70th Anniversary of Everest Ascent: Hillary and Tenzing Statues Unveiled in Nepal | TV5MONDE

The golden statues of Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the first men to climb Everest, were unveiled in Nepal on Friday, marking the start of celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of the first ascent of the world’s highest peak.

New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay summited Everest on May 29, 1953, as part of a British expedition, a major milestone in mountaineering history.

The son of the Himalayas said during the ceremony, “History was written 70 years ago by these two simple, humble and good gentlemen who gave everything they could to the people of the Himalayas.”

The monks blessed the smiling statues of the couple, erected near the runway of Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, which works especially to get to Everest Base Camp, the first stage of mountaineers candidates to ascend the summit.

“It must have been a terrifying moment for them, no one has been able to do it before,” Edmund Hillary’s son, Peter Hillary, said, referring to a difficult main pass in the final part of the climb which he named Hillary’s Raceout.

Residents put traditional Tibetan scarves around the necks of the statues.

Since the first ascent, more than 6,000 mountaineers have reached the summit of Everest (8,849 meters above sea level) according to the Himalayan Database, a database that lists all climbs made in the Himalayas in Nepal.

Climbing Everest, which has become a major product for expedition organizing agencies, brings revenue to the government, which charges foreign mountaineers a climbing permit costing $11,000.

For the 2023 season, 478 passes were issued. As most foreign climbers are in need of a guide, the record-breaking 900-plus people are likely to reach the summit.