Hillary And Tenzing To Climb Everest Again

Believe it or not, this year marks the 49th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest and, to commemorate the original ascent by Tenzing Norgay and Sir Edmund Hillary, their descendants are planning to climb the mountain next month or are they?

There's actually a certain amount of confusion here with the details of two commemorative expeditions getting confused. This report on the reliable Everestnews.com says that there's an American-led expedition which will include Peter Hillary and Tenzing's son Jamling Tenzing Norgay. Apparently to be led by Pete Athans, the aim in turning up a year early is rumoured to be the production of a film for TV to be screened in 2003.

Meanwhile Hillary will return in 2003 to attempt the mountain by the original SE Ridge route, while Tashi Tenzing will be part of this year's Swiss Everest 50th Anniversary Expedition 1952-2002 climbing on the same route, not, as reported elsewhere on a different route. All very confusing and, apparently, Jamling is not planning to climb the mountain this year, but will be at base camp with the American expedition.

Peter Hillary - the original summiteer's son - and Tashi Tenzing, grandson of Tenzing Norgay have both summited Everest previously. On Everestnews Tenzing denies that there is a plan for the pair to meet on the summit. The Swiss expedition, by the way, commemorates not the successful 1953 ascent, but the 1952 Swiss expedition which reached 8600 metres without supplementary oxygen and also included Tenzing Norgay.

"It's like a birthday party, and I'm not talking about my own climbing. I'm thinking about what Dad has done and also New Zealanders in that field," Hillary is quoted as saying in this story from Ananova.

We were lucky enough to meet Australian-based Tashi Tenzing while trekking to Everest Base Camp a couple of years ago and found him a thoughtful, intelligent and thoroughly entertaining amalgam of eastern and western cultures - see the profile below.

For more details see the excellent Everestnews site: