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High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest
Fear lives among Everest's mighty ice-fluted faces and howls across its razor-sharp crags. Gnawing at reason and enslaving minds, it has killed many and defeated countless others. But in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stared into its dark eye and did not waver. On May 29, they pushed spent bodies and aching lungs past the achievable to pursue the impossible. At a terminal altitude of 29,028 feet, they stood triumphant atop the highest peak in the world.
With nimble words and a straightforward style, New Zealand mountaineering legend Hillary recollects the bravery and frustration, the agony and glory that marked his Everest odyssey. From the 1951 expedition that led to the discovery of the Southern Route, through the grueling Himalayan training of 1952, and on to the successful 1953 expedition led by Colonel John Hunt, Hillary conveys in precise language the mountain's unforgiving conditions. In explicit detail he recalls an Everest where chaotic icefalls force costly detours, unstable snow ledges promise to avalanche at the slightest misstep, and brutal weather shifts from pulse-stopping cold to fiendish heat in mere minutes.
In defiance of these torturous conditions, Hillary remains enthusiastic and never hesitates in his quest for the summit. Despite the enormity of his and Norgay's achievement, he regards himself, Norgay, and the other members of his expedition as hardworking men, not heroes. And while he never would have reached the top without practiced skill and technical competence, his thrilling memoir speaks first to his admiration of the human drive to explore, to understand, to risk, and to conquer.
With nimble words and a straightforward style, New Zealand mountaineering legend Hillary recollects the bravery and frustration, the agony and glory that marked his Everest odyssey. From the 1951 expedition that led to the discovery of the Southern Route, through the grueling Himalayan training of 1952, and on to the successful 1953 expedition led by Colonel John Hunt, Hillary conveys in precise language the mountain's unforgiving conditions. In explicit detail he recalls an Everest where chaotic icefalls force costly detours, unstable snow ledges promise to avalanche at the slightest misstep, and brutal weather shifts from pulse-stopping cold to fiendish heat in mere minutes.
In defiance of these torturous conditions, Hillary remains enthusiastic and never hesitates in his quest for the summit. Despite the enormity of his and Norgay's achievement, he regards himself, Norgay, and the other members of his expedition as hardworking men, not heroes. And while he never would have reached the top without practiced skill and technical competence, his thrilling memoir speaks first to his admiration of the human drive to explore, to understand, to risk, and to conquer.
245 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1955
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3663 people want to read
About the author
Edmund Hillary
94 books44 followersSir Edmund Percival Hillary KG ONZ KBE was a New Zealand mountaineer, explorer, and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953, Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to have reached the summit of Mount Everest. They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. From 1985 to 1988 he served as New Zealand's High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh and concurrently as Ambassador to Nepal.
Hillary became interested in mountaineering while in secondary school. He made his first major climb in 1939, reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier. He served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a navigator during World War II. Prior to the Everest expedition, Hillary had been part of the British reconnaissance expedition to the mountain in 1951 as well as an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cho Oyu in 1952. As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition he reached the South Pole overland in 1958. He subsequently reached the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles and summit Everest.
Following his ascent of Everest, Hillary devoted himself to assisting the Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he established. His efforts are credited with the construction of many schools and hospitals in Nepal. Hillary had numerous honours conferred upon him, including the Order of the Garter in 1995. Upon his death in 2008, he was given a state funeral in New Zealand.
Hillary became interested in mountaineering while in secondary school. He made his first major climb in 1939, reaching the summit of Mount Ollivier. He served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a navigator during World War II. Prior to the Everest expedition, Hillary had been part of the British reconnaissance expedition to the mountain in 1951 as well as an unsuccessful attempt to climb Cho Oyu in 1952. As part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition he reached the South Pole overland in 1958. He subsequently reached the North Pole, making him the first person to reach both poles and summit Everest.
Following his ascent of Everest, Hillary devoted himself to assisting the Sherpa people of Nepal through the Himalayan Trust, which he established. His efforts are credited with the construction of many schools and hospitals in Nepal. Hillary had numerous honours conferred upon him, including the Order of the Garter in 1995. Upon his death in 2008, he was given a state funeral in New Zealand.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
February 2, 2019
Somewhat coyly, in this book, after the summit has been conquered and he and Tenzing approached the South Col, upon seeing his companion George Lowe, Hillary says "In rough New Zealand slang I shouted out the good news, and the next moment we were all talking at once and slapping each other on the back." Somewhat famously, that rough NZ slang was "We knocked the bastard off."
