTER INAUDIBLY)
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The first time I joined up
with the expedition
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was at the British Embassy
in Kathmandu,
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We had 13 Western members
of the expedition,
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John Hunt, a senior army officer,
was expedition leader,
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I'd really never heard
of John Hunt before
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and the first time I met him
was in Kathmandu,
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MAN: I was very keen
to have people I knew already
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so I had big
question marks about Ed,
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I can only say that
from the moment I met Ed
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I knew that here was somebody
who would be a dominating influence,
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He was a tower of strength,
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MAN ON RADIO: Mr Hillary,as a matter of interest,
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how long have you been climbing?
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EDMUND HILLARY: Well,I've been climbing, I suppose,
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for altogether about 10 years.
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And how many trips have you doneout of New Z ealand climbing?
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I have already had a coupleof expeditions to the Himalay a.
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INTERVIEWER: You were quite strictly
brought up, weren't you?
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EDMUND HILLARY: I was brought up
during the Depression
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and my family was pretty
short on cash during that period,
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I was just a rough
old country boy, as it were,
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INTERVIEWER: A beekeeper,
A beekeeper,
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lused to wander around our farm
dreaming about great adventures
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and climbing mountains
and all that sort of thing,
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INTERVIEWER:
What a contrast between
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beekeeping on the one hand
and climbing mountains,
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EDMUND HILLARY: Oh, not really,
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In the beekeeping, I was constantly
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lugging around
80-pound boxes of honey,
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And my brother was also
doing beekeeping, and we competed,
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And I think the sense of competition
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carried on to
my mountaineering activities,
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MAN: Well, the party were first
all together as a team in Kathmandu,
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Before us we had 17 days
of marches to Tengboche,
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which is where we were going
to place our first base camp,
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We had to cross a succession
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of high ridges and deep valleys,
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We could really get gradually fit
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and - most important -
get to know each other as a team,
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MAN: Everything had been
calculated to the last detail -
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7,5 tons of material,
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443 packages, all numbered,
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and the contents of each listed
down to the last matchbox or needle,
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EDMUND HILLARY:
It is a team expedition
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and it's very much in the form
of a pyramid of effort,
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13 Western members of the expedition,
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30 permanent high-altitude Sherpas,
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These are men who will be carrying
loads for us to great altitudes,
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00:08:00,001 --> 00:08:02,963
Some 600 Nepalese porters
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carried loads across country
into our climbing regions,
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MAN: Because there had been no less
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than seven British
attempts on the mountain,
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we felt that by right, the mountain
should be climbed by Britain
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and by extension
the British Commonwealth,
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The Swiss so nearly
got to the summit in 1952,
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The Americans were
waiting in the wings,
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And so there was huge
pressure on John Hunt
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with this colossal expectation
that this quest had to succeed,
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INTERVIEWER: Mr Hillary,how many New Z ealanders
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are in this year's expedition?
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EDMUND HILLARY: Well, only two ofus. There's George Lowe and myself.
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MAN: George Lowe and my father
were great friends,
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They had climbed extensively
in the Southern Alps of New Zealand,
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They were very good
climbers together
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and had a tremendous rapport,
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MAN 2: We had 18 days of trekking
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and during that period
of getting to know one another
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there was always
a little bit of a funny edge
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towards the New Zealanders,
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Both Ed and I had been
to ordinary high schools,
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They, of course,
the greater number of them,
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00:09:26,671 --> 00:09:29,341
had been to public schools,
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We did come from a different
background, there was no doubt,
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HUNT: Kathmandu is only about
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4,000 feet above sea level,
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The foot of Everest is about 18,000,
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Our 17 days approach march
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was an essential part of my policy
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00:10:02,123 --> 00:10:03,997
of acclimatisation,
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00:10:06,169 --> 00:10:08,964
MAN: The whole thing
is a race against time,
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00:10:08,964 --> 00:10:12,676
There was a constant fear
that the monsoon would come,
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So that's why John Hunt said,
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"We want to be in a position
to climb Everest on May 15,"
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The later in May, the more likely
that the monsoon would arrive,
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00:10:23,562 --> 00:10:25,887
It's always a race against time,
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EDMUND HILLARY: As we got steadily
higher, our excitement increased
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and more and more great peaks
were coming into view,
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And over it all towered
the summit pyramid of Everest
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00:10:46,001 --> 00:10:48,879
only 20 miles away,
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00:10:48,879 --> 00:10:52,424
but still 20,000 feet above us,
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INTERVIEWER: Mr Hillary, you startedclimbing in New Z ealand, didn't you?
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EDMUND HILLARY: Oh, yes,I started in New Z ealand.
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(ROMANTIC MUSIC ON NEWSREEL)
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NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER: And there'sMount Cook, the 'Cloud Piercer',
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00:11:07,480 --> 00:11:11,276
reaching majestically skyw ardfor over 12,000 feet.
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EDMUND HILLARY:
A friend and I decided
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to have a short trip to Mount Cook,
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The closer we got, the more impressed
I was with the magnificent mountains,
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NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER:
Those jagged peaks there
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provide the real alpinist with some ofthe best climbing outside Europe.
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EDMUND HILLARY: That night, inside
the Hermitage where I was staying,
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two young men came in,
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I heard the whisper go around -
"They have just climbed Mount Cook,"
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These chaps were really living,
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I felt, "What a hopeless life I lead,
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"no great adventures,
nothing particularly exciting,"
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And that's when I decided that I was
going to take up mountaineering,
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HUNT: Well, after 17 days
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our caravans arrived at the Monastery of
Tengboche at over 12,000 feet,
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PETER HILLARY: Once they got up
to Tengboche Monastery
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it's getting pretty cold,
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The low-country porters
largely only had cotton clothes
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00:12:32,941 --> 00:12:36,069
so they get paid off
and they return to their villages
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and Sherpa porters take over,
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The Sherpas who stay
on the expedition
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might have had previous
experience of climbing,
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although not many did,
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Tenzing was an exception to that
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in that he did have
quite a lot of experience,
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In fact, he really
had more experience
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at climbing on Mount Everest
than anyone else,
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MAN: Without the Sherpas
you can't climb Everest
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and my father was the head man,
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00:13:09,769 --> 00:13:11,563
People respected him,
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00:13:11,563 --> 00:13:16,640
They knew that he had been climbing
Everest with foreigners since 1935,
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You know, he'd been up
six times already,
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EDMUND HILLARY:
I knew Tenzing by repute,
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You know, he'd done
a lot of mountaineering
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and I knew he was
very highly regarded,
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But I wasn't able really
to communicate well with him,
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00:13:34,711 --> 00:13:39,871
His English was very limited
and my Nepali was very limited,
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00:13:40,926 --> 00:13:45,801
He had a flashing smile,
absolutely charming smile,
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It was impossible not to like him,
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In the next fortnight,
we had a period of training
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00:13:58,235 --> 00:14:02,279
and testing ourselves
and our equipment at altitudes,
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00:14:03,823 --> 00:14:06,993
MAN: Well, in 1953,
getting to the summit of Everest
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00:14:06,993 --> 00:14:11,702
in terms of physiologic capability
was a big unknown,
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00:14:13,541 --> 00:14:16,957
It was like sending
somebody into space,
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00:14:20,507 --> 00:14:23,677
They knew from altitude
experiments in chambers
196
00:14:23,677 --> 00:14:25,554
that altitude can make you seize
197
00:14:25,554 --> 00:14:29,057
and one of the ideas was that people
would haemorrhage in their brains
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00:14:29,057 --> 00:14:31,844
because their blood vessels
would be so dilated,
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00:14:33,061 --> 00:14:37,355
There were lots of reasons to think
that there might be a stroke,
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00:14:39,901 --> 00:14:43,068
Nobody knew whether or not
it could really be done,
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00:14:51,496 --> 00:14:55,542
MAN: When Ed was heading
up the mountain in 1953,
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00:14:55,542 --> 00:14:59,170
13 people had already
died on the mountain
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00:14:59,170 --> 00:15:02,424
