Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Sixty years ago, on May 29, 1953, Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made the first documented ascent of Mount Everest.
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Sardar Tenzing Norgay of Nepal and Edmund P. Hillary of New Zealand, left, show the kit they wore when conquering the world's highest peak, the Mount Everest, on May 29, at the British Embassy in Katmandu, capital of Nepal, in this June 26, 1953 file photo. (AP Photo, File)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay smile as they breakfast in Kathmandu, Nepal after a 170 mile trek from their conquest of Mount Everest on June 20, 1953. (AP Photo)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Edmund Percival Hillary, 34, left, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, the 39-year-old Sherpa Sirdar, who reached the 29,002-feet summit of Mount Everest stand with garlands about their shoulders, wearing the specially struck gold medals with which they were presented by Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the Indian President, unseen, in New Delhi, India on June 29, 1953. They made the summit on May 29th. (AP Photo)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Edmund Hillary, second from left, of the British Everest Expedition, who with the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, third from left, was the first to make the ascent of the peak stands with two of Tensing's nieces, Droma, left, and Phulima far right, who climbed with the expedition to 23,000-feet at Dhullal Ghat, Nepal, after the returning party had descended from Namche Bazar on June 19, 1953. (AP Photo)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
A July 1953 photo shows Edmund Hillary, Col. John Hunt, and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, left to right, taking a last look at Mount Everest before leaving Katmandu, Nepal. Hillary and Tenzing share honors as the first men to conquer the world's highest peak. Col. Hunt led the British Everest Team of which they were members. (AP Photo)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Edmund Hillary, second from left, of the British Everest Expedition, who with the Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, was the first to make the ascent of the peak of Mt. Everest. He stands with Tenzing, third from left, and two of Tenzing's nieces, Droma, left, and Phulima, far right, who climbed with the expedition to 23,000 feet. Photo was made at Dhullal Ghat, after the returning party descended from Namche Bazar June 19, 1953. (AP Photo)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this picture released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers navigate the Hillary Step just below the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this picture released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags are seen on the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay.(AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers navigate the Hillary Step just below the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Sixty years ago Wednesday, Sir Edmund Hillary and climbing partner Tenzing Norgay were the first to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on earth on May 29, 1953. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers navigate the knife-edge ridge just below the Hillary Step on their way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Sixty years ago Wednesday, Sir Edmund Hillary and climbing partner Tenzing Norgay were the first to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on earth on May 29, 1953. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers navigate the knife-edge ridge just below the Hillary Step on their way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Sixty years ago Wednesday, Sir Edmund Hillary and climbing partner Tenzing Norgay were the first to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on earth on May 29, 1953. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, a climber pauses on the way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Sixty years ago Wednesday, Sir Edmund Hillary and climbing partner Tenzing Norgay were the first to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the highest point on earth on May 29, 1953. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this photograph provided by Himex Nepal, participants of the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon begin their race at the Everest base camp in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas, Wednesday, May 29, 2013. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Himex Nepal,Dinesh Gole)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, a climber prepares to descend the Hillary Step as he makes his way down from the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers make their way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken at sunrise on Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers make their way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions,
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers make their way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this image released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, climbers make their way to the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this picture released by mountain guide Adrian Ballinger of Alpenglow Expeditions and taken Saturday, May 18, 2013, Climbers descend from the summit of Mount Everest, in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday, May 29, 2013, by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Alpenglow Expeditions, Adrian Ballinger)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Italian Reinhold Messner, the first climber to scale Everest without using bottled oxygen and the first person to climb all of the world's 14 highest peaks, speaks at a function to mark the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest at the British Embassy, in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, May 29, 2013. Nepal celebrated the anniversary on Wednesday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
New Zealand climber Lydia Bradey, third from left and Italian Reinhold Messner, the first climber to scale Everest without using bottled oxygen and the first person to climb all of the world's 14 highest peaks cut an Everest shaped cake at a function to mark the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest at the British Embassy, in Katmandu, Nepal, Wednesday, May 29, 2013. Nepal celebrated the anniversary on Wednesday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, who reached the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953. Since then thousands of people have reached the 8,850-meter (29,035-foot) peak. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this photograph provided by Himex Nepal, participants of the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon begin their race at the Everest base camp in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas, Wednesday, May 29, 2013. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Himex Nepal, Dinesh Gole)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
In this photograph provided by Himex Nepal, participants of the Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon begin their race at the Everest base camp in the Khumbu region of the Nepal Himalayas, Wednesday, May 29, 2013. Nepal celebrated the 60th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest on Wednesday by honoring climbers who followed in the footsteps of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. (AP Photo/Himex Nepal, Dinesh Gole)
Mount Everest ascent anniversary
Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, centre, accompanied by Henry Day, centre right, Chairman of the Mount Everest Foundation, is shown a model of the mountain, at a reception to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the ascent of Everest, at the Royal Geographical Society in Kensington, west London, Wednesday May 29, 2013. (AP Photo/Yui Mok, Pool)