And somewhat inexplicably, I have finally read this book. I am unsure how I haven't got to it before.
It is a great book, which shared Hillary's obvious passion for mountaineering, and at the same time shows his respect for those other men in the expedition and the reconnaissances before who all contributed so much the the final success of Hillary and Tenzing.
It covers not only the 1953 expedition - the first to conquer Everest, but also the 1951 and 1952 reconnaissance expeditions (led by Eric Shipton). There is a lot of detail in the mountaineering, but not so much that it is unreadable to the non-climber, and Hillary writes in an informal style very readable, and basic in style, but sharing his enviable enthusiasm.
This book also inadvertently shows how different things area now - in the Himalaya. They come across the camps from the Swiss attempt of 1952, the tents ragged and flapping, but still there. They find food, but also empty tins scattered around and an oxygen frame. Their own expedition is the same - abandoned oxygen bottles, they abandon their tents at the high camps when they are no longer required. Now days every scrap of rubbish is removed, and all equipment must be recovered, as so it should be.
Sir Ed is a legend in New Zealand, and still incredibly well thought of not just for his pioneering and climbing, but for the work he did with schools and hospitals in Nepal and other philanthropic work. Right up until his passing in 2008 he was a larger than life character, and this won't be the last of his books that I read.
An excellent read. 5 stars.
And somewhat inexplicably, I have finally read this book. I am unsure how I haven't got to it before.
It is a great book, which shared Hillary's obvious passion for mountaineering, and at the same time shows his respect for those other men in the expedition and the reconnaissances before who all contributed so much the the final success of Hillary and Tenzing.
It covers not only the 1953 expedition - the first to conquer Everest, but also the 1951 and 1952 reconnaissance expeditions (led by Eric Shipton). There is a lot of detail in the mountaineering, but not so much that it is unreadable to the non-climber, and Hillary writes in an informal style very readable, and basic in style, but sharing his enviable enthusiasm.
This book also inadvertently shows how different things area now - in the Himalaya. They come across the camps from the Swiss attempt of 1952, the tents ragged and flapping, but still there. They find food, but also empty tins scattered around and an oxygen frame. Their own expedition is the same - abandoned oxygen bottles, they abandon their tents at the high camps when they are no longer required. Now days every scrap of rubbish is removed, and all equipment must be recovered, as so it should be.
Sir Ed is a legend in New Zealand, and still incredibly well thought of not just for his pioneering and climbing, but for the work he did with schools and hospitals in Nepal and other philanthropic work. Right up until his passing in 2008 he was a larger than life character, and this won't be the last of his books that I read.
An excellent read. 5 stars.
December 31, 2007
The funny thing is that people probably eschew this book, thinking it's written in "old fashioned" terminology or it's "just another summit book."
Nothing could be further from the truth. Hillary's enthusiasm for mountain climbing punctuates every page (literally; I don't think there's a page in the book that lacks an exclamation point). He talks about the technicalities of climbing with ease and in accessible language, and he regards the mountains as beings in their own right, worthy of respect and awe.
In addition, the edition of the book I read, despite being a paperback, was illustrated not only with line drawings reminiscent of Arthur Ransome's books, but with simple maps and diagrams showing exactly where the various glaciers are or the path through the Khombu icefall (not nearly as simple as later books/authors make it seem!).
This is an enthralling book that goes along at a great pace and it was definitely over too soon. Give it a try: it's worth at least a dozen of the whiny 70's mountaineering books!
Nothing could be further from the truth. Hillary's enthusiasm for mountain climbing punctuates every page (literally; I don't think there's a page in the book that lacks an exclamation point). He talks about the technicalities of climbing with ease and in accessible language, and he regards the mountains as beings in their own right, worthy of respect and awe.
In addition, the edition of the book I read, despite being a paperback, was illustrated not only with line drawings reminiscent of Arthur Ransome's books, but with simple maps and diagrams showing exactly where the various glaciers are or the path through the Khombu icefall (not nearly as simple as later books/authors make it seem!).
This is an enthralling book that goes along at a great pace and it was definitely over too soon. Give it a try: it's worth at least a dozen of the whiny 70's mountaineering books!
