Farewell to the Last Member of the First Successful Everest Expedition

Darwin, 17 October

The world bids farewell to the last surviving member of the first successful Mount Everest expedition — marking the end of an unforgettable chapter in mountaineering history.

According to international media reports, the veteran climber passed away at his home after a long illness. With his death, the final living link to the 1953 expedition — which first placed humankind on the summit of the world’s highest peak — has now been lost.

The expedition, led by British mountaineer Sir John Hunt, achieved the impossible when Sir Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay of Nepal reached the summit of Mount Everest on May 29, 1953. The mission’s success became a global symbol of courage, teamwork, and the indomitable human spirit.

In tributes from around the world, fellow climbers, historians, and admirers remembered the late mountaineer as a quiet hero whose contributions helped shape the legacy of Himalayan exploration. Nepal’s tourism ministry and several mountaineering associations have expressed deep sorrow, calling his passing “the end of an era.”

Experts say his death reminds the world of the extraordinary risks and determination that defined early Himalayan expeditions — a time when limited technology and sheer willpower carried climbers to heights never before reached.

As flags fly at half-mast in his honor, the mountaineering community reflects on the courage of those who turned a dream into one of the greatest achievements in human history.