and I think that for anyone
who would be climbing at that time
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00:15:02,424 --> 00:15:05,677
it would be something
of a daunting statistic -
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00:15:05,677 --> 00:15:10,422
13 deaths and zero summits
at that point,
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00:15:34,998 --> 00:15:37,250
HUNT: Now, about
six miles up from Tengboche
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00:15:37,250 --> 00:15:39,336
looking north is the Khumbu Glacier
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00:15:39,336 --> 00:15:41,546
where we were to place
our main base camp
209
00:15:41,546 --> 00:15:43,753
for the attack on the mountain,
210
00:15:50,347 --> 00:15:54,100
This icefall was to be
our next great obstacle
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00:15:54,100 --> 00:15:56,508
and I sent a party to explore it,
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00:15:57,687 --> 00:16:01,149
Ed Hillary led this first party,
213
00:16:01,149 --> 00:16:04,269
(EERIE MUSIC)
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00:16:13,161 --> 00:16:16,032
EDMUND HILLARY: The Western Cwm
is guarded by a great icefall,,,
215
00:16:21,211 --> 00:16:26,288
,,a tumbled mass of ice dropping
2,500 feet to the Khumbu Glacier,
216
00:16:28,927 --> 00:16:30,887
We first had to discover whether it
217
00:16:30,887 --> 00:16:32,963
was possible to ascend this icefall,
218
00:16:37,519 --> 00:16:39,938
The icefall was a constant hazard
219
00:16:39,938 --> 00:16:43,149
and we had no alternative
but to make a route through country
220
00:16:43,149 --> 00:16:47,194
which we knew to be unjustifiable
in the ordinary alpine climb,
221
00:16:52,242 --> 00:16:55,990
MAN: It's like a waterfall
that's come off and has frozen,
222
00:16:57,789 --> 00:17:01,209
The weight of the glacier
above them is shoving,
223
00:17:01,209 --> 00:17:03,700
It's all a jumble of ice,
224
00:17:06,256 --> 00:17:10,719
It is unstable objective danger
225
00:17:10,719 --> 00:17:12,877
that you have no control over,
226
00:17:17,017 --> 00:17:22,224
Crazy! My God, You 're dumb
to be going up a route like that,
227
00:17:23,565 --> 00:17:27,942
But you just can't go any other way
but through the icefall,
228
00:17:33,617 --> 00:17:37,203
MAN 2: In '52, the Swiss
went up the icefall
229
00:17:37,203 --> 00:17:40,407
and said, "It's a thing
that's always on the move,"
230
00:17:43,084 --> 00:17:46,880
And it's a dangerous place
for that reason,
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00:17:46,880 --> 00:17:51,257
More people are killed in the icefall
than anywhere else on Everest,
232
00:17:53,220 --> 00:17:56,339
(CREAKING AND CRACKING)
233
00:18:01,019 --> 00:18:05,232
It's immense,
It's 2,500 feet high,
234
00:18:05,232 --> 00:18:08,932
And we had to go
up the middle of it,
235
00:18:14,574 --> 00:18:17,744
MAN 2: Ed Hillary, George Lowe,
Mike Westmacott and myself
236
00:18:17,744 --> 00:18:20,872
were the four of us chosen
to make the first route through
237
00:18:20,872 --> 00:18:23,410
in a week or five days if we could,,,
238
00:18:24,751 --> 00:18:27,337
,,and then of course to make it safe
239
00:18:27,337 --> 00:18:29,714
by a lot of step-cutting,
a lot of fixed ropes
240
00:18:29,714 --> 00:18:32,551
so that eventually
it would be possible
241
00:18:32,551 --> 00:18:37,711
for loaded porters to carry
the stores safely through it,
242
00:18:39,349 --> 00:18:42,469
(TENSE MUSIC)
243
00:18:58,577 --> 00:19:00,537
WESTMACOTT:
The icefall was a dangerous place
244
00:19:00,537 --> 00:19:03,164
because things did collapse
without warning
245
00:19:03,164 --> 00:19:06,865
and if you were in the way,
it was a thoroughly bad thing,
246
00:19:17,512 --> 00:19:19,386
(CRACKING)
247
00:19:28,690 --> 00:19:30,859
BAND: You had
these great towers of ice
248
00:19:30,859 --> 00:19:33,820
and great lumps and strips
the size of a row of cottages
249
00:19:33,820 --> 00:19:36,821
that could slump down at any moment,
250
00:19:40,702 --> 00:19:44,403
We gave names
to the more dangerous parts,
251
00:19:46,166 --> 00:19:48,418
There was Mike's Horror,
Hillary's Horror,
252
00:19:48,418 --> 00:19:53,709
an area called the Nutcracker,
the Atom Bomb area,
253
00:19:57,552 --> 00:19:59,262
WESTMACOTT: There are certain,,,
254
00:19:59,262 --> 00:20:01,014
,,what climbers call objective dangers
255
00:20:01,014 --> 00:20:03,303
which basically
you can't do much about,
256
00:20:05,602 --> 00:20:08,805
There's also a risk
of falling into a crevasse,
257
00:20:10,565 --> 00:20:14,277
BAND: We had these light
aluminium ladders about six feet long
258
00:20:14,277 --> 00:20:17,729
which we could bolt together
across the crevasses,
259
00:20:25,705 --> 00:20:27,499
And there were so many crevasses
260
00:20:27,499 --> 00:20:30,334
that we soon ran out
of all the ladders we had,
261
00:20:32,087 --> 00:20:35,090
So we had to send down
to where the nearest trees grew,
262
00:20:35,090 --> 00:20:37,133
which would be about
three days' walk away,
263
00:20:37,133 --> 00:20:42,092
to cut small tree trunks
to make little log bridges,
264
00:20:43,139 --> 00:20:45,713
(WOOD CREAKS)
265
00:20:48,728 --> 00:20:51,398
And you balanced
as well as you could,
266
00:21:04,869 --> 00:21:09,448
For us, it was clearly going to be
the only way to climb Everest,
267
00:21:13,753 --> 00:21:16,298
CONEFRE Y:
Ed Hillary wanted to please,
268
00:21:16,298 --> 00:21:18,675
He wanted to be on the summit team,
269
00:21:18,675 --> 00:21:21,344
He would've known
that only a few people
270
00:21:21,344 --> 00:21:23,471
would get a chance
to go for the summit
271
00:21:23,471 --> 00:21:26,308
so from very early on
he wanted to impress John Hunt
272
00:21:26,308 --> 00:21:29,352
and he felt there
was time pressure on him
273
00:21:29,352 --> 00:21:32,223
to recce the icefall
to get it prepared,
274
00:21:43,658 --> 00:21:46,244
PETER HILLARY: My father
was never afraid of hard work,
275
00:21:46,244 --> 00:21:49,497
but part of that was to cover
I think what Dad felt
276
00:21:49,497 --> 00:21:54,124
were a lot of psychological
or emotional inadequacies,
277
00:21:56,922 --> 00:21:59,925
He had been raised
with high expectations
278
00:21:59,925 --> 00:22:02,260
and they sent him off
to Auckland Grammar School
279
00:22:02,260 --> 00:22:04,585
two years too young,
280
00:22:05,680 --> 00:22:08,475
EDMUND HILLARY:
I was only 11 years old
281
00:22:08,475 --> 00:22:11,226
and I was rather terrified, really,
282
00:22:12,354 --> 00:22:14,231
When lunchtime came,
283
00:22:14,231 --> 00:22:16,316
I would go out
the back of the school
284
00:22:16,316 --> 00:22:19,815
and there were a whole lot
of ants living there,
285
00:22:20,904 --> 00:22:23,448
When I first went
to Auckland Grammar,
286
00:22:23,448 --> 00:22:26,983
the only friends I really had
were the ants,
287
00:22:30,997 --> 00:22:35,375
I was a dreamer
until I started climbing,
288
00:22:44,761 --> 00:22:48,515
HUNT: The icefall was really chaotic
289
00:22:48,515 --> 00:22:50,350
and yet they forced a way
290
00:22:50,350 --> 00:22:54,561
and Ed's job of route finding
was a particularly good show,
291
00:22:57,357 --> 00:22:58,984
BAND: The New Zealanders
292
00:22:58,984 --> 00:23:01,528
had a lot more snow
and ice climbing experience
293
00:23:01,528 --> 00:23:04,239
than the average European climber
294
00:23:04,239 --> 00:23:08,034
because their mountains are
very like the Himalayas in miniature,
295
00:23:08,034 --> 00:23:11,154
(SOARING MUSIC ON NEWSREEL)
296
00:23:14,708 --> 00:23:16,918
NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER:
The Southern Alps -
297
00:23:16,918 --> 00:23:19,254
the great mountain tanglewhich sprawls northw ards
298
00:23:19,254 --> 00:23:22,623
in an almost unbroken chainof rock and ice.
299
00:23:30,724 --> 00:23:32,601
INTERVIEWER: Well, Ed,how do the Southern Alps
300
00:23:32,601 --> 00:23:34,227
compare with the Swiss Alps?
301
00:23:34,227 --> 00:23:36,104
That's where the English climbersget their training.
302
00:23:36,104 --> 00:23:38,315
EDMUND HILLARY: Here in NewZ ealand, with our terrific glaciation,
303
00:23:38,315 --> 00:23:41,026
a greater amount of our climbingis done on snow and ice -
304
00:23:41,026 --> 00:23:43,111
in many w ays very similarto the Himalay a.
305
00:23:43,111 --> 00:23:44,988
They're rather differentfrom the Swiss Alps
306
00:23:44,988 --> 00:23:47,949
where the predominant featurefor climbing is rock.
307
00:23:47,949 --> 00:23:51,411
NEWSREEL ANNOUNCER: MountAspiring, New Z ealand's Matterhorn -
308
00:23:51,411 --> 00:23:53,872
a shark's tooth of a mountainwhose dangerous slopes
309
00:23:53,872 --> 00:23:56,207
demand skill and careful climbing.
310
00:23:56,207 --> 00:23:57,834
EDMUND HILLARY:
Our New Z ealand mountains
311
00:23:57,834 --> 00:23:59,874
are really a wonderfultraining ground for the Himalay a.
312
00:24:03,089 --> 00:24:06,927
VENABLES: Kiwis
have that tough resilience
313
00:24:06,927 --> 00:24:09,137
so I think that
the younger British climbers
314
00:24:09,137 --> 00:24:10,847
were somewhat in awe
315
00:24:10,847 --> 00:24:16,304
of these formidable Kiwis
brought in to reinforce the team,
316
00:24:24,444 --> 00:24:26,238
HUNT: Now, the next big doubt
317
00:24:26,238 --> 00:24:28,740
was regarding the lip
of the coomb itself
318
00:24:28,740 --> 00:24:30,614
at the very top of the icefall,
319
00:24:31,701 --> 00:24:35,865
You see, there was
an enormous, gaping crevasse,
320
00:24:38,166 --> 00:24:40,622
Could we get into the coomb?
321
00:24:46,132 --> 00:24:48,301
PETER HILLARY: The decision
on who would be going
322
00:24:48,301 --> 00:24:50,095
all the way to the top
323
00:24:50,095 --> 00:24:53,012
was very much
the leader's prerogative,
324
00:25:00,105 --> 00:25:03,191
John Hunt would evaluate the team
325
00:25:03,191 --> 00:25:05,480
throughout the course
of the expedition,
326
00:25:10,740 --> 00:25:12,450
So there was a fair amount of
327
00:25:12,450 --> 00:25:15,370
sort of posturing
and positioning going on
328
00:25:15,370 --> 00:25:19,082
as people tried to put
themselves in the best light
329
00:25:19,082 --> 00:25:21,205
for that sort of opportunity,
330
00:25:27,382 --> 00:25:29,175
BAND: I think
amongst the British
331
00:25:29,175 --> 00:25:31,261
there wasn't any particular
jockeying for position,
332
00:25:31,261 --> 00:25:35,056
but I think our two New Zealanders,
Hillary and Lowe,
333
00:25:35,056 --> 00:25:36,766
were perhaps rather
more straightforward
334
00:25:36,766 --> 00:25:39,055
in wanting to get
as high as possible,
335
00:25:50,488 --> 00:25:53,617
They were the sort of colonials
that would make good
336
00:25:53,617 --> 00:25:56,036
and we were perhaps
a little bit more inhibited -
337
00:25:56,036 --> 00:25:59,372
the public school type that
wouldn't push our way forward
338
00:25:59,372 --> 00:26:02,124
unless Hunt had said,
"Look, you 're the chap to do it,"
339
00:26:03,168 --> 00:26:07,005
EDMUND HILLARY: I'd always hoped
that George Lowe and I
340
00:26:07,005 --> 00:26:10,091
would be the final summit pair,
341
00:26:10,091 --> 00:26:13,511
but there was no time
that John Hunt, our leader,
342
00:26:13,511 --> 00:26:19,142
wanted to have two New Zealanders
stand on top of Mount Everest,
343
00:26:19,142 --> 00:26:21,853
So I had to look around
and find someone
344
00:26:21,853 --> 00:26:26,100
who was as fit as I was
and who could do a good job,
345
00:26:27,150 --> 00:26:30,021
Tenzing was that person,
346
00:26:36,243 --> 00:26:39,694
MAN: Nobody alive had more
experience of Everest,
347
00:26:42,499 --> 00:26:45,043
He really understood the value of it
348
00:26:45,043 --> 00:26:47,712
and how it could change his life,
349
00:26:48,964 --> 00:26:51,716
Tenzing had been very, very poor,
350
00:26:51,716 --> 00:26:53,927
He had struggled,
351
00:26:53,927 --> 00:26:56,846
He wanted his children
to go to good schools,
352
00:26:56,846 --> 00:27:00,392
He wanted more for them
than he'd had,
353
00:27:00,392 --> 00:27:04,140
Tenzing understood
what climbing Everest meant,
354
00:27:08,567 --> 00:27:12,821
My father was a bit of an anomaly
as far as a Sherpa goes
355
00:27:12,821 --> 00:27:16,356
because he always
wanted to climb Everest,
356
00:27:19,327 --> 00:27:23,206
That's very unusual
for a poor kid from Tibet,
357
00:27:23,206 --> 00:27:28,003
So unlike many other Sherpas who
actually climb just to make a living,
358
00:27:28,003 --> 00:27:29,963
he was a mountaineer at heart,
359
00:27:29,963 --> 00:27:34,874
His drive was to go to the top
just like Ed Hillary,
360
00:27:40,849 --> 00:27:44,644
HUNT: As we walked on into
the coomb, the crevasses grew fewer
361
00:27:44,644 --> 00:27:48,899
and we realised that
the coomb itself was open to us,
362
00:27:48,899 --> 00:27:52,018
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
363
00:28:09,920 --> 00:28:12,130
HUNT: We are now
established at Base Camp
364
00:28:12,130 --> 00:28:15,008
and the first problem
is to get our supplies
365
00:28:15,008 --> 00:28:18,792
up to Camp 4 high up
in the Western Cwm,
366
00:28:19,846 --> 00:28:22,766
Owing to the climbing
difficulties in the icefall,
367
00:28:22,766 --> 00:28:26,716
laden porters require
three days to reach Camp 4,
368
00:28:30,315 --> 00:28:32,317
CONEFRE Y: There was
this idea in those days
369
00:28:32,317 --> 00:28:34,444
of laying siege to a mountain,
370
00:28:34,444 --> 00:28:37,072
This meant you would do it
in a very systematic way -
371
00:28:37,072 --> 00:28:40,075
you would set up a camp
and you would set up another camp
372
00:28:40,075 --> 00:28:42,827
and get higher and higher,
373
00:28:42,827 --> 00:28:45,163
VENABLES: You build up
this pyramid of camps
374
00:28:45,163 --> 00:28:50,502
to get enough tents, food,
cooking fuel, oxygen -
375
00:28:50,502 --> 00:28:54,548
to get enough of those supplies
where you can rest
376
00:28:54,548 --> 00:28:57,121
before going up to the next stage,
377
00:29:03,890 --> 00:29:07,644
And to do that, people have
got to go up and down the mountain,
378
00:29:07,644 --> 00:29:10,689
Ideally, people go up to a camp
and then go back down again
379
00:29:10,689 --> 00:29:13,400
'cause if everyone goes up to a camp
and then stays there
380
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:15,938
they then consume
all the food they've carried up,
381
00:29:35,881 --> 00:29:37,841
CONEFRE Y: People tried
to come up with solutions
382
00:29:37,841 --> 00:29:40,218
which would help the team
to get to the top,
383
00:29:40,218 --> 00:29:42,095
people from around the world
384
00:29:42,095 --> 00:29:45,098
sending in madcap
suggestions on inventions,
385
00:29:45,098 --> 00:29:46,850
Somebody had an ingenious device
386
00:29:46,850 --> 00:29:48,560
which was a type of harpoon
387
00:29:48,560 --> 00:29:51,051
with an incendiary device
on the end of it,
388
00:29:52,105 --> 00:29:55,525
The idea was that it would
burn its way into the ice
389
00:29:55,525 --> 00:29:57,402
and give a secure holding
390
00:29:57,402 --> 00:29:59,613
so people could haul themselves up,
391
00:29:59,613 --> 00:30:02,449
Most of them were
completely crazy ideas,
392
00:30:02,449 --> 00:30:04,784
VOICEOVER: My methodinvolves the use of a hand cable
393
00:30:04,784 --> 00:30:07,120
laid in adv ance by aircraft...