May 8, 2020
In May 1953 Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reached the highest point on earth (8848 m). A worthwhile read Hillary writes about his unexpected summit. It is a long preparation until at last they get there. Hillary also went on to conquer 11 summits above 6000 m in the Himalayas.
February 29, 2008
Hillary is quite amusing - even when he's not intending to be - and I was pleased to read about the ascent in his words.
(Bone to pick: how many WEEKS did you do pre-ascent training? And in all that time you couldn't take five minutes to teach Tanzing to use a camera to take your picture on top of Everest?)
(Bone to pick: how many WEEKS did you do pre-ascent training? And in all that time you couldn't take five minutes to teach Tanzing to use a camera to take your picture on top of Everest?)
February 10, 2009
really interesting account... a little slow but slow is OK for 250 pages.
March 2, 2013
I can't remember the last time I held in my hands a book that was printed in the 50's. It smelled musty and the lack of a paper cover and the black-and-white photographs promised a dull account.
However, Hillary speaks plainly (and provides a glossary) so you get pulled right into his story that boils down to "When I grew up in New Zealand, I learned to climb mountains. I got hooked. Ten years later, I climbed Mount Everest. This is how we did it. We got down again, too. The End." :-) He tells a somewhat modest tale and gives everyone credit but sometimes painted the Sherpas as stupid or helpless. I don't think so!
I used my imagination (which still remembers the IMAX film of the 1996 Everest climb and snippets of "Into Thin Air") and sometimes felt like I was right there with him. I also couldn't help wondering, if even in the 50's climbers were leaving their trash there, how many oxygen bottles and other junk has accumulated since then? I'm looking forward to reading more Everest accounts, the new Hillary love story that's out, and perhaps rereading Into Thin Air.
However, Hillary speaks plainly (and provides a glossary) so you get pulled right into his story that boils down to "When I grew up in New Zealand, I learned to climb mountains. I got hooked. Ten years later, I climbed Mount Everest. This is how we did it. We got down again, too. The End." :-) He tells a somewhat modest tale and gives everyone credit but sometimes painted the Sherpas as stupid or helpless. I don't think so!
I used my imagination (which still remembers the IMAX film of the 1996 Everest climb and snippets of "Into Thin Air") and sometimes felt like I was right there with him. I also couldn't help wondering, if even in the 50's climbers were leaving their trash there, how many oxygen bottles and other junk has accumulated since then? I'm looking forward to reading more Everest accounts, the new Hillary love story that's out, and perhaps rereading Into Thin Air.
November 14, 2015
My obsession towards Mt. Everest and high mountains of the world started after watching the movie Everest(2015). That followed scouring the internet for all sorts of information about the mountain and watching the movie again. I had already formed a mental 3D picture of the mountain and surrounding areas.
Then I wanted to know how they would have attacked the dangerous terrain for the very first time and the obvious thing to do was to hear it from the horse's mouth.
This book is not a marvel of literature, but a thorough memoir of his expeditions which led up to the conquering of the summit in 1953. There are no words which can describe the kind of dangers the terrain presents, the determination with which the party overcame all of them and the feeling when one becomes the first human to accomplish something of that sort. Gets a wee bit boring on the Khumbu Icefall, but otherwise the book is very engaging.
Must read for mountain lovers, but do your research before starting to read this book.
Then I wanted to know how they would have attacked the dangerous terrain for the very first time and the obvious thing to do was to hear it from the horse's mouth.
This book is not a marvel of literature, but a thorough memoir of his expeditions which led up to the conquering of the summit in 1953. There are no words which can describe the kind of dangers the terrain presents, the determination with which the party overcame all of them and the feeling when one becomes the first human to accomplish something of that sort. Gets a wee bit boring on the Khumbu Icefall, but otherwise the book is very engaging.
Must read for mountain lovers, but do your research before starting to read this book.
December 4, 2013
Great story of the historic climb of the world's highest peak by the famous climber himself Sir Edmund Hillary. He describes not only the effort in summitting the Everest in 1953 but also the prior expeditions in the Himalayas that served as a preparation for the 1953 British expedition.
Having recently read Jon Krakauer's account "Into Thin Air" of the disastrous 1996 expedition up Everest, it's all the more impressive and meritorious that Hillary and Tenzing, plus John Hunt and the entire crew of climbers and sherpas that made the expedition possible, were able to climb the mountain with the primitive equipment and limited knowledge available at the time.
