Unseen photographs show how the Everest story broke
- Published
Reuters correspondent Peter Jackson became the first journalist to take photographs of Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay after they climbed Mount Everest. Pictures he took at the time chart his own journey across the Himalayan ranges to cover the story.
Jackson needed 11 porters to carry his equipment part of the way up the mountain, eventually stopping to wait for news of the climbers at the Thyangboche Monastery.
His journey took several weeks of climbing and perilous river crossings.
But Jackson waited for Tenzing and Hillary, and took this famous picture of them smiling as they returned from the summit.
Back from the mountain, crowds flocked to meet the successful climbers and many journalists tried to get interviews.
The climbers received a heroes' welcome and Jackson continued to photograph them.
The King of Nepal greeted Hillary, Tenzing and Colonel John Hunt, the expedition's team leader, at the Royal Palace in Nepal.
There was speculation over which climber reached the summit first. This Nepalese banner depicted Tenzing alone at the top.
Jackson said he was told the two climbers had got a few feet from the top together, before Tenzing told Hillary to go up to the summit first.
Tenzing - pictured here - then followed Hillary to the summit, carrying the flags of Britain, India and Nepal, Jackson said.
- Published29 May 2013
- Published29 May 2013