Who are we learning about today?

Sir Edmund Hillary – an explorer!

(1919- 2008) Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay were the first

people to climb Mount Everest in 1953.

Mount Everest is part of the Himalayas in Nepal and at

8,848m , it is not only the highest peak in the Himalayas,

but the highest peak on the entire planet.

It is over 60 million years old and it grows by about 0.6cm

every year!

Who was Edmund Hillary?

He was the first man to climb Mount Everest

He was born in New Zealand

He had very strict parents, and loved reading

adventure stories

He worked, with his father, as a bee keeper

The British had been trying for 40 years to climb Mount

Everest, showing sheer determination Hillary became

the first person to stand on the top of the world on

May 29, 1953!

More facts about Mount Everest

Approximately 4,000 people have tried to climb Mount Everest.

660 people made it to the summit (top of Everest).

142 people have dies trying to climb it!

Named after Sir George Everest, a British surveyor-general of

India.

In 1990 Edmund Hillary’s son reached the summit.

The journey to the summit.

Tengpoche Monastery. It took 16 days for Edmund Hillary, 13 other climbers, and 350 porters to reach the Tengpoche Monastery and set up a rear camp.

In order to reach the monastery, the team has already trekked 170 miles up the hot and humid Katmandu Valley. The terrain is smooth, and everyone is in high spirits!

Rest up! Only 10,900 feet and 13 miles to go before your next stop at Base Camp!

Why do you think he needed help from other climbers and porters?

What supplies do you think they would have needed?

Base camp – Khumbu icefall They leave the Monastery and start climbing the

Khumbu icefall. Climbing the icefall is very hard

work.

Often there are crevasses (breaks) in the ice that

need to be crossed using ropes and ladders.

The bare landscape and jagged ice make it hard

to pitch tents at Base Camp.

They stay at Base Camp for seven weeks whilst they carve a route in the ice and set up more

camps with food and shelter to Everest's summit.

How do you think it would feel to cross a

dangerous landscape?

Camp IV – Hillary’s life is saved

Hillary and teammate Tenzing Norgay, roped to

each other, cut ice steps and manoeuvre around

hidden crevasses.

After hours of hard work, they succeed in reaching

Camp IV. Then they begin their descent to Base

Camp.

Along the way, Hillary jumps onto a loose ice

block. It falls off the mountain and takes him with it!

Acting fast, Norgay quickly grabs hold of the rope

and saves his teammate. Phew!

Why is it important to work as a team?

Camp VII South Col

– dangerous weather A dangerous blizzard halts the expedition. Two

climbers had to turn back as their oxygen systems began to fail.

What do you think it would be like to be caught in

a blizzard? Snow Blizzard

Do you think they should have turned back?

Camp IX – preparing

for the final ascent. After helping Hillary and Norgay establish Camp IX,

the rest of the team descends, leaving the final assault team alone in the dismal camp.

After setting up their tent on an uneven ice slope,

the two men eat sardines, biscuits, apricots, dates,

jam, lemonade, soup, and coffee.

In –17 degree cold, with strong winds pushing at

their tent, Norgay and Hillary rest up for the big

climb ahead of them.

Can you imagine sleeping in a tent in the bone-

chilling cold, atop a windy mountain? Was it

exciting? Scary?

The Summit!

At 6:30 a.m., after spending two hours thawing out

Hillary's frozen boots, the men finally strap on their

crampons and set off for the top.

Hour after hour, using ice picks, they cut endless

ice steps, pulling themselves over ridge after ridge,

until finally — there is no more mountain to climb.

At 11:30 a.m., Hillary and Norgay step onto the

summit of Everest. They made it to the top of the

world!

Can you imagine how they would have felt?

Lets find out how he felt…

• http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hillary/nav

art/climb/clmb6px.jpg

Animals in the Himalayas The Himalayas is a very harsh environment and animals have to

be well equipped to survive. Animals living at higher altitudes

usually have very thick skins and hibernate during the winter

months when food is scarce. The Himalayan Brown Bear and

Tibetan Fox live in the Himalayas and go around hunting as a

team. High-altitude cooperation or is the wily fox just trying to

steal a Pika from under the bear’s nose? Let’s take a look…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8Mad1h9_9Q

Want a tour of Mount Everest? Hold on tight!

http://www.airpano.ru/files/Everest-Top-View/2-2