Definitely an adventure story to read and reread!
Having recently read Jon Krakauer's account "Into Thin Air" of the disastrous 1996 expedition up Everest, it's all the more impressive and meritorious that Hillary and Tenzing, plus John Hunt and the entire crew of climbers and sherpas that made the expedition possible, were able to climb the mountain with the primitive equipment and limited knowledge available at the time.
Definitely an adventure story to read and reread!
December 9, 2015
“High Adventure” is Sir Edmund Hillary’s exciting account of the first successful summit of Mount Everest in 1953. Though the events are often dramatic and the accomplishments great, he tells the story in a rather humble, straight-forward manner. Despite this, the intensity and difficulty of the expedition come through clearly. At times, I suffered from a vertigo-like uneasiness just reading his account of their climb near the summit. I was left with great respect for Hillary, Tenzing, and the entire 1953 Everest team.
March 9, 2018
Aaaah I just had to read it all really fast. It's crazy what magic a little "rhythm and breath" and a lot of hard work and training can make! Also the part about rafting on the air mattresses was kind of hysterical.
You know going into reading this that this expedition's success was impressive, but now that I know a lot more of the detail behind all the preparation and work that went into it, I am even more impressed.
You know going into reading this that this expedition's success was impressive, but now that I know a lot more of the detail behind all the preparation and work that went into it, I am even more impressed.
September 1, 2023
This is the story of the first documented climb to the summit of Everest, told by one of the two men who did it. It made Edmund Hillary, the author, famous, as well as his climbing mate, Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. At times overly descriptive, it nevertheless is a worthwhile read to gain some measure of the man who wrote it, and who accomplished this long-awaited "first" in mountaineering.
June 28, 2017
Reading this account reminded me a lot of reading about astronaut Franklin Chang Díaz, who often states that we can’t reach great accomplishments without each other’s support.
Even though only two men reached the summit during this expedition, the key word here is EXPEDITION. There were dozens of people involved in this success for all humankind, and it speaks to the humility of these men, how never in this account is there a confrontation about who gets to reach the summit first. There is no “me” on a mountain, and “me” was never the priority, even though they all dreamed of this so badly.
Hillary is very diplomatic and never direct about this, it was just a matter of circumstance that it ended up being him and Norgay for the attack. And even though Hillary is seen as the first, and will probably always will be, the effort they endured together transcends the timing of their respective footsteps.
The account ends very abruptly and includes nothing about the aftermath. I picked this up with a million questions and now I have a million more, especially after that ending, but this is fun! I’ve read so much about Everest since finishing this, and there’s probably other great books about the aftermath. This mountain is full of stories.
Lastly, Sir Hillary can be very funny on occasion. I cracked up at least three times within the first 50 pages. (The first third or so is about his previous experiences in the Himalayas.)
Even though only two men reached the summit during this expedition, the key word here is EXPEDITION. There were dozens of people involved in this success for all humankind, and it speaks to the humility of these men, how never in this account is there a confrontation about who gets to reach the summit first. There is no “me” on a mountain, and “me” was never the priority, even though they all dreamed of this so badly.
Hillary is very diplomatic and never direct about this, it was just a matter of circumstance that it ended up being him and Norgay for the attack. And even though Hillary is seen as the first, and will probably always will be, the effort they endured together transcends the timing of their respective footsteps.
The account ends very abruptly and includes nothing about the aftermath. I picked this up with a million questions and now I have a million more, especially after that ending, but this is fun! I’ve read so much about Everest since finishing this, and there’s probably other great books about the aftermath. This mountain is full of stories.
Lastly, Sir Hillary can be very funny on occasion. I cracked up at least three times within the first 50 pages. (The first third or so is about his previous experiences in the Himalayas.)
April 13, 2017
You would think that getting to read Hillary's account of his ascent of Everest would be compelling and fascinating. Overall, you'd be wrong. The book starts strong with him telling how he came to the sport of mountaineering. And then he goes to the Himalayas for his first expedition to explore possible routes and tackle lesser known peaks, and it is pages and pages of descriptions of getting there across raging rivers and then endless descriptions of ice and crevasses. Descriptions that very quickly failed to hold my interest. Finally, we get to the return trip where the summit is the goal. And after a very exhaustive (and exhausting) description of getting through the Khumbu icefall, we reach the South Col and the book finds its heart again. Suddenly we are talking about the people and the drive again and it is interesting once more. Sadly far too late to make the book enjoyable.
