The Hindu : dated June 19, 1953: Everest: teamwork triumphed

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Thursday, Jun 19, 2003

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dated June 19, 1953: Everest: teamwork triumphed

Back in Kathmandu, Colonel John Hunt said the success of his expedition to conquer Mount Everest was due to the work done by past climbers and excellent team work. The British expedition had only completed work which had been going on for many years. "We have climbed on the shoulders of other climbers," he said. Col. Hunt mentioned specially the contributions of the two Swiss expeditions in 1952, and "the wonderful work done by Sherpas". Another important factor he mentioned was the meticulous planning and intensive training of the mountaineers. Of the `Abominable Snowman', yeti, he said, "there is basis for the existence of some creature whose footprints have been encountered in the Himalayan ranges. I came across such footprints in Sikkim in 1937. There should be thorough investigation into the existence of the Snowman. Asked who reached the summit first, Col. Hunt said, "Up to the South Summit both took the lead in turn. From there to Everest's top, Hillary was in the lead and cut steps, while Tenzing in the same rope acted as his support. Tenzing is the best Sherpa climber I have come across. He has astonishing courage, determination, and physical attributes. He is a good climber and a wonderful companion."

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