Australian mountaineer George Mortimer was quoted by Nick Gavlin: "It was a stepping-on-the-moon-type moment." Mortimer, who, along with Tim Macartney-Snape in 1984 is one of the first two Australians to reach the summit of Everest.
He went on to say that it was a really big deal because the medical graphs of the day showed that it wasn't physically possible. There had been various attempts from some very talented mountaineers, so the myth of it grew. It was a major turning point. It was very much an issue of 'attitude' Mortimer claimed.
An insightful reflection was that Edmund Hillary had a fairly common-sense attitude and were able to look at the mountain with fairly clear sight, rather than battle against it, went with it. That easygoing streak that is so lovely in Kiwis came to the fore according to George Mortimer.
My late mother had kept a magazine featuring Edmund Hillary's climb to the top of Mt Everest. I found this 'People' magazine dated 9th September 1953 in the family archive. This was achieved by a 'mere colonial' – a New Zealander.
She probably also identified with his sense of adventure, since Hillary was approximately the same age as she was. And there may have been the added excitement that here was a focus on positive human endeavour, as the after-effects of World War II were still very much in evidence.
Many young men of Hillary's age had fought overseas with the ANZAC military troops in one way or another, and the physical and emotional effects were still evident, in the early 1950s, throughout the whole community. My mother herself had 'done her bit' in the Women's Land Army.
Even today, it is easy to imagine the impact of this 'first' in the world, and it is also easy to realise how proud the Australians and New Zealanders would have been that it was 'one of their own' – a 'new breed' of strong, inventive young men, who had succeeded where others of the 'old school' had failed.
Sir Edmund Hillary
Sir Edmund Percival Hillary, KG, ONZ, KBE (20 July 1919 – 11 January 2008), was an explorer and philanthropist. On 29 May 1953 at the age of 33, he and Sherpa (Himalayan mountain guide) Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers known to have reached Mount Everest's summit.
They were part of the ninth British expedition to Everest, led by John Hunt. Hillary was named by Time magazine as one of the 100 most influential people of the 20th century.
The Hunt expedition totalled over 400 people, including 362 porters, twenty Sherpa guides and 10,000 lbs of baggage, and like many such expeditions, was a team effort. Hillary and Norgay were both experienced climbers and were one of two climbing teams under Hunt's direction. The other team was held up but they forged a route through the treacherous Klumbu Icefall.
The crucial move of the last part of the ascent was the 40-foot (12m) rock face later named the "Hillary Step". Hillary saw a means to wedge his way up a crack in the face between the rock wall and the ice and Tenzing followed.
From there the following effort was relatively simple. Tenzing Norgay stated in his narration "The Dream Comes True" that Hillary had indeed taken the first step atop Mount Everest, despite Hillary quoting that both had reached the summit at the same time.
They reached Everest's 29,028 ft (8,848 m) summit, the highest point on earth, at 11:30 am. As Hillary put it, "A few more whacks of the ice axe in the firm snow, and we stood on top."
The two had to take care on the descent after discovering that drifting snow had covered their tracks, complicating the task of retracing their steps. The first person they met on the way down was George Lowe, who had climbed up to meet them with hot soup. (en.wikipedia.org)
As a school boy growing up in Mackay, I remember being taught about Edmund Hillary's enormous feat of human endurance, it was still fresh in everyone's mind.
If New Zealand had not been recognised around the world before Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest, New Zealand was certainly on everyone's lips after the event.
Theological Insight
As a Christian theologian, this remarkable achievement can be viewed in many different ways. The wonder of the human body. An astonishing feat of endurance. The outcome of a carefully calculated plan equal to that of any successful military victory.
It is also a perfect example of how human achievement, regardless of what it might be, has no direct connection with personal 'eternal' Salvation provided by the Lord Jesus Christ. This takes a little time to explain, but just imagine if human achievement was the condition of Salvation. If there the case, only those persons of the calibre of Edmund Hillary would be acceptable to heaven; or the current 100 metre sprinter or swimmer man and woman world record holders; or the current richest man or woman; or the best behaved person.
When it's unpacked, it doesn't make any sense at all, as it doesn't leave room for the rest of us. The basis if Salvation is different to human achievement. The Christian understanding is that God Himself in Jesus Christ, died for our sin and thus provided everyone the possibility of rejoicing with Salvation. There it is.
Salvation is not based on anything or any achievement of ours, rather on what Jesus did on the Cross by taking our sin upon himself. Human achievement therefore must fall into a different category altogether.
But what a remarkable thing it has been to find cures for small pox and polio. How wonderful it is that someone climbed the world's highest mountain. How special it is that we have motor vehicles to get around and aeroplanes to fly internationally. How super-duper it is that we have computers. I for one give this glory to the Lord.
I comprehend entirely and laughed not a little, with what Edmund Hillary was reported to have said to George Lowe – who met him - with hop soup high up on the mountain on their way down having reached Everest's summit: "Well, George, we knocked the bastard off!" (www.smh.com.au)
Dr Mark Tronson is a Baptist minister (retired) who served as the Australian cricket team chaplain for 17 years (2000 ret) and established Life After Cricket in 2001. He was recognised by the Olympic Ministry Medal in 2009 presented by Carl Lewis Olympian of the Century. He has written 24 books, and enjoys writing. He is married to Delma, with four adult children and grand-children.
Mark Tronson's archive of articles can be viewed at www.pressserviceinternational.org/mark-tronson.html