As a side note, I got a bit tired of Hillary bragging about taking off his oxygen and cavorting about and how he felt so strong and like he could do anything. Good for you, now stop bragging and tell me about your party.
As a side note, I got a bit tired of Hillary bragging about taking off his oxygen and cavorting about and how he felt so strong and like he could do anything. Good for you, now stop bragging and tell me about your party.
January 17, 2018
A very Frank and straightforward account of the expedition to My Everest. Hilary goes into great detail of the time spent up in the Himalayas making you almost feel part of his journey- day by day account of their trek , the challenges of crossing crevices, cutting steps, rationing loads, keeping warm , eating canned food and drinking hot lemon water. It is a very matter of fact style of writing with none of the romanticism or heroism of climbing mountains, making it feel more honest. This is something this guy did and now he is telling us how he did it.
However, he does give away a lot of emotions - the fears, disappointments, frustrations, the passion of climbing, the comraderie, the relief and elation of making it. On reading you realize that although he and Tensing made it to the summit, there were so many others who made it possible for them.
You also get to learn a lot about climbing given Hilary goes very deep in describing all the nuances and jargons and equipments.
A great journal of the first men to scale the Everest!
However, he does give away a lot of emotions - the fears, disappointments, frustrations, the passion of climbing, the comraderie, the relief and elation of making it. On reading you realize that although he and Tensing made it to the summit, there were so many others who made it possible for them.
You also get to learn a lot about climbing given Hilary goes very deep in describing all the nuances and jargons and equipments.
A great journal of the first men to scale the Everest!
October 13, 2015
The attributes that got them to the top: average climbing skills, willing to go fast and hard!
This will always be a classic mountaineering tale read for generations to come and Hillary's comedic and highly personal voice makes it an enjoyable 250 pages to read.
Even if you're a climbing/adventure fan it can be dry at times and the author's autobiography 'Nothing Venture, Nothing Win' includes this account in much more concise terms as well as countless other brilliant and formidable tales.
...a tribute to discomfort:
"Life was pretty grim when we settled down for the night. [a lot of things that would make a hobbit squirm] But nothing seemed able to disturb Shipton (the Eric Shipton). Sitting in his sleeping-bag, with his umbrella over his head to divert the drips, he puffed at his pipe and read a novel in the flickering light of a candle. He couldn't have looked more contented in an easy chair at home in front of a cosy fire."
This will always be a classic mountaineering tale read for generations to come and Hillary's comedic and highly personal voice makes it an enjoyable 250 pages to read.
Even if you're a climbing/adventure fan it can be dry at times and the author's autobiography 'Nothing Venture, Nothing Win' includes this account in much more concise terms as well as countless other brilliant and formidable tales.
...a tribute to discomfort:
"Life was pretty grim when we settled down for the night. [a lot of things that would make a hobbit squirm] But nothing seemed able to disturb Shipton (the Eric Shipton). Sitting in his sleeping-bag, with his umbrella over his head to divert the drips, he puffed at his pipe and read a novel in the flickering light of a candle. He couldn't have looked more contented in an easy chair at home in front of a cosy fire."
October 30, 2017
A great first hand account of Hillary's adventures in mountain-climbing.
In different scope from other books I've read on the Everest 1953 summiting climb, this book is every bit a personal memoir. If you are looking for more of a compresensive work on the expedition, expedition leader John Hunt's book, "The Ascent of Everest" is an in-depth account from the focus of the expedition as a whole. But, if you want to see the journey through the eyes of one man... looking at the peaks and valleys of the world through the eyes of Sir Edmund Hillary may just be the best view on the planet.
My favorite quote from the book:
"It is not necessary to find excuses for not climbing Everest - the mountain will supply these in abundance." -From Hillary's comments on the Swiss failure in '52
In different scope from other books I've read on the Everest 1953 summiting climb, this book is every bit a personal memoir. If you are looking for more of a compresensive work on the expedition, expedition leader John Hunt's book, "The Ascent of Everest" is an in-depth account from the focus of the expedition as a whole. But, if you want to see the journey through the eyes of one man... looking at the peaks and valleys of the world through the eyes of Sir Edmund Hillary may just be the best view on the planet.