394
00:30:07,120 --> 00:30:08,747
VOICEOVER 2: With my relay w armth
395
00:30:08,747 --> 00:30:10,540
personal heating apparatus,
396
00:30:10,540 --> 00:30:12,500
air could be passed througha heating chamber
397
00:30:12,500 --> 00:30:14,211
and pumped via rubber tube
398
00:30:14,211 --> 00:30:15,921
to the hands, feet and head...
399
00:30:15,921 --> 00:30:19,090
VOICEOVER 3:
May I mention a Wonder Gun
400
00:30:19,090 --> 00:30:21,468
for driving steel boltsinto concrete...
401
00:30:21,468 --> 00:30:23,303
VOICEOVER 4: I suggestthat a woollen suit
402
00:30:23,303 --> 00:30:24,930
be wired in much the same w ay
403
00:30:24,930 --> 00:30:26,556
as an electric blanket...
404
00:30:26,556 --> 00:30:28,099
VOICEOVER 5: It should be possible
405
00:30:28,099 --> 00:30:31,144
to ascend the mountainusing a large helium-filled balloon.
406
00:30:31,144 --> 00:30:34,595
A significant amount of heliumwould be required.
407
00:30:41,154 --> 00:30:44,574
MAN: Nearly all
of the technological innovations
408
00:30:44,574 --> 00:30:46,910
that were used on the 1953 expedition
409
00:30:46,910 --> 00:30:49,412
arose from things
developed by the military
410
00:30:49,412 --> 00:30:51,535
during the Second World War,
411
00:30:54,376 --> 00:30:57,504
They tested the windproof equipment
they were going to be wearing
412
00:30:57,504 --> 00:31:00,707
in the wind tunnel
at Farnborough Aircraft Factory,
413
00:31:08,306 --> 00:31:11,351
30 different firms, UK firms,
414
00:31:11,351 --> 00:31:14,518
were involved
in designing the boots alone,
415
00:31:18,525 --> 00:31:22,819
The ascent of Everest in '53 had
become a question of national pride,
416
00:31:24,155 --> 00:31:27,242
When World War II ended,
Britain was completely bankrupt
417
00:31:27,242 --> 00:31:29,953
and because of the austerity,
the postwar austerity in Britain,
418
00:31:29,953 --> 00:31:31,744
the really awful days
that had past,,,
419
00:31:34,332 --> 00:31:37,168
,,it was the last
great colonial project,
420
00:31:37,168 --> 00:31:40,169
the last hurrah
of the British Empire,
421
00:31:52,392 --> 00:31:54,561
PETER HILLARY:
My father and Tenzing
422
00:31:54,561 --> 00:31:57,856
kept volunteering to help
in different situations
423
00:31:57,856 --> 00:32:02,150
to demonstrate their competency
as being one of the summit teams,
424
00:32:03,194 --> 00:32:06,448
Dad could see that there were
a whole lot of reasons
425
00:32:06,448 --> 00:32:10,362
why this could be
a great combination for success,
426
00:32:11,786 --> 00:32:14,953
They were very at home
in this alpine environment,
427
00:32:15,999 --> 00:32:19,035
They were hungry,
They wanted the top,
428
00:32:29,888 --> 00:32:32,807
CONEFRE Y: There's a point
where they were partnered together
429
00:32:32,807 --> 00:32:35,143
and they were racing down
the Khumbu Icefall,
430
00:32:35,143 --> 00:32:37,978
trying to prove that
they could do it quickly,
431
00:32:39,481 --> 00:32:42,067
But as a sort of product
of his over-exuberance, really,
432
00:32:42,067 --> 00:32:44,902
he's racing through it
and something goes wrong,
433
00:32:46,238 --> 00:32:48,907
EDMUND HILLARY: Tenzing and I
headed back down to Base Camp,
434
00:32:50,533 --> 00:32:53,245
When we were about
halfway down the icefall
435
00:32:53,245 --> 00:32:56,080
we came to one of the crevasses,
436
00:32:59,334 --> 00:33:02,754
On one side of it
there was a great chunk of ice
437
00:33:02,754 --> 00:33:05,757
and we had used this
as a stepping stone
438
00:33:05,757 --> 00:33:07,631
to reach the other side,
439
00:33:09,302 --> 00:33:12,007
(TENSE MUSIC)
440
00:33:42,836 --> 00:33:44,462
CONEFRE Y: It was slightly ironic
441
00:33:44,462 --> 00:33:47,048
that it was Ed Hillary,
who was such a good climber,
442
00:33:47,048 --> 00:33:49,006
that it should happen to him,
443
00:33:52,929 --> 00:33:54,806
EDMUND HILLARY:
People have often said to me,
444
00:33:54,806 --> 00:33:56,558
"You must've been very thankful,
445
00:33:56,558 --> 00:33:59,019
"Tenzing having saved
your life like that,"
446
00:33:59,019 --> 00:34:00,729
but I don't think I was,
447
00:34:00,729 --> 00:34:04,145
You know, I'd have been very annoyed
if he hadn't saved my life,
448
00:34:11,990 --> 00:34:14,284
HUNT: Camp 4
has now been established
449
00:34:14,284 --> 00:34:16,036
and we have successfully carried
450
00:34:16,036 --> 00:34:19,120
the three tons of supplies up here,
451
00:34:25,212 --> 00:34:27,422
VENABLES: You don't
conquer a mountain,
452
00:34:27,422 --> 00:34:29,299
If you 're lucky enough,
453
00:34:29,299 --> 00:34:32,834
the mountain gives you a chance
to stand on the top,
454
00:34:33,887 --> 00:34:37,754
You 're trying to overcome
your own weaknesses,
455
00:34:49,861 --> 00:34:52,656
CONEFRE Y: Ed Hillary,
he was so kind of gung-ho
456
00:34:52,656 --> 00:34:54,532
and he always
wanted to be out front,
457
00:34:54,532 --> 00:34:57,494
he always wanted to be in the lead,
458
00:34:57,494 --> 00:35:01,823
He wasn't brash, He was a quieter,
sort of more reserved, character,
459
00:35:04,793 --> 00:35:07,580
PETER HILLARY: Dad was
quite a complicated person,
460
00:35:08,630 --> 00:35:12,425
I think my father
had quite a few demons
461
00:35:12,425 --> 00:35:14,803
born out of being a perfectionist,
462
00:35:14,803 --> 00:35:20,141
but also the sense of inferiority -
nothing is ever quite good enough,
463
00:35:20,141 --> 00:35:24,554
I think it came out of a very
complicated family background,
464
00:35:29,317 --> 00:35:31,570
EDMUND HILLARY: My father
really wasn't very interested
465
00:35:31,570 --> 00:35:33,738
in adventurous activities,
466
00:35:33,738 --> 00:35:36,908
He was a man of very strong beliefs,
467
00:35:36,908 --> 00:35:42,947
The climbing of mountains he probably
regarded as a bit of a waste of time,
468
00:35:48,336 --> 00:35:51,171
I fought with my father,
469
00:35:53,341 --> 00:35:57,220
And I would usually end up
being taken over to the woodshed
470
00:35:57,220 --> 00:36:00,138
and being given a good thumping,
471
00:36:02,684 --> 00:36:04,519
I'm rather proud of the fact
472
00:36:04,519 --> 00:36:08,018
that I never actually
admitted I was wrong,,,
473
00:36:10,066 --> 00:36:12,225
,,even if I had been,
474
00:36:29,502 --> 00:36:32,622
(TYPEWRITER CLICKS)
475
00:36:34,466 --> 00:36:36,259
(DING!)
476
00:36:36,259 --> 00:36:39,930
WESTMACOTT: Well, of course it was
of tremendous interest to all of us
477
00:36:39,930 --> 00:36:42,385
who would be chosen
for the final push,
478
00:36:47,812 --> 00:36:52,309
VENABLES: In those days,
the leader's word was absolute,,,
479
00:36:53,360 --> 00:36:57,144
,,particularly for men who had
all been in the armed forces,
480
00:36:59,157 --> 00:37:01,660
Hunt had to make the decision,
481
00:37:01,660 --> 00:37:05,080
He would say who were
going to be the lucky ones
482
00:37:05,080 --> 00:37:07,487
who were going to have
a crack at the summit,
483
00:37:13,088 --> 00:37:15,340
It was at our Base Camp
484
00:37:15,340 --> 00:37:17,717
and John Hunt got everybody round
485
00:37:17,717 --> 00:37:23,471
and outlined his plans
for the rest of the expedition,
486
00:37:25,517 --> 00:37:29,645
The crucial thing, of course,
was the attempts for the summit,
487
00:37:30,689 --> 00:37:32,566
VENABLES: At that meeting,
488
00:37:32,566 --> 00:37:35,819
that extraordinary
meeting with this team
489
00:37:35,819 --> 00:37:37,946
totally isolated
from the rest of the world,
490
00:37:37,946 --> 00:37:40,354
thousands of miles from home,,,
491
00:37:43,660 --> 00:37:46,663
,,those men, each thinking,
"Oh, wouldn't it be wonderful
492
00:37:46,663 --> 00:37:49,450
"if I was one of the lucky ones,"
493
00:37:51,918 --> 00:37:55,463
BAND: You 're all chosen
as basic climbers to go to the top,
494
00:37:55,463 --> 00:37:59,082
but there are all these
other jobs to be done as well,
495
00:38:02,888 --> 00:38:06,141
PETER HILLARY: My father
was absolutely determined
496
00:38:06,141 --> 00:38:10,008
that he was going to have an opportunity
to climb this mountain,
497
00:38:11,354 --> 00:38:12,898
NORBU TENZING:
One of the conditions
498
00:38:12,898 --> 00:38:15,108
for my father to go
with the English team
499
00:38:15,108 --> 00:38:18,695
was that he'd have a chance
to go to the top,
500
00:38:18,695 --> 00:38:21,948
There was no other climber
quite as accomplished,
501
00:38:21,948 --> 00:38:25,118
WESTMACOTT: All of us would have
liked to have a crack at the top,
502
00:38:25,118 --> 00:38:27,162
but the first attempt on the summit
503
00:38:27,162 --> 00:38:31,456
was to be made by
Tom Bourdillon with Charles Evans,,,
504
00:38:36,713 --> 00:38:40,050
,,and, "If needed,
the second attempt," he said,
505
00:38:40,050 --> 00:38:43,419
"is going to be made
by Ed Hillary and Tenzing,"
506
00:38:46,014 --> 00:38:47,766
PETER HILLARY: I'm sure my father
507
00:38:47,766 --> 00:38:50,767
would have loved to have
been in the first team,
508
00:38:54,314 --> 00:38:58,146
Tenzing was probably
quite conflicted by it,
509
00:39:01,446 --> 00:39:04,783
HUNT: The next stage,
and the really crucial one,
510
00:39:04,783 --> 00:39:07,867
is up the Lhotse Face
to the South Col,
511
00:39:09,371 --> 00:39:13,416
VENABLES: John Hunt said, "OK,
Tom Bourdillon with Charles Evans,
512
00:39:13,416 --> 00:39:15,544
"We'll send the two
of them up first,
513
00:39:15,544 --> 00:39:18,505
"They can do a huge leap
from the South Col
514
00:39:18,505 --> 00:39:21,043
"right to the summit in a day,"
515
00:39:29,224 --> 00:39:32,394
HUNT: The first major task
in this plan fell to George Lowe,
516
00:39:32,394 --> 00:39:36,815
He was to make a route up
the Lhotse Face and prepare the way
517
00:39:36,815 --> 00:39:39,899
for the high-carrying parties
to reach the col,
518
00:39:40,944 --> 00:39:43,898
This was to be finished by 15 May,
519
00:39:50,870 --> 00:39:52,664
CONEFRE Y:
Basically what he said was,
520
00:39:52,664 --> 00:39:56,668
"We want to be in a position
to climb Everest on May 15,"
521
00:39:56,668 --> 00:39:59,546
because there was a constant fear
