Everest Anniversary Part 6: Marooned in freezing blast

May 27, 1953

The thermometer read -25 degrees when Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay awoke at 4am on May 27, 1953.

The wind at Camp VIII could knock men off their feet. They could not attempt to make the summit today. They were marooned.

Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, the first assault party who had made their attempt yesterday, needed to retreat down the mountain. But Bourdillon was in a critical state and neither could make it alone.

Expedition leader John Hunt saw it as his duty to stay and support the main assault. George Lowe, he decided, must go down. Lowe was furious, pointing out that Hunt was exhausted while he felt strong.

To his credit, Hunt changed his mind, opting to descend himself. "I have never admired him more than for this difficult decision," Hillary later wrote.

Hunt had stayed three days above 7900m and when the trio reached Camp VII (7315m), they were exhausted.

Hillary spent the afternoon preparing oxygen sets. Seeing Boudillon's poor state had humbled him. He mulled over Hunt's orders to put safety first. But in his own memoirs Hunt adds, "Left Ed with parting instructions not to give in if avoidable."