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Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary reached Everest’s summit by climbing the Nepal-side South Col route and following the Southeast Ridge. Their 29 May 1953 summit push came after weeks of carrying supplies, preparing the route and stocking camps; they left their high camp using open-circuit oxygen, crossed the South Summit and climbed the final rock-and-ice obstacle before reaching the top at 11:30 a.m.
Which route did Hillary and Norgay take?
The expedition approached Everest from Nepal. From Base Camp, climbers crossed the Khumbu Glacier and its moving, crevassed Icefall, then traversed the Western Cwm to the Lhotse Face. Climbing that face brought them to the South Col, the high saddle between Everest and Lhotse. From the col, the summit route followed Everest’s Southeast Ridge.
NASA’s route account describes the Icefall and Western Cwm as stages on the approach to Lhotse and the South Col. The ridge was not a separate shortcut to the summit: it was the final high-altitude section of a route built from the glacier approach upward.
How did the expedition prepare the route?
The summit pair did not climb alone. The expedition depended on repeated carries by expedition members and Sherpa support to move tents, food, oxygen and personal equipment higher on the mountain, establish camps and prepare sections of the route. The Royal Geographical Society’s chronology records Base Camp on 12 April and nine further camps along the approach.
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Hillary’s account describes carrying supplies toward the South Col and establishing the high camp with George Lowe, Alfred Gregory and support from Ang Nyima. These logistics mattered because the summit attempt required climbers to reach a high starting point with shelter and equipment already in place, rather than carry everything for the entire ascent in one push.
What happened during the summit attempt?
The first assault pair turned back
Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans made the expedition’s first summit attempt. On 26 May they reached the South Summit, but turned back without continuing to the main summit because they lacked time. Their climb provided route knowledge for the second attempt.
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Hillary and Norgay left Camp IX
Hillary and Norgay made Camp IX at approximately 27,900 feet (8,503 metres) on 28 May. According to the Royal Geographical Society’s chronology, they set out at 6:30 a.m. the next morning. They used open-circuit oxygen and followed prepared steps along parts of the route.
They crossed the South Summit and climbed the final obstacle
The pair reached the South Summit at 9:00 a.m. From there, the ridge narrowed, with cornices on one side and steep rock drops on the other. Hillary described a steep snow slope below the South Summit and the exposed ridge beyond it. At the final rock-and-ice obstacle, he cut steps and belayed Norgay upward. The feature later became known as the Hillary Step.
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They reached the main summit at 11:30 a.m. on 29 May 1953. Manatū Taonga — New Zealand History identifies them as the first people to stand on the summit; this is the careful historical formulation, rather than a claim that no earlier, unverified success was possible. Its history of the first ascent summarizes the route and date.
Why was oxygen important?
Oxygen was part of the expedition’s summit strategy. The first assault pair used closed-circuit sets, while Hillary and Norgay climbed with open-circuit oxygen. Griffith Pugh’s expedition-era discussion described oxygen as immensely valuable in the assault phase, helping climbers maintain a steadier pace at altitude. The distinction matters: the expedition did not use a single oxygen system for every summit climber.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How the ascent unfolded
| Date or time | Event | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 12 April 1953 | Base Camp recorded; the RGS chronology also documents nine further camps along the approach. | Royal Geographical Society |
| 26 May 1953 | Bourdillon and Evans reached the South Summit, then turned back because they lacked time to continue. | Royal Geographical Society |
| 28 May 1953 | Hillary and Norgay established Camp IX at approximately 27,900 feet (8,503 metres). | Royal Geographical Society |
| 29 May, 6:30 a.m. | Hillary and Norgay departed Camp IX using open-circuit oxygen. | Royal Geographical Society |
| 29 May, 9:00 a.m. | They reached the South Summit. | Royal Geographical Society |
| 29 May, 11:30 a.m. | They reached Everest’s main summit. | Royal Geographical Society |
The elevation, times and dates in this table are expedition chronology details reported by the RGS, not general measurements or current elevation figures for Everest.
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