My favorite quote from the book:
"It is not necessary to find excuses for not climbing Everest - the mountain will supply these in abundance." -From Hillary's comments on the Swiss failure in '52
January 15, 2016
I have read quite a few books on climbing and I found this one exceptional in several respects. I would have given it 5 stars, but I realize that some people might consider the series of grand adventures in this book redundant. I did not. I believe he writes honestly and it was easy for me to feel his emotions as they played out in the book. I passed it on to a climbing buddy who also enjoyed it also and passed it on to another. I must say that the recon two years before the summit was every bit as good of a story as the story of the first summit. I recommend it, and if you happen to be a climber, I strongly recommend it. What a story!
May 4, 2013
This was fascinating. Perhaps because of the modernization of mountaineering gear and the mobs of climbers on Everest each year, I was captivated by Hillary's memoir and the clear difficulty by which they forged a route and made their way up after so many previous unsuccessful attempts, in what we would now consider to be primative gear. All I wanted upon finishing this book was a warm fire and a hot cup of soup. Or, rather, to read about Hillary's next warm fire, hot cup of soup, and good night's sleep.
November 16, 2013
Edmund Hillary's "High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest" is a bit like a Primus stove at high altitude. It's slow to get going and sputters along for a bit but once it really gets cooking everything is good.
Hillary writes very simply but effectively of various climbs in the Himalayas, including the first ascent of Everest by himself and Tenzing Norgay. The Everest ascent itself is pretty riveting... the other climbs aren't quite as interesting, but why would they be?
Hillary writes very simply but effectively of various climbs in the Himalayas, including the first ascent of Everest by himself and Tenzing Norgay. The Everest ascent itself is pretty riveting... the other climbs aren't quite as interesting, but why would they be?
December 17, 2023
all respect to edmund hillary, but this may have been the most bored i’ve ever been reading an everest memoir. i also just got really tired of the attack / conquest language and approach, which i know is common in many mountaineering accounts, but i much prefer the ones with more respect of nature (like tenzing norgay’s son’s everest book: touching my father’s soul). i’ll probably give tenzing norgay’s book about the same expedition (the first successful ascent) a shot.
July 29, 2016
I chose this book to write a paper about for Social Studies class in 7th grade. I remember liking the book and getting an A on the paper. I was inspired to have a dream of climbing Mt. Everest one day, but when I became an adult I realized that I hate extreme cold and love my oxygen a little too much.
August 9, 2015
Another factual account by the ones who did it first. Makes you realise what true mountaineering was done before all the equipment and the technology...a sport of the balls and of the heart!!!
April 17, 2022
An interesting companion volume to John Hunt's official Ascent of Everest - where the latter often reads like a painstaking write-up of the expedition diaries, this is full of vivid personal anecdote and is a much more entertaining read. One forgets (or at least we English tend to) that Hillary was in fact a New Zealander, present on the British Everest expedition by virtue of Empire - in these pages he is definitely conscious of himself as 'the wild colonial boy', given to un-English shouts of victory at achievement and worried in case he might be expected to change for dinner. Fortunately he soon learns that the English climbers are every bit as scruffy as everybody else when out in the field! His climbing experience in New Zealand also involves rather different terrain from the technical rock-climbing learned in the Peak District and the Alps - of which, by his account, there seems to have been very little involved in the eventual ascent of Everest. Rather than the sort of fingertip crevice work excelled in at home by George Mallory, for example, it seems to have been largely a matter of cutting steps in the steep snow and ice faces and trudging up under the burden of high altitude oxygen deprivation; Hillary actually mentions at one point that he could see that his two immediate predecessors on the first assault on the peak had automatically headed for the rock ascent when given a choice of routes, and that his New Zealand experience led him to go for the show slope as less risky.
The other thing one forgets (though Hunt's account mentions it in passing as the reason why "Ed Hillary" was picked for a place on the expedition in the first place) was that Hillary had actually been on Everest before, as part of the 1951 reconnaissance expedition a couple of years earlier led by Eric Shipton of 1930s Everest fame - having thrilled to the classic pre-war expedition accounts by Frank Smythe etc! And there is a detailed and enthusiastic description of that expedition too in this book; this is not just an account of the successful ascent of Everest, but of the life that led him there (as an amateur, like all his contemporaries; by profession Hillary was a bee-keeper, having followed his father into that trade...)
