2 First to the Top

First to the Top written by Diana Freeman

Edmund Hillary was a young man who lived in New Zealand. He liked climbing high mountains. In 1953, he went to Nepal to climb the highest mountain in the world. Mt. Everest

Hillary was with a team of climbers who all wanted to go to the top of Mt. Everest. They were helped by men called Sherpas, who lived in Nepal. Tenzing Norgay was a strong Sherpa. Sherpas

They made a camp with tents on the snow. The climbers had special clothes to keep them warm and dry. They had ice axes and strong ropes. They needed snow goggles and boots with spikes.

When the weather was right, the men climbed higher and higher all day. They made new camps as they went up. Sometimes there were snowstorms. Then they had to wait in the camps.

All the men wanted to be first to the top. The two strongest climbers were chosen. Hillary and Tenzing climbed together to try to reach the top of Mt. Everest. Hillary and Tenzing