in the back of Hunt's mind that
522
00:39:59,546 --> 00:40:03,959
“The monsoon would come
and end all our hopes,"
523
00:40:05,093 --> 00:40:09,173
But they had to get up this thing
called the Lhotse Face,
524
00:40:13,268 --> 00:40:16,313
EDMUND HILLARY: This is a vast
4,000-foot snow-and-ice face
525
00:40:16,313 --> 00:40:20,262
leading up steeply
to the South Col at 26,000 feet,
526
00:40:21,443 --> 00:40:23,737
(WIND HOWLS)
527
00:40:23,737 --> 00:40:27,282
George Lowe, my fellow New Zealander,
spent much time and energy
528
00:40:27,282 --> 00:40:29,987
bashing a route
up this difficult problem,
529
00:40:31,286 --> 00:40:33,914
LOWE: Well, the work on
the face was very difficult
530
00:40:33,914 --> 00:40:35,790
and made more difficult
and atrocious
531
00:40:35,790 --> 00:40:39,919
by the weather and daily falls
of snow which covered the tracks,
532
00:40:41,880 --> 00:40:44,633
I shared my high perch
for a long time with Ang Nyima,
533
00:40:44,633 --> 00:40:47,124
a splendid little Sherpa,
534
00:40:50,764 --> 00:40:53,183
WESTMACOTT: George Lowe
worked on the Lhotse Face
535
00:40:53,183 --> 00:40:58,853
without oxygen for over a week
up to about 24,500 feet,
536
00:41:01,274 --> 00:41:04,819
LOWE: The cold was terrific
and the wind was bad
537
00:41:04,819 --> 00:41:08,031
and all the time I was hoping
to get the traverse complete
538
00:41:08,031 --> 00:41:11,032
and the route right through
to the South Col,
539
00:41:12,452 --> 00:41:17,040
But I was thrashed by the weather
and the altitude was affecting me,
540
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:20,824
We didn't seem to be able to make
the last 1,000 feet to the col,
541
00:41:24,464 --> 00:41:26,675
CONEFRE Y: John Hunt's big mistake
542
00:41:26,675 --> 00:41:29,761
was that he underestimated
the Lhotse Face,
543
00:41:29,761 --> 00:41:31,884
It's just so big,
544
00:41:39,646 --> 00:41:42,896
He didn't give enough
support to George Lowe,
545
00:41:44,568 --> 00:41:47,112
LOWE: It really was
myself and Ang Nyima,
546
00:41:47,112 --> 00:41:49,489
Whenever they did send up support,
547
00:41:49,489 --> 00:41:52,858
within 24 hours, they were
not able to carry on,
548
00:41:55,996 --> 00:41:57,956
HACKETT:
Being at high altitude,
549
00:41:57,956 --> 00:42:00,494
you never feel very well,
550
00:42:04,629 --> 00:42:07,841
Each breath of air
we take in at high altitude
551
00:42:07,841 --> 00:42:09,634
has fewer oxygen molecules
552
00:42:09,634 --> 00:42:13,964
so we need more breaths in order
to get the same amount of oxygen,
553
00:42:19,477 --> 00:42:21,688
WHITTAKER: Put a pillow
over your mouth
554
00:42:21,688 --> 00:42:24,482
and try and breath through it
as you 're running,
555
00:42:24,482 --> 00:42:27,527
(PUFFS) You just suck in air,
you 're trying to get enough air
556
00:42:27,527 --> 00:42:30,322
and the oxygen debt builds up
until you just can't go any,,,
557
00:42:30,322 --> 00:42:33,158
You have to stop, (PUFFS HEAVILY)
558
00:42:33,158 --> 00:42:35,827
Take three, four breaths to a step,
559
00:42:35,827 --> 00:42:39,748
five breaths to a step,
six breaths to a step,
560
00:42:39,748 --> 00:42:41,791
15 breaths to a step,
561
00:42:41,791 --> 00:42:44,127
You 're just not getting the air,
562
00:42:44,127 --> 00:42:46,535
(WIND HOWLS)
563
00:42:47,589 --> 00:42:52,050
LOWE: Up there, your mind
somehow gradually accepts slowness,
564
00:42:55,305 --> 00:42:57,682
I thought I was going
extremely well,
565
00:42:57,682 --> 00:43:01,597
but in fact we were staggering about
like men in a dream,
566
00:43:10,153 --> 00:43:13,531
HUNT: We had spent
10 days on the Lhotse Face -
567
00:43:13,531 --> 00:43:16,243
considerably more
than I'd reckoned on -
568
00:43:16,243 --> 00:43:21,373
but we had still not broken through
to the South Col,
569
00:43:21,373 --> 00:43:24,327
The time factor
was becoming critical,
570
00:43:28,964 --> 00:43:31,383
BAND: Watching the progress
on the Lhotse Face,
571
00:43:31,383 --> 00:43:34,302
there was no doubt that
the momentum of the attack
572
00:43:34,302 --> 00:43:36,763
seemed to be winding down,
573
00:43:36,763 --> 00:43:38,723
and the first inklings of the monsoon
574
00:43:38,723 --> 00:43:41,973
were building up
in the Bay of Bengal,
575
00:43:43,311 --> 00:43:46,265
VENABLES: It was
a very, very critical time,
576
00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:49,067
You could imagine Hunt
577
00:43:49,067 --> 00:43:51,778
feeling that this whole great enterprise
was just unravelling
578
00:43:51,778 --> 00:43:54,364
and, "If we don't get
a grip on this thing soon
579
00:43:54,364 --> 00:43:55,949
"we're going to lose our chance,
580
00:43:55,949 --> 00:43:57,492
"The monsoon will arrive
581
00:43:57,492 --> 00:44:00,620
"and we won't even have reached
the South Col, let alone the summit,"
582
00:44:00,620 --> 00:44:03,242
(MORSE CODE BEEPS)
583
00:44:12,382 --> 00:44:16,011
MAN: This is London callingthe British Mount Everest expedition.
584
00:44:16,011 --> 00:44:18,138
Here is the latest weather bulletin.
585
00:44:18,138 --> 00:44:21,975
Western disturbanceapparently moving eastw ards
586
00:44:21,975 --> 00:44:24,853
across the extreme north of Nepal
587
00:44:24,853 --> 00:44:27,939
is likely to causecloudy to overcast skies
588
00:44:27,939 --> 00:44:30,181
with occasional thunderstorms...
589
00:44:31,693 --> 00:44:34,988
CONEFRE Y: The later in May it was,
590
00:44:34,988 --> 00:44:37,693
the more likely
that the monsoon would arrive,
591
00:44:39,910 --> 00:44:41,620
When the monsoon comes,
592
00:44:41,620 --> 00:44:46,041
you get huge dumps of snow and they
make climbing much more difficult,
593
00:44:46,041 --> 00:44:49,711
You don't want to be climbing through
large amounts of soft snow,
594
00:44:49,711 --> 00:44:51,454
wading your way through it,
595
00:44:53,590 --> 00:44:56,426
The British expeditions
of the 1930s had all failed
596
00:44:56,426 --> 00:44:58,335
because the monsoon had come early,
597
00:44:59,387 --> 00:45:02,424
And so all of this was
piling on the pressure, you know?
598
00:45:12,901 --> 00:45:15,654
BAND: So even though the route
599
00:45:15,654 --> 00:45:18,573
hadn't actually been made
all the way to the South Col
600
00:45:18,573 --> 00:45:21,826
John Hunt had to make
a sort of crucial decision
601
00:45:21,826 --> 00:45:25,372
to start sending up
the team of 14 Sherpas
602
00:45:25,372 --> 00:45:27,613
to carry all the stores we needed,
603
00:45:36,383 --> 00:45:39,636
HUNT: Nothing must endanger
the getting of our stores to the col
604
00:45:39,636 --> 00:45:42,756
in time for our
attempts on the summit,
605
00:45:47,561 --> 00:45:50,063
EDMUND HILLARY: On 21 May,
Tenzing and myself
606
00:45:50,063 --> 00:45:53,942
led a band of 14 high-altitude Sherpas
up the Lhotse Face,
607
00:45:53,942 --> 00:45:57,062
(DRAMATIC MUSIC)
608
00:46:05,870 --> 00:46:10,375
13 Sherpas struggled up to
the col that day, without oxygen,
609
00:46:10,375 --> 00:46:14,754
The 14th only just failed to make it,
and his load was carried on,
610
00:46:14,754 --> 00:46:17,921
We were proud of them, and grateful,
611
00:46:19,885 --> 00:46:21,761
It was a 10,5-hour day,
612
00:46:21,761 --> 00:46:24,264
They carried 30 pounds each,
and their only nourishment
613
00:46:24,264 --> 00:46:26,969
was a single cup of tea apiece
for breakfast,
614
00:46:30,645 --> 00:46:34,357
BAND: And so we were able
to equip the camp properly
615
00:46:34,357 --> 00:46:38,069
with tents, sleeping bags,
oxygen equipment and food,
616
00:46:38,069 --> 00:46:40,643
and that was one of
the biggest achievements,
617
00:46:49,080 --> 00:46:50,624
EDMUND HILLARY:
The South Col is probably
618
00:46:50,624 --> 00:46:52,166
the most barren spot in the world,
619
00:46:54,044 --> 00:46:55,921
The continual strong wind
620
00:46:55,921 --> 00:46:59,633
is always blowing over
the dreary waste of rock and ice,
621
00:46:59,633 --> 00:47:01,468
Adding an air of desolation
622
00:47:01,468 --> 00:47:03,803
are the remnants of the Swiss tents
of the previous year,
623
00:47:03,803 --> 00:47:07,338
with pieces of tattered cloth
still clinging to them,
624
00:47:12,103 --> 00:47:16,441
NORBU TENZING: 1952, the Swiss
had invited my father to climb Everest,
625
00:47:16,441 --> 00:47:20,403
and he had been up
where no human had been before,
626
00:47:20,403 --> 00:47:23,238
but bad weather turned them back,
627
00:47:26,201 --> 00:47:28,745
LOWE: I remember André Roch,
of the Swiss party, said,
628
00:47:28,745 --> 00:47:32,332
"On the col
there's a smell of death,"
629
00:47:32,332 --> 00:47:34,876
We thought that was
Continental dramatics,
630
00:47:34,876 --> 00:47:37,332
but when we'd been there,
we understood,
631
00:47:41,091 --> 00:47:43,969
WHITTAKER: I'm telling you, the cold,
632
00:47:43,969 --> 00:47:45,929
you can feel it
coming up the extremities,
633
00:47:45,929 --> 00:47:49,182
You know you 're gonna freeze
your hands and toes,
634
00:47:49,182 --> 00:47:51,434
and you just feel the cold
creeping up,
635
00:47:51,434 --> 00:47:55,772
It's a race between the body
and what you hope you can do,
636
00:47:55,772 --> 00:47:59,693
You know that you 're dying
a little bit up there,
637
00:47:59,693 --> 00:48:02,812
(WIND WHISTLES RELENTLESSLY)
638
00:48:09,077 --> 00:48:10,996
EDMUND HILLARY: A major step
had been achieved,
639
00:48:10,996 --> 00:48:13,783
and we then returned
once more to the Western Cwm,
640
00:48:17,794 --> 00:48:22,373
Without wasting any time,
we brought into action our assault plan,
641
00:48:25,093 --> 00:48:28,346
CONEFRE Y: Hunt wanted to have
two attempts on the summit,
642
00:48:28,346 --> 00:48:31,099
but he realised
that he couldn't have two attempts
643
00:48:31,099 --> 00:48:33,810
which were using
open-circuit oxygen sets,
644
00:48:33,810 --> 00:48:35,812
WESTMACOTT: In the open-circuit,
645
00:48:35,812 --> 00:48:39,941
when you breathe out, the
expired air goes to the atmosphere,
646
00:48:39,941 --> 00:48:41,526
and when you breathe in,
647
00:48:41,526 --> 00:48:45,238
the atmospheric air comes with
