High Adventure

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.