Your outdoor news bulletin for May 29, the day Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay became the first humans to reach the summit of Mount Everest, paving the way for more explorers to touch the ceiling of the world.
In honor of the achievement, here is some of the latest from the Himalayas:
News From Everest
There is a hug controversy brewing over a proposed ladder on Everest. Ladders are everywhere on Everest, helping cross crevases, cliffs, and whatever else they got up there, but this particular ladder is raising eyebrows and voices due to its location: The Hillary Step. Named after the aforementioned Edmund, the Hillary Step is one of the few section of actual climbing on the South Col route, the most popular with tourists – I mean mountaineers.
Nepal is trying to get British climber Daniel Hughes to pay a $2,000 broadcast fee for a live video call he placed from the summit of Everest. Hughes was climbing for charity, raising $1.6 million for Comic Relief. Seems like pennies for the government of a whole nation, but as they say: rules is rules.
And then there’s this: Some crazy Russian BASE jumping from the North Face. It is the highest-ever BASE jump (roughly 23,687 feet), and yes he was wearing a wing suit. See for yourself:
Everest Op-Eds
Everest is overcrowded, polluted, via Washington Post.
Everest is different, melting, via Slate.
Photo Gallery from after first ascent, via LIFE.
Traffic jams are lame, adventure is lost, via The Verge.