an addition of a puff of oxygen
648
00:48:45,238 --> 00:48:47,147
from your oxygen set,
649
00:48:50,911 --> 00:48:53,204
CONEFRE Y: The thing about
open-circuit oxygen sets
650
00:48:53,204 --> 00:48:55,290
is that they use a lot of oxygen,
651
00:48:55,290 --> 00:48:58,919
so he would have to get
an awful lot of oxygen
652
00:48:58,919 --> 00:49:01,171
up onto the South Col
and to the Southeast Ridge,
653
00:49:01,171 --> 00:49:02,714
so he sort of thought,
654
00:49:02,714 --> 00:49:05,008
"Well, no, we're not gonna
be able to do this,"
655
00:49:05,008 --> 00:49:07,302
But there was an alternative form
of oxygen set,
656
00:49:07,302 --> 00:49:09,341
which was called a closed circuit,
657
00:49:11,014 --> 00:49:13,642
WESTMACOTT: The closed-circuit,
when you breathe out
658
00:49:13,642 --> 00:49:16,186
the carbon dioxide
goes through a canister
659
00:49:16,186 --> 00:49:19,940
of something called soda lime,
which extracts the carbon dioxide
660
00:49:19,940 --> 00:49:22,317
and gives you back the oxygen
into the set,
661
00:49:22,317 --> 00:49:25,484
and you 're completely insulated
from the outside air,
662
00:49:28,990 --> 00:49:34,579
Now, if it works, the closed system
can be more efficient
663
00:49:34,579 --> 00:49:37,749
than the open-circuit system,
664
00:49:37,749 --> 00:49:41,294
CONEFRE Y: The people who are using
the closed-circuit set
665
00:49:41,294 --> 00:49:43,880
can start from lower down,
666
00:49:43,880 --> 00:49:46,341
But the thing about
a closed-circuit set
667
00:49:46,341 --> 00:49:49,219
was that the only person
who really knew how to use them
668
00:49:49,219 --> 00:49:52,138
was the person who had
designed them, Tom Bourdillon,
669
00:49:52,138 --> 00:49:54,933
WESTMACOTT:
And the first attempt on the summit,
670
00:49:54,933 --> 00:49:57,060
using the closed-circuit oxygen,
671
00:49:57,060 --> 00:50:00,643
was to be made by Tom Bourdillon
with Charles Evans,
672
00:50:02,816 --> 00:50:06,860
John Hunt went ahead
to the South Col in support,
673
00:50:13,577 --> 00:50:16,121
PETER HILLARY: Evans and Bourdillon
left Advanced Base
674
00:50:16,121 --> 00:50:18,039
down in the Western Cwm
675
00:50:18,039 --> 00:50:20,874
and climbed up the South Col
to camp,
676
00:50:22,210 --> 00:50:24,838
WESTMACOTT: Tom and Charles
were to go all the way
677
00:50:24,838 --> 00:50:26,914
from the South Col to the top,
678
00:50:28,550 --> 00:50:31,219
I thought at the time
they had a chance,
679
00:50:31,219 --> 00:50:34,054
but it was a hell of a long way,
680
00:50:42,856 --> 00:50:45,358
PETER HILLARY: If Bourdillon
and Evans reach the summit,
681
00:50:45,358 --> 00:50:47,611
John Hunt might go, "Job done,
682
00:50:47,611 --> 00:50:50,232
"We're all going home,
Everyone's safe,"
683
00:50:56,244 --> 00:50:59,915
But the weather closed in and
everyone got stuck for two days,
684
00:50:59,915 --> 00:51:03,414
including Bourdillon and Evans
on the South Col,
685
00:51:05,503 --> 00:51:08,924
My father and Tenzing
left Advanced Base
686
00:51:08,924 --> 00:51:11,009
down on the Western Cwm
687
00:51:11,009 --> 00:51:14,804
to come up to the South Col
to be the second summit team,
688
00:51:14,804 --> 00:51:18,183
EDMUND HILLARY: Well, we left
Base Camp in the Western Cwm,
689
00:51:18,183 --> 00:51:20,101
There was our support party -
690
00:51:20,101 --> 00:51:23,684
George Lowe, Alf Gregory
and several Sherpas,
691
00:51:28,276 --> 00:51:30,695
And then Tenzing and myself,
who were the actual assault party,
692
00:51:30,695 --> 00:51:32,403
with the open-circuit,
693
00:51:45,669 --> 00:51:49,339
PETER HILLARY: As my father and
Tenzing were departing from Camp 4,
694
00:51:49,339 --> 00:51:51,877
Bourdillon and Evans were
making their summit bid,
695
00:51:58,765 --> 00:52:00,976
EDMUND HILLARY: Well,
we went up the Lhotse Face
696
00:52:00,976 --> 00:52:04,724
and across the long traverse
that leads up to the South Col,
697
00:52:12,529 --> 00:52:14,906
And we're just about
up to the South Col
698
00:52:14,906 --> 00:52:17,701
when we notice the support party,
699
00:52:17,701 --> 00:52:21,871
George started shouting
and jumping around,
700
00:52:21,871 --> 00:52:24,833
And we looked up
and we saw Evans and Bourdillon
701
00:52:24,833 --> 00:52:27,794
going up the tiny little peak
far above us,
702
00:52:27,794 --> 00:52:30,166
onto the top of the South Summit,
703
00:52:31,798 --> 00:52:35,093
I think it was somewhere
around about 12:00 in the morning,
704
00:52:35,093 --> 00:52:39,097
and we thought, "Ooh, they've,,,
South Summit, 12:00,
705
00:52:39,097 --> 00:52:41,635
"They've time to get to the top,
706
00:52:44,436 --> 00:52:46,309
"They're going to climb it,"
707
00:52:48,899 --> 00:52:52,068
PETER HILLARY: You know, when
Bourdillon and Evans went out of sight,
708
00:52:52,068 --> 00:52:53,987
there would've been
very high emotions,
709
00:52:53,987 --> 00:52:56,193
because these guys wanted
to be up there,
710
00:53:00,744 --> 00:53:04,824
EDMUND HILLARY: We crossed over
and reached the South Col,
711
00:53:10,253 --> 00:53:12,797
A little later in the day,
we kept an eye out
712
00:53:12,797 --> 00:53:14,883
for the clouds that
come over the mountain,
713
00:53:14,883 --> 00:53:18,261
and we were a bit worried
about Evans and Bourdillon,
714
00:53:18,261 --> 00:53:20,430
But, uh, I think
it was about 3:30,
715
00:53:20,430 --> 00:53:22,766
George once again
caught sight of them
716
00:53:22,766 --> 00:53:25,644
coming down the couloir
from the Southeast Ridge,
717
00:53:25,644 --> 00:53:27,435
down towards the South Col,
718
00:53:31,691 --> 00:53:33,443
LOWE: And it was a long time
719
00:53:33,443 --> 00:53:35,021
before they actually started
to come down,
720
00:53:40,200 --> 00:53:44,862
And when they were coming down,
they were clearly very, very tired,
721
00:53:51,253 --> 00:53:53,797
PETER HILLARY: When Bourdillon
and Evans came down,
722
00:53:53,797 --> 00:53:56,335
Dad walked out to meet them,
723
00:54:02,973 --> 00:54:05,225
People tend to see it in terms of
724
00:54:05,225 --> 00:54:09,104
this really good guy going out
to meet them and help them back,
725
00:54:09,104 --> 00:54:11,310
and there was that, absolutely,
726
00:54:12,983 --> 00:54:16,778
But there was another part,
which was inside, where he,,,
727
00:54:16,778 --> 00:54:18,613
,,he wanted to climb this mountain,
728
00:54:18,613 --> 00:54:21,318
He needed to know,
"Where did they get to?"
729
00:54:26,037 --> 00:54:27,581
EDMUND HILLARY: And they told us
730
00:54:27,581 --> 00:54:29,124
that they'd reached
the South Summit alright,
731
00:54:29,124 --> 00:54:31,167
had a look at the summit ridge,
732
00:54:31,167 --> 00:54:35,414
but hadn't had sufficient time or oxygen
or energy to go any further,
733
00:54:46,391 --> 00:54:48,351
CONEFRE Y:
They were in a terrible state,
734
00:54:48,351 --> 00:54:51,521
Most of the day Charles Evans
had been climbing with an oxygen set
735
00:54:51,521 --> 00:54:53,064
which didn't work properly,
736
00:54:53,064 --> 00:54:56,026
so he'd been inhaling
carbon dioxide as well as oxygen,
737
00:54:56,026 --> 00:55:01,907
But I think also Tom Bourdillon was
very,,,emotionally in a bad state,
738
00:55:01,907 --> 00:55:04,200
because it really meant
a lot to him, you know,
739
00:55:04,200 --> 00:55:08,068
He had designed this oxygen set
which had failed,
740
00:55:09,205 --> 00:55:13,369
So they were in a bad way,
physically and emotionally as well,
741
00:55:15,545 --> 00:55:19,132
GREGORY: Tom Bourdillon kept saying,
"We should've had a go,
742
00:55:19,132 --> 00:55:21,259
"We should've gone on,"
you know,
743
00:55:21,259 --> 00:55:23,133
"We should've gone on,"
744
00:55:27,974 --> 00:55:29,809
VENABLES:
Evans and Bourdillon
745
00:55:29,809 --> 00:55:31,932
were very strong,
very experienced climbers,
746
00:55:35,315 --> 00:55:38,850
Having climbed higher than any
human beings had ever been before,,,
747
00:55:40,570 --> 00:55:42,447
,,having got to the South Summit
748
00:55:42,447 --> 00:55:46,826
and looked across at this final,
almost knife-edged ridge,
749
00:55:46,826 --> 00:55:50,956
Charles Evans did say to Ed Hillary
something like,
750
00:55:50,956 --> 00:55:56,709
"That last ridge looks really hard,
I don't know if you can do it,"
751
00:56:04,928 --> 00:56:08,048
(WIND RUSHES)
752
00:56:18,400 --> 00:56:21,820
HACKETT: Above 26,000 feet
is what we call the death zone,
753
00:56:21,820 --> 00:56:25,323
because you are slowly dying,
754
00:56:25,323 --> 00:56:28,906
It's not a place for humans,
755
00:56:34,791 --> 00:56:38,003
GREGORY: John Hunt was a leader
leading from the front,
756
00:56:38,003 --> 00:56:40,964
And as the front now
was up above the South Col,
757
00:56:40,964 --> 00:56:42,966
that's why he wanted to stay,
758
00:56:42,966 --> 00:56:46,798
and we realised that he really
wasn't strong enough to stay,
759
00:56:48,638 --> 00:56:50,307
VENABLES:
It was a classic case
760
00:56:50,307 --> 00:56:53,894
of someone having been
too high too long,
761
00:56:53,894 --> 00:56:56,313
GREGORY: He'd gone beyond the limit,
762
00:56:56,313 --> 00:56:58,607
like Tom Bourdillon
and Charles Evans,
763
00:56:58,607 --> 00:57:02,735
And he was eventually persuaded
to go down with them,
764
00:57:04,613 --> 00:57:07,741
They were exhausted
and we were worried about them
765
00:57:07,741 --> 00:57:11,110
and we dug out some oxygen
to help them,
766
00:57:12,746 --> 00:57:15,123
HUNT: Well, I hated
to leave the col,
767
00:57:15,123 --> 00:57:16,875
but after a certain amount
of discussion,
768
00:57:16,875 --> 00:57:19,669
I saw that I could not weaken
the second party,
769
00:57:19,669 --> 00:57:24,580
So I left Ed with the parting
instruction not to give in,
770
00:57:27,135 --> 00:57:29,763
CONEFRE Y: This was a great moment
on the expedition
771
00:57:29,763 --> 00:57:33,516
in which the leader sacrifices
his own personal ambition,
772
00:57:33,516 --> 00:57:36,019
and Ed Hillary says,
"Never at any moment
773
00:57:36,019 --> 00:57:38,806
"have I respected John Hunt more,"
774