In style his writing actually reminds me a little of Gerald Durrell, especially in his willingness to tell an anecdote at his own expense and his cheerful optimism. This isn't, naturally, as comprehensive an account of the expedition as a whole as Hunt's official version, since it only makes any mention of the parts in which Hillary himself was present, but it's better reading; Smythe would have been proud of his literary disciple! Unfortunately the photographs are in general equally uninspiring- it's difficult to get interesting photos of men plodding through snow so muffled as to be indistinguishable, or of distant mountain ranges, or of a clutter of tents at long range. Hillary himself mentions trying to take a picture of their final camp and being unable to get far enough away from the tent, on their cramped site, to get it all in the viewfinder. But the little pen and ink illustrations of this scene and of others are generally far more lively and explanatory than the real-life photos, and are definitely an asset to the book.
The other thing one forgets (though Hunt's account mentions it in passing as the reason why "Ed Hillary" was picked for a place on the expedition in the first place) was that Hillary had actually been on Everest before, as part of the 1951 reconnaissance expedition a couple of years earlier led by Eric Shipton of 1930s Everest fame - having thrilled to the classic pre-war expedition accounts by Frank Smythe etc! And there is a detailed and enthusiastic description of that expedition too in this book; this is not just an account of the successful ascent of Everest, but of the life that led him there (as an amateur, like all his contemporaries; by profession Hillary was a bee-keeper, having followed his father into that trade...)
In style his writing actually reminds me a little of Gerald Durrell, especially in his willingness to tell an anecdote at his own expense and his cheerful optimism. This isn't, naturally, as comprehensive an account of the expedition as a whole as Hunt's official version, since it only makes any mention of the parts in which Hillary himself was present, but it's better reading; Smythe would have been proud of his literary disciple! Unfortunately the photographs are in general equally uninspiring- it's difficult to get interesting photos of men plodding through snow so muffled as to be indistinguishable, or of distant mountain ranges, or of a clutter of tents at long range. Hillary himself mentions trying to take a picture of their final camp and being unable to get far enough away from the tent, on their cramped site, to get it all in the viewfinder. But the little pen and ink illustrations of this scene and of others are generally far more lively and explanatory than the real-life photos, and are definitely an asset to the book.
January 11, 2022
wowee!! a genuine adventure. A far cry from the queue on Everest the other year - it was so interesting reading how they explored, established and climbed new routes. I am no expert in mountaineering, but Hillary took me up the mountain in great detail and I really loved his writing. While I don't think I will conquer Everest, it has made me itch even more for a trip through NZ at least!
November 20, 2023
What a story. Incredible feats of courage, teamwork, skill. An unfaltering account of daring and incredible strength. Sir Edmund Hillary takes the reader on an immersive journey. Must read.
April 25, 2022
High Adventure is a tough slog, as Hillary’s slow journey up the perilous rock and ice of the planet’s most formidable mountain seems at times as tedious as it must have been difficult. But as each cornice and crevasse is conquered, and with ever footstep forged forward under incredible physical and mental duress, the exhilaration exponentially increases, until the summit of Mt Everest is finally clambered upon for the very first time. The highest of highs.
July 25, 2021
This probably isn't as compelling a read as Jon Krakauer's 'Into thin air' but still a great book on the first successful Everest expedition
February 21, 2021
Previously all of the 'adventures books I've read have been written within my life time. This is the first written before I was born, and aptly covers the first time Everest was successfully summitted.
This book was written in 1955 so some of the terms used are obviously outdated, but reading with a modern mind I liked the fact that Hillary writes about the Sherpa's and the other labourers in the same way he writes about his colleagues. He criticises and admires in turn and I thought that was refreshing given the period this was written in.
What struck me most about this book though is how different it is from the other books like this. There the authors were climbing routes that had been in use for years, here Hillary, Tenzing and the others were literally forging new routes - and I will admit this sounds a lot more 'pure' than some of the others have done. Not that I'm critiquing folx who climb previously done routes, just that this was a very different book with a very different mindset.
It also shows the difference in equipment used. Hillary mentioned seeing older camps made by those without oxygen, and how impressed he was they got so high using older equipment. In his summit attempt, Hilary starts off from camp 9. From my understanding anyone climbing Everest from the same route will instead leave from camp 4. Hillary also camped in the ice fall, whereas modern campers have their camp 2 above it. To me it shows the change in equipment to have fewer camps in different places.
