Word: hunts
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Dates: during 1950-1959
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Team No. 2 was Hillary, the beekeeper from Auckland, New Zealand, and Tenzing, the sinewy Asian whom Colonel Hunt named "the greatest Sherpa of them all." They dragged themselves up to 27,900 ft. and there, on a rocky ledge, they spent a gale-swept night in a ragged tent...
...last climb was 3,000 ft. No one man could have tried it if Hunt had not planned well. In the last exhausting stages, two assault teams (two men to each) had been "babied" for the final attack. Team No. 1 got the order...
Such hero-worshiping frenzy nurtured flames of nationalism that already were licking at the bright achievement itself. Nepalese busily spread the rumor that Tenzing had first gained the summit, then hauled up the New Zealander, who was too weak to make it alone. This provoked Colonel Hunt to turn rumor into row by insisting that it was Hillary who led all the way. Hunt also observed, with a patronizing qualification, that "Tenzing is a brilliant climber, within the limitations of his experience...
Queen Elizabeth's decision to knight Hunt and Hillary, but to delay decorating Tenzing until his nationality had been established, made matters worse. King Tribhuvan of Nepal decided to even things up by giving Tenzing the Star of Nepal. First Class, while dismissing the two Britons with the lesser Order of the Strong Right Arms of the Gurkhas. He offered Tenzing his private plane, while Hunt and the British were left to go it alone...
Finally Colonel Hunt called a press conference for Tenzing, Hillary and himself. They all agreed that the two men, roped together, had in effect reached the summit simultaneously. "A magnificent and wonderful comrade," said Hunt of Tenzing. "My own brothers," said Tenzing. "Hillary is my lifelong friend...