00:57:56,039 --> 00:57:58,041
LOWE: You know,
it was touch and go,
775
00:57:58,041 --> 00:58:00,544
because the monsoon comes
in the first week of June,
776
00:58:00,544 --> 00:58:03,880
and it was tight,
on the last days of May,
777
00:58:03,880 --> 00:58:06,341
(WIND RUSHES)
778
00:58:06,341 --> 00:58:09,719
CONEFRE Y: For Hillary and Tenzing
to make an attempt on the summit,
779
00:58:09,719 --> 00:58:11,638
they couldn't go from the South Col,
780
00:58:11,638 --> 00:58:14,099
because they would have to carry
too much oxygen,
781
00:58:14,099 --> 00:58:18,428
So the only way was to start from
higher up, then go for the summit,
782
00:58:21,731 --> 00:58:24,568
(WIND RUSHES)
783
00:58:24,568 --> 00:58:27,404
EDMUND HILLARY: The following day
was extremely windy and cold,
784
00:58:27,404 --> 00:58:29,895
and no movement upwards
was possible,
785
00:58:31,199 --> 00:58:33,660
We spent the day preparing
the oxygen and gear,
786
00:58:33,660 --> 00:58:37,159
with the hope that the following day
would prove clear and fine,
787
00:58:41,585 --> 00:58:45,922
CONEFRE Y: They would use oxygen
at night, flowing at a very low rate,
788
00:58:45,922 --> 00:58:47,632
because it would help them sleep
789
00:58:47,632 --> 00:58:50,170
and make them feel
slightly warmer as well,
790
00:58:54,055 --> 00:58:56,141
WHITTAKER:
Night-time is a tough time,
791
00:58:56,141 --> 00:58:58,548
You lay there
listening to the mountain,,,
792
00:59:02,647 --> 00:59:06,192
,,listening to the wind,
listening to the avalanche,
793
00:59:06,192 --> 00:59:08,565
Thinking, "Oh, my God," you know,
794
00:59:10,906 --> 00:59:13,064
Demons come,
795
00:59:20,790 --> 00:59:24,544
LOWE: The original plan was
that Gregory and three Sherpas
796
00:59:24,544 --> 00:59:26,796
would carry the high camp,
797
00:59:26,796 --> 00:59:31,885
One Sherpa had collapsed on the col
and gone down previously,
798
00:59:31,885 --> 00:59:33,842
leaving us two Sherpas,
799
00:59:37,933 --> 00:59:41,811
On the morning of the day
we intended to do the carry,
800
00:59:41,811 --> 00:59:44,064
we poked our head
into the pyramid tent
801
00:59:44,064 --> 00:59:46,389
and found Sherpa Pemba
in a very bad condition,
802
00:59:48,652 --> 00:59:50,528
It was obvious
that he wouldn't carry,
803
00:59:50,528 --> 00:59:54,396
and so we had the job
of sharing the load,
804
01:00:01,164 --> 01:00:03,541
GREGORY: First of all,
early in the day
805
01:00:03,541 --> 01:00:07,160
we knew that we'd have to reorganise
the loads and take more,
806
01:00:09,297 --> 01:00:14,921
George Lowe and I and Ang Nyima
left about a quarter to nine,
807
01:00:20,725 --> 01:00:24,437
LOWE: Ed and Tenzing left
the South Col an hour behind us
808
01:00:24,437 --> 01:00:27,899
to conserve their energy
and to go faster through our steps
809
01:00:27,899 --> 01:00:30,022
and so conserve their oxygen,
810
01:00:31,361 --> 01:00:34,948
And we took off carrying
between 50 and 60 pounds,
811
01:00:34,948 --> 01:00:38,285
and Ed, I think we estimated his
at 63 pounds,
812
01:00:38,285 --> 01:00:41,202
which is quite an enormous load
for that altitude,
813
01:00:44,249 --> 01:00:48,253
The wind was very strong
on the col,
814
01:00:48,253 --> 01:00:51,381
We had very difficult conditions,
815
01:00:51,381 --> 01:00:53,623
We moved up this ridge
looking for a flat spot,
816
01:01:01,516 --> 01:01:04,185
GREGORY: For a long time
we couldn't find a camp site,,,
817
01:01:05,687 --> 01:01:08,940
,,until at last Tenzing found one,
818
01:01:08,940 --> 01:01:12,724
a nearly flat spot
underneath a rocky bluff,
819
01:01:14,946 --> 01:01:17,282
EDMUND HILLARY: They helped us
to the highest camp
820
01:01:17,282 --> 01:01:19,284
ever put up on Everest
or any other mountain,
821
01:01:19,284 --> 01:01:22,071
at 27,900 feet,
822
01:01:33,423 --> 01:01:36,590
VENABLES: No-one had ever camped
this high before,
823
01:01:38,887 --> 01:01:41,848
George Lowe and Alf Gregory
take a few pictures
824
01:01:41,848 --> 01:01:45,060
and then shake hands and say,
"Well, 'bye now, Good luck,
825
01:01:45,060 --> 01:01:47,646
"We'd better be off down,"
826
01:01:47,646 --> 01:01:52,400
And then there's
a wonderfully poignant moment,
827
01:01:52,400 --> 01:01:55,904
PETER HILLARY: Ang Nyima
is very tired, he should go down,
828
01:01:55,904 --> 01:01:59,074
But he said to Dad
that he wanted to stay
829
01:01:59,074 --> 01:02:02,324
so he could make some tea when
they came down, and help them,
830
01:02:03,662 --> 01:02:07,040
I know Dad was
very touched by that,
831
01:02:07,040 --> 01:02:11,336
But eventually they start
back down again,
832
01:02:11,336 --> 01:02:15,001
VENABLES: Leaving Hillary and Tenzing
completely alone,
833
01:02:20,011 --> 01:02:22,889
EDMUND HILLARY: It was with
certain feelings of sorrow
834
01:02:22,889 --> 01:02:25,433
that we saw George and Greg
and Sherpa Ang Nyima
835
01:02:25,433 --> 01:02:28,520
descending down the mountain,
leaving us up there all alone,
836
01:02:28,520 --> 01:02:31,398
We'd have much preferred to have
a bit of company for the night,
837
01:02:31,398 --> 01:02:34,233
However, they had to get down -
our oxygen was running short,
838
01:02:36,152 --> 01:02:40,490
PETER HILLARY: You 're totally
on your own, really out on a limb,
839
01:02:40,490 --> 01:02:42,909
There's no radio contact
with anyone,
840
01:02:42,909 --> 01:02:44,494
You could disappear
841
01:02:44,494 --> 01:02:47,495
and everyone will just wonder,
"Whatever happened to them?"
842
01:02:49,291 --> 01:02:52,377
I think it would've been
very exciting,
843
01:02:52,377 --> 01:02:55,497
very Ionely and very scary,
844
01:02:58,800 --> 01:03:01,291
(WIND WHISTLES AND HOWLS)
845
01:03:08,935 --> 01:03:12,147
EDMUND HILLARY: It took us two
hours of solid work to set up the tent
846
01:03:12,147 --> 01:03:15,516
on two strips of ground
a yard wide and 10 feet long,
847
01:03:20,906 --> 01:03:23,366
CONEFRE Y:
Towards the top of Everest,
848
01:03:23,366 --> 01:03:26,036
you get these
very, very powerful winds,
849
01:03:26,036 --> 01:03:29,414
and they were very precariously
attached to this slope
850
01:03:29,414 --> 01:03:30,999
and all the time they're worried
851
01:03:30,999 --> 01:03:32,873
they're gonna be
blown off the mountain,
852
01:03:34,669 --> 01:03:37,005
DOUGLAS: When the wind
gets up in the evening
853
01:03:37,005 --> 01:03:38,965
you 're in
quite a dangerous position
854
01:03:38,965 --> 01:03:40,922
because you 're pinned
to the mountain,
855
01:03:42,177 --> 01:03:44,429
The noise is really frightening,
856
01:03:44,429 --> 01:03:47,549
(WIND HOWLS AND RUSHES
RELENTLESSLY)
857
01:03:57,651 --> 01:04:01,399
CONEFRE Y: That night was the coldest
ever recorded on the expedition,
858
01:04:07,285 --> 01:04:09,371
HACKETT: It's such
a dehydrating environment,
859
01:04:09,371 --> 01:04:11,164
and there's only one way
to make water,
860
01:04:11,164 --> 01:04:13,738
and that is you have to melt
snow or ice,
861
01:04:14,876 --> 01:04:18,421
You 're breathing eight times more
than you are at sea level,
862
01:04:18,421 --> 01:04:20,674
You can lose more than a litre a day
863
01:04:20,674 --> 01:04:23,635
just from the heavy breathing
at high altitude,
864
01:04:23,635 --> 01:04:25,595
In addition, the air is so dry
865
01:04:25,595 --> 01:04:27,671
that it sucks the moisture
right from your skin,
866
01:04:38,024 --> 01:04:40,485
EDMUND HILLARY: I made myself
as comfortable as possible,
867
01:04:40,485 --> 01:04:44,072
half sitting and half reclining
on the upper shelf,
868
01:04:44,072 --> 01:04:48,243
It wasn't comfortable, but I could
at least brace my feet and shoulders
869
01:04:48,243 --> 01:04:52,572
to help our meagre anchors
hold the tent in the gusts of wind,
870
01:04:57,043 --> 01:04:58,587
VENABLES: High-altitude climbing
871
01:04:58,587 --> 01:05:02,536
is all about being comfortable
in uncomfortable places,
872
01:05:05,343 --> 01:05:09,723
He was very good at basic
day-to-day survival, as was Tenzing,
873
01:05:09,723 --> 01:05:12,510
and I think that's where
they really scored,
874
01:05:22,193 --> 01:05:24,529
EDMUND HILLARY: Early in the night,
the wind dropped,
875
01:05:24,529 --> 01:05:28,742
We had some oxygen,
which we used for sleeping purposes
876
01:05:28,742 --> 01:05:32,704
for about four hours
out of the 16 hours we spent there,
877
01:05:32,704 --> 01:05:34,789
For the four hours, at least,
we did doze,
878
01:05:34,789 --> 01:05:36,583
but as soon as the oxygen cut out
879
01:05:36,583 --> 01:05:39,999
we'd immediately wake up
and start feeling cold,
880
01:05:41,546 --> 01:05:43,381
CONEFRE Y: He's all the time thinking,
881
01:05:43,381 --> 01:05:45,425
"I don't want to use
tomorrow's oxygen,"
882
01:05:45,425 --> 01:05:48,261
There's just little things go wrong,
883
01:05:48,261 --> 01:05:51,681
They've lugged up an enormous
black oxygen cylinder
884
01:05:51,681 --> 01:05:53,975
which they planned to use
for sleeping oxygen,
885
01:05:53,975 --> 01:05:56,061
But, unfortunately,
having lugged this bottle up,
886
01:05:56,061 --> 01:05:58,730
they discovered that somebody has
gone back with the adaptor for it,
887
01:05:58,730 --> 01:06:01,102
so the bottle is useless,
888
01:06:03,193 --> 01:06:05,862
EDMUND HILLARY: Well,
I didn't have the complete conviction
889
01:06:05,862 --> 01:06:08,104
that we were going to be
successful,
890
01:06:12,494 --> 01:06:14,537
I was very aware of the fact
891
01:06:14,537 --> 01:06:17,374
that very good expeditions
had attempted the mountain
892
01:06:17,374 --> 01:06:20,825
and had got very high
but had not succeeded,
893
01:06:29,678 --> 01:06:33,011
At 6:30am we started off
from our tent,
894
01:06:35,100 --> 01:06:38,967
We wasted no time in preparing
the oxygen apparatus and equipment,
895
01:06:42,899 --> 01:06:45,360
CONEFRE Y: It's all about oxygen
at this point,
896
01:06:45,360 --> 01:06:47,654
Hillary is constantly
thinking about this,
897
01:06:47,654 --> 01:06:49,698
"How much oxygen do I need?
898
01:06:49,698 --> 01:06:52,242
"What should the flow rate
of the oxygen be?" You know?
