2023-05-08 00:49:11
Just a few days before the 60th anniversary of his feat, the heart of Tom Hornbein stopped beating on May 6. Farewell to one of the great mountaineers in history, protagonist along with Willi Unsoeld of the great feat of Everest -with permission from the first ascent achieved by Hillary and Tenzing-. The opening of a route so complicated that since they both conquered it in 1963 only seven other people have managed to complete it successfully.
In honor of his bravery, the last section of the ascent along the West ridge -a steep ravine with an inclination greater than 50º located on the North face- would since then be called the hornbein runner. A stumbling block through which only nine people have managed to reach the summit. The last one, in 1991, which makes clear the difficulty of the route and the feat that both climbers carried out in the 60s.
In fact, Hornbein then became the tenth person to step on the roof of the world and that had already been a decade since the first ascent of Hillary and Tenzing. Those were times of adventure and the conquest of the unknown. That is why the American expedition that was planted that year at base camp sought to reach the top, but also to enter history with this new route that turned out to be the most complicated of all.
Hornbein and Unsoeld’s feat on Everest
mountaineers tour
Summit
del Everest
(8.848 m)
Prolonged exposure above 7.500 m causes damage to the human brain due to lack of oxygen
west ridge
It is considered one of the most complicated routes to Everest. Since Hornbein and Unsoeld opened it in 1963, only 7 other people have made it to the top of the world here.
Fuente: Own elaboration / ABC
the feat of
Hornbein and Unsoeld
on Everest
Prolonged exposure above 7.500 m causes damage to the human brain due to lack of oxygen
tour of
the climbers
Summit
del Everest
(8.848 m)
west ridge
It is considered one of the most complicated routes to Everest. Since Hornbein and Unsoeld opened it in 1963, only 7 other people have made it to the top of the world here.
Fuente: Own elaboration / ABC
After the Khumbu waterfall, stationed in camp II, they reached the west ridge at about 7,300 meters. As they climbed up that ridge, they encountered great difficulties, which led them to enter the north face. On Chinese soil. At that time they did not think about the political consequences that could have. No one could stop them there. They only wanted glory. Conquer the unknown. And they launched into it, because no one knew what they were going to find. There were no photos or maps. Just them and the mountain.
route to the unknown
Bad weather swept away some of their belongings in camp IV, installed at 7,600 meters. Shortly after, they rushed for the summit and found themselves in a narrow corridor that would later take the name of Hornbein. There they had to overcome an inclination greater than 50º, with climbing steps of great difficulty. A feat for the time… and also for current times.
After almost eleven hours of climbing, they finally reached the summit after six in the afternoon and with the sun languishing. After a brief passage through the summit, they launched towards the base camp by the normal routefor which they hoped to find the help of their expedition companions.
Along with two of themBarry Bishop y Lute Jerstad-, they spent the night above 8,500 meters. In the death zone. They resumed the descent four hours later and on the way they received help in the form of oxygen bottles from several members of the expedition who had come to help them.
Unknowingly they had concluded the first trek of Everest. The ascent through the West route and the descent through the South Col. All members of the expedition were treated as heroes upon their return to the United States.
after that, Hornbein resumed his career as a doctor and worked on the study of human limits in height. He was a professor at the University of Washington until 1993, in a life that he devoted entirely to the mountains and to medicine.
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