High Adventure
by Edmund Hillary
On This Page
Description
Fear lives among Everest's mighty ice-fluted faces and howls across its razor-sharp crags. Gnawing at reason and enslaving minds, it has killed many and defeated countless others. But in 1953, Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay stared into its dark eye and did not waver. On May 29, they pushed spent bodies and aching lungs past the achievable to pursue the impossible. At a terminal altitude of 29,028 feet, they stood triumphant atop the highest peak in the world. With nimble words and a show more straightforward style, New Zealand mountaineering legend Hillary recollects the bravery and frustration, the agony and glory that marked his Everest odyssey. From the 1951 expedition that led to the discovery of the Southern Route, through the grueling Himalayan training of 1952, and on to the successful 1953 expedition led by Colonel John Hunt, Hillary conveys in precise language the mountain's unforgiving conditions. In explicit detail he recalls an Everest where chaotic icefalls force costly detours, unstable snow ledges promise to avalanche at the slightest misstep, and brutal weather shifts from pulse-stopping cold to fiendish heat in mere minutes. In defiance of these torturous conditions, Hillary remains enthusiastic and never hesitates in his quest for the summit. Despite the enormity of his and Norgay's achievement, he regards himself, Norgay, and the other members of his expedition as hardworking men, not heroes. And while he never would have reached the top without practiced skill and technical competence, his thrilling memoir speaks first to his admiration of the human drive to explore, to understand, to risk, and to conquer. show lessTags
Recommendations
Member Recommendations
DuncanHill The two are forever linked.
Member Reviews
Each time I pick this book up and read it again (it's 70 years old!) it gets better and better. How did those guys do it? Look at the photos, see what they are wearing on Everest, they even had to make most of their own climbing gear themselves or use second hand army surplus to get the gear they needed. No climbing shops in those days, climbers were regarded as nut-cases.
Edmund Hillary's "High Adventure: The True Story of the First Ascent of Everest" is a bit like a Primus stove at high altitude. It's slow to get going and sputters along for a bit but once it really gets cooking everything is good.
Hillary writes very simply but effectively of various climbs in the Himalayas, including the first ascent of Everest by himself and Tenzing Norgay. The Everest ascent itself is pretty riveting... the other climbs aren't quite as interesting, but why would they be?
Hillary writes very simply but effectively of various climbs in the Himalayas, including the first ascent of Everest by himself and Tenzing Norgay. The Everest ascent itself is pretty riveting... the other climbs aren't quite as interesting, but why would they be?
For anyone with even a passing interest in mountaineering, the first ascent of the highest peak in the world holds a certain fascination. Hillary's account of this feat is modest and factual without being dry. Even knowing the outcome, I was still cheering the climbers on to the very end. A must read for all armchair climbers.
I couldn't put this book down yet I never wanted it to end. Briefly written and to the point account of Hillary's life up to the summit of Everest. Truly a five star book.
The grand-daddy of climbing adventure books. Ed Hillary's charisma and humour shine through in this one.
It was 3.5 stars but gets an extra half since it is writen by the first guy to climb Everest. It is a very methodical telling. he just walks right through the story of climbing Everest. Not a lot of background. Just gets right to it.
Afar áhugaverð frásögn um fyrstu gönguna á topp Everest
Members
- Recently Added By
Author Information
Mountain climber and explorer Sir Edmund Hillary was born in Auckland, New Zealand on July 20, 1919. He became one of the first two men to successfully climb to the top of Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world. He and his Sherpa guide, Tenzing Norkay, reached the top of Everest on May 29, 1953. Hillary wrote of this conquest in a show more chapter titled "Final Assault," found in The Conquest of Everest by Sir John Hunt. Queen Elizabeth knighted both of them during the coronation festivities of 1953. Before the Everest triumph, Hillary had written several books about his adventures on other famous expeditions, including several climbs of other Himalayan peaks. In 1957, he established New Zealand's Scott Base in Antarctica and led the first vehicles overland to the South Pole. In June 1960, Hillary announced that in the fall he would attempt an ascent of the 27,790-foot Malaka Peak in Nepal, about 20 miles east of Everest. He had two objectives: "...first, to determine the effects of high altitude on climbers not equipped with oxygen equipment and, second, to make further efforts to track down the 'Abominable Snowman'" (New York Times). The results, which were negligible, are told in High in the Thin Cold Air (1962), which Hillary co-authored with Desmond Doig. This expedition did, however, establish a school at Khumjung, which made up for some of the other disappointments. In 1985 Hillary was named ambassador to India. He died on January 11, 2008 at the age of 88. (Bowker Author Biography) Sir Edmund Hillary is the first person to climb Mt. Everest; subsequent to his ascent he was knighted by the Queen of England. (Publisher Provided) show less
Some Editions
Awards and Honors
Series
Belongs to Publisher Series
Work Relationships
Common Knowledge
- Canonical title
- High Adventure
- Original title
- High Adventure
- Original publication date
- 1955
- People/Characters
- Sir Edmund Hillary; Tenzing Norgay; Eric Shipton; John Hunt; George Lowe; Charles Evans (show all 7); Tom Bourdillon
- Important places
- Mount Everest / Sagarmatha; Himalayas; Nepal; Tibet
- Important events
- First Ascent of Mount Everest
- Dedication
- TO
HARRY AYRES
for his superb mastery of snow and ice
TO
ERIC SHIPTON
for his inspiration and unquenchable spirit
TO
JOHN HUNT
for his courage and singleness of purpose<... (show all)br>
AND
TO MY OLD FRIEND
GEORGE LOWE
for so many years of cheerful comradeship - First words
- I was sixteen before I ever saw a mountain.
- Last words
- (Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)And now our adventure was finished!
Classifications
- Genres
- Sports and Leisure, Nonfiction, Biography & Memoir, General Nonfiction, Travel
- DDC/MDS
- 796.522095496 — Arts & recreation Recreation, sports, and performing arts Sports Outdoor leisure Walking and exploring by kind of terrain Mountains, hills and rocks standard subdivisions History, geographic treatment, biography Nepal, Himalayas
- LCC
- DS486 .E8 .H5 — History of Europe, Asia, Africa and Oceania Asia History of Asia India (Bharat) Local history and description
- BISAC
Statistics
- Members
- 408
- Popularity
- 75,820
- Reviews
- 8
- Rating
- (4.01)
- Languages
- 8 — Czech, Danish, English, Finnish, French, German, Spanish, Swedish
- Media
- Paper, Ebook
- ISBNs
- 13
- ASINs
- 19