899
01:06:52,242 --> 01:06:55,704
"If I have it flowing at
a higher rate, then I feel better,
900
01:06:55,704 --> 01:06:58,325
"but I use up the bottle
more quickly,"
901
01:07:08,800 --> 01:07:10,802
DOUGLAS: It's very, very cold,
902
01:07:10,802 --> 01:07:13,555
They measure it at below -25,
903
01:07:13,555 --> 01:07:17,350
And that kind of profound,
bone-chilling cold
904
01:07:17,350 --> 01:07:19,311
is almost like an assault, you know?
905
01:07:19,311 --> 01:07:21,350
It's just grim,
906
01:07:22,689 --> 01:07:25,483
CONEFRE Y: The team physiologist had
said, "When you get to high altitude,
907
01:07:25,483 --> 01:07:27,944
"you 've got to climb
using your oxygen sets
908
01:07:27,944 --> 01:07:29,863
"at a rate of four litres per minute,
909
01:07:29,863 --> 01:07:33,730
"Anything less than that, you 're not
gonna get real benefit from it,"
910
01:07:35,452 --> 01:07:38,496
EDMUND HILLARY: Our progress
at first was pretty steady,
911
01:07:38,496 --> 01:07:40,290
However, we examined
the oxygen supplies
912
01:07:40,290 --> 01:07:42,959
and found we couldn't go on
our estimated four litres a minute
913
01:07:42,959 --> 01:07:44,961
and have a chance
of getting to the top,
914
01:07:44,961 --> 01:07:46,753
Had to cut it down to three,
915
01:07:52,093 --> 01:07:57,224
PETER HILLARY: A fairly simple
calculation about the oxygen flow rate
916
01:07:57,224 --> 01:08:00,143
is unbelievably difficult up there
917
01:08:00,143 --> 01:08:04,604
because you 've got an addled,
oxygen-deprived mind,
918
01:08:43,144 --> 01:08:44,854
EDMUND HILLARY:
After going for some time,
919
01:08:44,854 --> 01:08:47,148
we reached the bottom
of a 400-foot slope
920
01:08:47,148 --> 01:08:49,526
which led up to the South Summit,
921
01:08:49,526 --> 01:08:52,443
and this slope
was a tremendously steep one,
922
01:08:54,781 --> 01:08:58,280
We felt that this snow
could easily avalanche,
923
01:08:59,536 --> 01:09:01,580
DOUGLAS:
There was a bit of a crust,
924
01:09:01,580 --> 01:09:03,665
so you 'd think you were
standing on firm ground
925
01:09:03,665 --> 01:09:06,084
and then it would give way -
it would be powdery underneath,
926
01:09:06,084 --> 01:09:08,712
So Hillary is anxious about that,
927
01:09:08,712 --> 01:09:11,631
And also fear of avalanche,
928
01:09:11,631 --> 01:09:14,634
And they have this exchange,
929
01:09:14,634 --> 01:09:17,220
EDMUND HILLARY: I remember
turning to Tenzing and saying to him,
930
01:09:17,220 --> 01:09:19,472
"Well, what do you think
about it, Tenzing?"
931
01:09:19,472 --> 01:09:21,182
He said he didn't like it at all,
932
01:09:21,182 --> 01:09:22,974
thought it was
decidedly dangerous,
933
01:09:29,482 --> 01:09:31,151
Then I said,
"Well, what do you think?
934
01:09:31,151 --> 01:09:32,777
"Do you think we should go on?"
935
01:09:32,777 --> 01:09:35,529
And he said, "Just as you like,"
936
01:09:38,491 --> 01:09:43,118
We climbed up it with a good deal
of fear and trepidation,
937
01:09:46,291 --> 01:09:49,794
I think this is the first time
I've ever had to make a decision
938
01:09:49,794 --> 01:09:52,756
as to whether something
was justifiable or not,
939
01:09:52,756 --> 01:09:56,207
decided it wasn't justifiable,
but we still went on,
940
01:09:59,804 --> 01:10:02,390
DOUGLAS: You 're right on the edge
of what's possible
941
01:10:02,390 --> 01:10:06,353
and every step you take is
putting you more into danger,
942
01:10:06,353 --> 01:10:09,769
so the temptation to turn round
and go down is strong,
943
01:10:14,236 --> 01:10:16,446
EDMUND HILLARY: I'm frightened
a great deal of the time
944
01:10:16,446 --> 01:10:18,490
when I'm in dangerous country,
945
01:10:18,490 --> 01:10:21,859
But I think being afraid
is one of the important factors,
946
01:10:23,119 --> 01:10:25,278
It's a stimulating factor,
947
01:10:26,373 --> 01:10:29,084
Of course, if you just get
petrified with fear,
948
01:10:29,084 --> 01:10:31,076
then it would be hopeless,
949
01:10:42,222 --> 01:10:45,350
PETER HILLARY: The crux of it is
whether or not you 're gonna survive,
950
01:10:45,350 --> 01:10:47,477
You know,
none of that is guaranteed,
951
01:10:47,477 --> 01:10:50,230
If anything goes wrong up there,
952
01:10:50,230 --> 01:10:52,774
even a relatively minor accident
953
01:10:52,774 --> 01:10:56,938
can very rapidly slide
into a fatal one,
954
01:11:03,118 --> 01:11:04,828
EDMUND HILLARY: It was a great relief
955
01:11:04,828 --> 01:11:06,785
when we reached
the South Summit at 9am,
956
01:11:09,291 --> 01:11:10,917
Oxygen was running short,
957
01:11:10,917 --> 01:11:14,582
so we wasted no time
and set off along the ridge,
958
01:11:18,967 --> 01:11:22,799
But we were moving slowly
and time was against us,
959
01:11:29,895 --> 01:11:33,231
PETER HILLARY: Evans and Bourdillon
had gone to the South Summit
960
01:11:33,231 --> 01:11:36,814
and had had reservations
about the route ahead,
961
01:11:38,320 --> 01:11:42,616
Evans had pointed out that there was
a very difficult knife-edged ridge,
962
01:11:42,616 --> 01:11:44,826
It's serrated,
963
01:11:44,826 --> 01:11:49,122
it's got these just horrifying drops
on both sides,
964
01:11:49,122 --> 01:11:53,334
They must've had concerns about
whether or not they could climb it,
965
01:11:57,172 --> 01:11:59,090
VENABLES:
On the left you 've got
966
01:11:59,090 --> 01:12:00,717
the immense Southwest Face
of Everest,
967
01:12:00,717 --> 01:12:02,260
and if you fell down that,
968
01:12:02,260 --> 01:12:04,763
you 'd probably fall all the way
back down to the Western Cwm,
969
01:12:04,763 --> 01:12:06,636
8,000 feet below,
970
01:12:09,309 --> 01:12:12,437
And then to your right
is the even bigger precipice
971
01:12:12,437 --> 01:12:14,689
of the Kangshung Face,
972
01:12:14,689 --> 01:12:16,646
and that really concentrates
the mind,
973
01:12:21,279 --> 01:12:22,864
EDMUND HILLARY:
For the mountaineer,
974
01:12:22,864 --> 01:12:24,908
the thought of the process of dying
975
01:12:24,908 --> 01:12:26,743
is more unpleasant
976
01:12:26,743 --> 01:12:30,077
than the actual fact that
you may be dead at the end of it,
977
01:12:39,172 --> 01:12:43,593
HUNT: In the meantime,
watching from below down at Camp 4,
978
01:12:43,593 --> 01:12:47,377
we were all waiting most anxiously,
979
01:12:52,894 --> 01:12:55,939
BAND: Obviously we'd hoped
to have our little walkie-talkies going
980
01:12:55,939 --> 01:12:58,233
right up to at least the South Col,
981
01:12:58,233 --> 01:13:01,319
but the one that was taken
to the South Col didn't work,
982
01:13:01,319 --> 01:13:04,197
So in fact we realised
we wouldn't actually know
983
01:13:04,197 --> 01:13:07,117
whether Hillary and Tenzing
had been successful
984
01:13:07,117 --> 01:13:10,486
until they actually came down
and told us,
985
01:13:14,416 --> 01:13:18,837
PETER HILLARY: No-one had any idea
where they were, how they were going,
986
01:13:18,837 --> 01:13:22,502
would they be successful,
or, indeed, would they come back?
987
01:13:25,176 --> 01:13:28,296
(SNOW CRUNCHES)
988
01:13:35,687 --> 01:13:37,564
EDMUND HILLARY:
Our oxygen equipment
989
01:13:37,564 --> 01:13:39,399
was not all that sophisticated,
990
01:13:39,399 --> 01:13:42,152
It only had a pressure gauge on it,
991
01:13:42,152 --> 01:13:46,990
so I never really knew
just how much oxygen still remained,
992
01:13:46,990 --> 01:13:50,160
My brain was working
fairly energetically
993
01:13:50,160 --> 01:13:53,493
working out
just how much time we had left,
994
01:13:58,668 --> 01:14:01,922
HACKETT: One of the problems
with extreme altitude climbing
995
01:14:01,922 --> 01:14:04,007
is failure of oxygen systems,
996
01:14:04,007 --> 01:14:09,547
And people die on a regular basis
when their oxygen packs up,
997
01:14:10,722 --> 01:14:12,891
DOUGLAS: And then
there's a bit of a problem,
998
01:14:12,891 --> 01:14:14,434
Tenzing is really struggling,
999
01:14:14,434 --> 01:14:17,103
where before he was
following Hillary quite nicely,
1000
01:14:20,357 --> 01:14:21,900
EDMUND HILLARY: I suddenly noticed
1001
01:14:21,900 --> 01:14:24,694
that Tenzing seemed to be
in some distress,
1002
01:14:24,694 --> 01:14:26,613
And when I looked at him closely,
1003
01:14:26,613 --> 01:14:29,157
I saw that he was breathing
very quickly indeed,
1004
01:14:29,157 --> 01:14:31,409
I immediately examined
his oxygen set
1005
01:14:31,409 --> 01:14:34,496
and found that the outlet
from his oxygen mask
1006
01:14:34,496 --> 01:14:37,247
was almost completely
blocked up with ice,
1007
01:14:42,212 --> 01:14:44,917
Fortunately I was able
to release this ice,
1008
01:14:48,885 --> 01:14:50,637
DOUGLAS: Because
you 're suddenly hypoxic
1009
01:14:50,637 --> 01:14:52,514
and you 're not
thinking straight,
1010
01:14:52,514 --> 01:14:54,349
you may not immediately think,
1011
01:14:54,349 --> 01:14:57,102
"Oh, this is because my oxygen
equipment isn't working right,"
1012
01:14:57,102 --> 01:15:00,601
You just think, "Oh, my God,
I'm incredibly tired all of a sudden,"
1013
01:15:08,113 --> 01:15:13,368
VENABLES: You have this strange,
slightly surreal blur
1014
01:15:13,368 --> 01:15:17,366
of images and thoughts and ideas
going through your head,
1015
01:15:24,337 --> 01:15:29,711
So you have to watch yourself
and watch each other very closely,
1016
01:15:56,369 --> 01:15:57,954
EDMUND HILLARY:
Well, after about an hour
1017
01:15:57,954 --> 01:16:00,999
we had made quite a distance
along the ridge,
1018
01:16:00,999 --> 01:16:03,585
and then we came to a rock bluff
1019
01:16:03,585 --> 01:16:05,921
which barred the way
along the ridge,
1020
01:16:05,921 --> 01:16:08,875
Now, I really thought that perhaps
this was as far as we were going,
1021
01:16:11,551 --> 01:16:13,136
I took photographs
1022
01:16:13,136 --> 01:16:15,388
because the actual rock itself
was very steep
1023
01:16:15,388 --> 01:16:17,879
and we knew that it could stop us,
1024
01:16:24,606 --> 01:16:28,105
PETER HILLARY:
Was that step even climbable?
1025
01:16:29,945 --> 01:16:34,108
And was it climbable
at 29,000 feet?
