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On top of the World 50 years ago
History has it that 50 years today (29 May, 1953) the world's
highest peak - Mt Everest - was finally conquered.
The glory for that expedition to the summit of Everest has
gone to Sir Edmund Hillary, a fantastic New Zealand mountain
climber, and Tenzing Norgay his devoted sherpa guide.
Controversy has raged over which of the pair got to the summit
first and both have always said they got there together.
However, by demanding Freedom of Information details I can
now prove there was a third person at the summit of Mt Everest.
Me.
Without fibbing I can honestly say that as a much-younger
man I was a bit of an adventurer and when Ed, as I knew him
then, suggested having a bit of a trek through the Himalayas
I threw in the idea of of why not going for the top of Mt
Everest.
"Why?" asked he, adding his corns were playing
up a bit.
"Because it's there," I said puffing my thin and
asthmatic chest out as far as I could without coughing. And
I could swear I heard the strains of Land of Hope and Glory
playing in the background as I set off a very manly pose.
Anyway, it didn't take Ed long to agree to the slight diversion
and along with our sherpa mate we headed off up the hill,
as we called it.
Have to say that three-quarters of the way up I was buggered,
but like a true fighter I soldiered on - actually carrying
Tenzing and Ed the last 100 metres to the summit.
Because of that they let me have the honour of being the
first chappie on top of the hill and I have to say it was
an astounding sight. But, as I was setting up the camera for
the historic pictures I accidentally stepped backwards and
fell off the summit.
You can picture the scene can't you. Here we are at a major
moment in human history, two blokes standing atop Mt Everest,
and a third screaming down the mountain at a zillion miles
an hour on his back.
Mind you, despite the fact the other two got all the glory
- I was the one who came up with the idea of nappies for adults
coz I fair XXXX XXXXX (okay Grump that's about enough of that
-ED).
Anyway, I don't begrudge Ed the fame, although there are
still times when I'm eating a snowcone that I just burst into
uncontrollable tears. I must be getting emotional in my old
age.
Got to go ... sniff.
Grumpy
Old Coot has a warped view of life, check him out
If there is something that has really got up your nose,
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