A fascinating book then, one I'm very glad to have read, and one I'd highly recommend to anyone who is an armchair mountaineer, or who has any interest in Everest.
This book was written in 1955 so some of the terms used are obviously outdated, but reading with a modern mind I liked the fact that Hillary writes about the Sherpa's and the other labourers in the same way he writes about his colleagues. He criticises and admires in turn and I thought that was refreshing given the period this was written in.
What struck me most about this book though is how different it is from the other books like this. There the authors were climbing routes that had been in use for years, here Hillary, Tenzing and the others were literally forging new routes - and I will admit this sounds a lot more 'pure' than some of the others have done. Not that I'm critiquing folx who climb previously done routes, just that this was a very different book with a very different mindset.
It also shows the difference in equipment used. Hillary mentioned seeing older camps made by those without oxygen, and how impressed he was they got so high using older equipment. In his summit attempt, Hilary starts off from camp 9. From my understanding anyone climbing Everest from the same route will instead leave from camp 4. Hillary also camped in the ice fall, whereas modern campers have their camp 2 above it. To me it shows the change in equipment to have fewer camps in different places.
A fascinating book then, one I'm very glad to have read, and one I'd highly recommend to anyone who is an armchair mountaineer, or who has any interest in Everest.
February 4, 2019
I am a sucker for true, high adventure books, and it doesn't get much better than this. Sir Edmund Hillary provides the complete story of the first climbing of Mount Everest. Although it may seem commonplace today, with dozens of people reaching the summit every year, Everest was, for a long time, one the supreme challenges in the world. Many groups tried and failed to climb it. I was really struck by the magnitude of the effort required to achieve the glorious end result. The British team spent two previous years climbing around Mount Everest and scouting for suitable routes to the top. The teams were huge, with about 8 climbers and a much larger supporting cast of Sherpas. After the elite climbers established a route, dozens of Sherpas would make the same climb carrying 50-60 pound packs, as camps were positioned further and further up the mountain. Risks were omnipresent and could not be avoided. Conditions were truly miserable. Although Hillary (and to a lesser extent the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay) received most of the attention, other members of the team probably deserve as much credit. For most of the climb, it was not at all clear who would be chosen to make the final successful assault. Hillary was first largely because an oxygen tank failed on the homestretch for another group a few days before. But I found the book fascinating, and a quick read, despite the myriad mountaineering terms. If one likes adventure books, this is a most enjoyable read.
August 14, 2019
Interesting and detailed account of the first ascent of Everest by New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal.
There’s a very brief description of how Hillary got into mountaineering (I would have actually been interested to hear more detail here) and then we quickly head to the Himalayas. Hillary describes in detail the unsuccessful 1951 attempt on Everest, the 1952 reconnaissance expedition he joined as well as the Swiss attempt, and finally the incredible 1953 expedition which led these two bold men to stand on top of the world.
I love a good book about an adventurer. This one has plenty of detail on every section of the climb, and frankly much of it sounds like a miserable form of torture! I don’t think people enjoy climbing Everest too much, but the sense of achievement (once safely back down!) is worth the pain and endurance for these men.
It’s sad to compare this true adventure with the dangerous circus Everest seems to have become these days. But truly inspiring! And, like Tenzing has hopes for, I’m very happy that a Nepali was one of the first two men to summit their majestic mountain.
There’s a very brief description of how Hillary got into mountaineering (I would have actually been interested to hear more detail here) and then we quickly head to the Himalayas. Hillary describes in detail the unsuccessful 1951 attempt on Everest, the 1952 reconnaissance expedition he joined as well as the Swiss attempt, and finally the incredible 1953 expedition which led these two bold men to stand on top of the world.
I love a good book about an adventurer. This one has plenty of detail on every section of the climb, and frankly much of it sounds like a miserable form of torture! I don’t think people enjoy climbing Everest too much, but the sense of achievement (once safely back down!) is worth the pain and endurance for these men.
It’s sad to compare this true adventure with the dangerous circus Everest seems to have become these days. But truly inspiring! And, like Tenzing has hopes for, I’m very happy that a Nepali was one of the first two men to summit their majestic mountain.
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