1026
01:16:35,659 --> 01:16:37,817
No-one had ever gone there before,
1027
01:16:39,246 --> 01:16:41,037
WHITTAKER: It's a hell of a step,
1028
01:16:42,999 --> 01:16:47,079
You look at that and you think,
"Oh, my God, What a decision,"
1029
01:16:50,840 --> 01:16:53,969
But Sir Ed took the gamble
and thought,
1030
01:16:53,969 --> 01:16:56,673
"What the hell,
I'm gonna go for it,"
1031
01:17:02,227 --> 01:17:05,313
EDMUND HILLARY: The only way
to climb it seemed to me a crack
1032
01:17:05,313 --> 01:17:08,900
where the ice was
sticking to the rock,
1033
01:17:08,900 --> 01:17:13,697
and I wasn't at all sure
that the ice would remain in place
1034
01:17:13,697 --> 01:17:16,022
when I was wriggling my way up,
1035
01:17:19,953 --> 01:17:22,408
I was scared stiff,
1036
01:17:27,419 --> 01:17:31,339
VENABLES: He just set forth
up this nearly vertical step
1037
01:17:31,339 --> 01:17:34,968
and wedged himself in this chimney
more or less with his feet,
1038
01:17:34,968 --> 01:17:39,472
his cramponed feet pressing
against the rocks on the left
1039
01:17:39,472 --> 01:17:43,852
and his back pushing out
against the snow on the right,
1040
01:17:43,852 --> 01:17:46,771
and just hoping
the snow wouldn't give way
1041
01:17:46,771 --> 01:17:50,650
and catapult him 11,000 feet
down the Kangshung Face,
1042
01:17:50,650 --> 01:17:55,155
Because it's doubtful whether
Norgay could've held him on the rope
1043
01:17:55,155 --> 01:17:57,610
if he'd come off,
1044
01:18:18,053 --> 01:18:19,888
(ROCKS TUMBLE)
1045
01:18:19,888 --> 01:18:22,265
PETER HILLARY:
Little slabs were breaking off
1046
01:18:22,265 --> 01:18:25,634
and Dad was not really
enjoying the conditions,
1047
01:18:27,562 --> 01:18:29,731
You know, if he was back
in the Southern Alps,
1048
01:18:29,731 --> 01:18:32,859
he'd probably turn around
and try it another day,
1049
01:18:32,859 --> 01:18:35,946
And then, um, that little
internal voice going,
1050
01:18:35,946 --> 01:18:38,990
"Ed, my boy, this is Everest,
1051
01:18:38,990 --> 01:18:41,528
"You 've got to go
the extra distance,"
1052
01:18:49,084 --> 01:18:52,546
EDMUND HILLARY: By jamming back
on the ice with my crampons,
1053
01:18:52,546 --> 01:18:54,631
or ice spikes on my boots,
1054
01:18:54,631 --> 01:18:56,967
and scrambling on the rock in front,
1055
01:18:56,967 --> 01:19:01,545
I was able to wriggle and push my way
up the crack and onto the top,
1056
01:19:04,182 --> 01:19:07,352
After recovering my breath,
I took the rope in
1057
01:19:07,352 --> 01:19:09,020
and, with many a heave,
1058
01:19:09,020 --> 01:19:12,232
and old Tenzing wriggling
and scrambling the same,
1059
01:19:12,232 --> 01:19:14,805
got him onto the top
of the rock too,
1060
01:19:17,821 --> 01:19:19,864
VENABLES: There are times in life,
you know,
1061
01:19:19,864 --> 01:19:22,659
when you have to be
bold and decisive,
1062
01:19:22,659 --> 01:19:28,498
So much hung on Hillary's ability
to pull out all the stops,
1063
01:19:28,498 --> 01:19:31,914
and he was able to give it
that little extra,
1064
01:19:40,969 --> 01:19:43,471
CONEFRE Y: When Hunt had to
go down from the South Col
1065
01:19:43,471 --> 01:19:45,724
he turned to Ed and he said,
1066
01:19:45,724 --> 01:19:48,727
"Look, you know,
this is our last chance,
1067
01:19:48,727 --> 01:19:51,811
"You 're carrying a lot
of people's hopes on your back,"
1068
01:19:54,441 --> 01:19:57,611
WESTMACOTT: What would we do
if they failed?
1069
01:19:57,611 --> 01:20:01,072
Because that was a feeling,
particularly in John Hunt's mind,
1070
01:20:01,072 --> 01:20:05,200
I don't think anybody dared
express an opinion,
1071
01:20:17,923 --> 01:20:19,883
EDMUND HILLARY: We continued on
1072
01:20:19,883 --> 01:20:22,093
and we were getting distinctly tired
and rather desperate,
1073
01:20:22,093 --> 01:20:24,845
for the summit seemed to be
continually eluding us,
1074
01:20:29,976 --> 01:20:32,062
VENABLES: Beyond the Hillary Step,
1075
01:20:32,062 --> 01:20:35,690
it's still a fair distance horizontally
to the summit
1076
01:20:35,690 --> 01:20:39,902
and you 're going over
three or four broad hummocks,
1077
01:20:41,238 --> 01:20:43,865
And as you get to the crest
of one of these hummocks,
1078
01:20:43,865 --> 01:20:46,076
there's another one beyond,
1079
01:20:46,076 --> 01:20:48,863
and you think, "Is this ridge
ever gonna end?"
1080
01:21:01,174 --> 01:21:04,261
DAVID SHLIM: There's just
certain human beings
1081
01:21:04,261 --> 01:21:06,638
able to put one foot
in front of the other,
1082
01:21:06,638 --> 01:21:11,476
you know, relentlessly,
psychologically able to do it,
1083
01:21:11,476 --> 01:21:13,718
whereas other people would fail,
1084
01:21:21,152 --> 01:21:23,947
EDMUND HILLARY: We cut steps
along the top, round bump after bump,
1085
01:21:23,947 --> 01:21:25,904
keeping looking for the top,
1086
01:21:28,243 --> 01:21:32,872
And finally we actually reached
the summit itself,
1087
01:21:32,872 --> 01:21:35,992
(STIRRING MUSIC BUILDS)
1088
01:22:26,051 --> 01:22:28,637
I looked at Tenzing,
1089
01:22:28,637 --> 01:22:31,640
and even underneath his oxygen mask
and balaclava
1090
01:22:31,640 --> 01:22:34,643
I could see his infectious grin
of sheer pleasure,
1091
01:22:34,643 --> 01:22:36,770
We shook hands,
1092
01:22:36,770 --> 01:22:39,225
To Tenzing this was not enough,
1093
01:22:41,191 --> 01:22:43,151
And we thumped each other
on the back
1094
01:22:43,151 --> 01:22:45,108
until we had no breath left,
1095
01:22:47,030 --> 01:22:51,326
I glanced at my watch,
It was 11:30,
1096
01:22:51,326 --> 01:22:54,446
(STIRRING MUSIC CONTINUES)
1097
01:22:59,501 --> 01:23:02,546
On top we only spent
quarter of an hour,
1098
01:23:02,546 --> 01:23:06,007
We were conscious all the time
that our oxygen was running short
1099
01:23:06,007 --> 01:23:09,257
and that we had no time to waste
and we must get down again,
1100
01:23:10,887 --> 01:23:13,888
I took my oxygen off
in order to take photographs,
1101
01:23:17,769 --> 01:23:20,480
Tenzing dug a little hole
in the snow
1102
01:23:20,480 --> 01:23:23,849
and in that he put
a gift to the gods,
1103
01:23:29,030 --> 01:23:30,949
Had a good look round at the view,
1104
01:23:30,949 --> 01:23:32,617
and also I took photographs
1105
01:23:32,617 --> 01:23:34,703
down all the main ridges
of the mountain
1106
01:23:34,703 --> 01:23:37,372
just to have some proof
that we'd been on top,
1107
01:23:48,717 --> 01:23:53,343
And photographed Tenzing waving his
ice axe with four flags tied to it,
1108
01:23:55,515 --> 01:23:58,560
It was a tremendous moment
for both of us,
1109
01:23:58,560 --> 01:24:01,680
(STIRRING MUSIC CONTINUES)
1110
01:25:00,997 --> 01:25:04,117
(STIRRING MUSIC CONTINUES)
1111
01:26:05,562 --> 01:26:08,682
('ONLY TO BE' B Y SIX 60 PLAYS)
1112
01:26:27,876 --> 01:26:30,462
♪ Only to be
1113
01:26:30,462 --> 01:26:33,256
♪ I live in expectancy
1114
01:26:33,256 --> 01:26:35,884
♪ No wonder it feels
1115
01:26:35,884 --> 01:26:38,637
♪ Like this wasn't meant for me
1116
01:26:38,637 --> 01:26:43,099
♪ But, girl, my mind is
so confined
1117
01:26:43,099 --> 01:26:47,687
♪ That there ain't no point
in reasoning
1118
01:26:47,687 --> 01:26:51,233
♪ Now that it's clear to see
1119
01:26:51,233 --> 01:26:53,944
♪ It was all in front of me
1120
01:26:53,944 --> 01:26:58,531
♪ And I'm right where
I'm supposed to be
1121
01:26:58,531 --> 01:27:02,494
♪ Yeah, yeah
1122
01:27:02,494 --> 01:27:07,249
♪ I'm left just turning pages
1123
01:27:07,249 --> 01:27:09,407
♪ Mmm
1124
01:27:10,877 --> 01:27:13,338
♪ Yeah
1125
01:27:13,338 --> 01:27:19,135
♪ Well, I know
that it's worth the ride
1126
01:27:19,135 --> 01:27:22,836
♪ Ain't it good to be alive?
1127
01:27:33,275 --> 01:27:35,777
♪ So what will it be?
1128
01:27:35,777 --> 01:27:38,780
♪ My dreams or my company
1129
01:27:38,780 --> 01:27:41,199
♪ To lose what is me
1130
01:27:41,199 --> 01:27:44,077
♪ Or follow the path I see
1131
01:27:44,077 --> 01:27:48,707
♪ Boy, my mind is so confined
1132
01:27:48,707 --> 01:27:53,003
♪ That I don't even know
where to begin
1133
01:27:53,003 --> 01:27:56,715
♪ But it took me so long to find
1134
01:27:56,715 --> 01:27:59,426
♪ That I could leave it all behind
1135
01:27:59,426 --> 01:28:03,972
♪ 'Cause I've got
everything I'd ever need
1136
01:28:03,972 --> 01:28:08,018
♪ Yeah, yeah
1137
01:28:08,018 --> 01:28:13,106
♪ I'm left just turning pages
1138
01:28:13,106 --> 01:28:16,151
♪ Mmm
1139
01:28:16,151 --> 01:28:18,862
♪ Yeah
1140
01:28:18,862 --> 01:28:24,492
♪ Well, I know
that it's worth the ride
1141
01:28:24,492 --> 01:28:29,238
♪ Ain't it good to be alive?
1142
01:28:38,506 --> 01:28:41,218
♪ 'Cause only to be
1143
01:28:41,218 --> 01:28:44,137
♪ Was all that you got from me
1144
01:28:44,137 --> 01:28:46,681
♪ You told me it's real
1145
01:28:46,681 --> 01:28:49,684
♪ And nothing comes easily
1146
01:28:49,684 --> 01:28:51,686
♪ 'Cause that was the truth
1147
01:28:51,686 --> 01:28:54,356
♪ I was losing all my youth
1148
01:28:54,356 --> 01:29:00,608
♪ To a world
that's fit for someone else
1149
01:29:02,822 --> 01:29:05,200
♪ Yeah
1150
01:29:05,200 --> 01:29:09,955
♪ I'll live just turning pages
1151
01:29:09,955 --> 01:29:12,576
♪ Mmm
1152
01:29:13,792 --> 01:29:16,044
♪ Yeah
1153
01:29:16,044 --> 01:29:21,716
♪ Well, I know
that it's worth the ride
1154
01:29:21,716 --> 01:29:24,761
♪ Oh, whoa, whoa
1155
01:29:24,761 --> 01:29:27,222
♪ Yeah, yeah
1156
01:29:27,222 --> 01:29:32,310
♪ I'm left just turning pages
1157
01:29:32,310 --> 01:29:35,438
♪ Yeah, yeah
1158
01:29:35,438 --> 01:29:37,941
♪ Yeah
1159
01:29:37,941 --> 01:29:43,655
♪ But I know it was worth the ride
1160
01:29:43,655 --> 01:29:49,693
♪ Ain't it good to be alive?
1161
01:29:51,246 --> 01:29:54,207
♪ Alive
1162
01:29:54,207 --> 01:29:59,830
♪ Ain't it good to be alive?
1163
01:30:01,965 --> 01:30:05,963
♪ Alive, ♪
1163
01:30:06,305 --> 01:30:12,766
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