The first 10 climbers of Mount Everest had to incur significant risks as they were traveling a less traveled and treacherous path. Many enthusiastic and hardworking climbers had failed before these 10 persons succeeded. Even today, mountaineers are inspired by tales of achievement related to them. Every mountaineer's dream is to summit Mount Everest (8,848 m), the highest peak in the world. Conquering the peak gives the highest pride to every climber. This Himalayan peak must be climbed with Herculean effort and equal amounts of preparation. The first 10 persons to climb Mount Everest first are listed below.

Sir Edmund Hillary (29th May 1953)

Sir Edmund Hillary is the first person to conquer the highest peak, Mount Everest. He was born in Tuakau, New Zealand, on July 20, 1919. Sir Edmund Hillary ascend the peak from the Southeast Ridge. He had also scaled mountains in New Zealand and Europe before ascending Everest. Sir Edmund Hillary was on the team for the expedition that Lord John Hunt in Great Britain commanded. At 11:30 in the morning, he arrived at the summit. He became interested in mountaineering while he was a secondary school student. Edmund Hillary's first significant accomplishment was climbing Mount Ollivier, which he accomplished in 1939.


Sherpa Tenzing Norgay (29th May, 1953)

Tenzing Norgay was born on May 29, 1914, in Khumbu, Nepal on May 29, 1914. On May 29, 1953, at the age of 39, Norgay successfully ascended Mount Everest as a member of the first British expedition to do so, which also included Edmund Hillary. Tenzing Norgay and Raymond Lambert had participated in an Edouard Wyss-Dunant-led Swiss expedition in the spring of 1952. The record height they attained during this journey was 8,600 meters. The same year, Norgay took part in two missions. Gabriel Chevalley was in charge of the second one during the fall. Sadly, the team had to descend from an altitude of 8100 m due to bad weather.
 

Ernst Schmied (23rd May, 1956)

Albert Eggler's Swiss mission included Ernst Schmied. Jürg Marmet followed Schmied closely while he scaled Mount Everest. There were no mishaps at all during the voyage. Seracs, huge glacial ice was destroyed using explosives during the trip. On this expedition, wooden beams and ladders were used to enable the mountaineers to navigate the crevasses. He conquered the mission through the South East Ridge on 23rd May 1956. 

Jürg Marmet (23rd May, 1956)

On September 14th, 1927, Jürg Marmet was born in Bern, Switzerland. He ascends the peak with Ernst Schmied following his journey by the same South East Ridge path. In 1953, he also scaled Mount Asgard previously. Marmet worked as a chemical engineer and certified mountain guide. Jürg Marmet had climbed several peaks between 5,000 and 6,000 meters in height before attempting Mount Everest to acclimatize.

Dölf Reist (24th May 1956)

The Swiss expedition, which also included Jürg Marmet and Ernst Schmied, included Dölf Reist too. Dölf Reist and Hans Rudolf von Gunten climbed Everest together. They ascended just the next day after Jürg Marmet and Ernst Schmied. After a four-hour hike from camp 7, Dölf Reist and Hans Rudolf von Gunten reached the summit. They spent roughly two hours at the summit.

Hans Rudolf von Gunten (24th May 1956)

Dölf Reist, Ernst Schmied, and Jürg Marmet were also a part of the Swiss expedition where Hans Rudolf von Guten was also a part of the team. The 10-person Swiss expedition, of which Hans Rudolf von Gunten was a member, also had a geographer and a glaciologist. Before embarking on the Everest Expedition, Hans Rudolf von Gunten's expedition scaled Lhotse Peak. He expended the highest peak a day after his fellow members, Jurg Marmert and Ernst Schmied.

Wang Fu-chou (25th May 1960)

Shih Cahn-Chun was the leader of a Chinese expedition that included Wang Fu-chou.

Using the North Col-North East Ridge route, the Chinese team became the first to successfully ascend Everest through the route. Western mountaineers initially questioned the veracity of the Chinese claim to have ascended Mount Everest. Also, the Chinese team's claim was questioned because there isn't a summit photo of their ascent.

Konbu, formerly Gonpa (25th May 1960)

The Chinese expedition to Mount Everest was led by Shih Cahn-Chun including Konbu. He was formally known as Gonpa. Konbu was a soldier in the People's Liberation Army before he became a mountaineer. He conquered the great mountain through the North Col-North East Ridge. He was also the first Tibetan to reach the summit.
 

Chu Ying-hua (25th May 1960)

Chu Ying-hua was also a member of the same Chinese team as Wang Fu-chou and Konbu alias Gonpa. This group of mountaineers, led by Shih Cahn-Chun, included both Chinese and Tibetan climbers. He was the first climber of Mount Everest from the North (Tibet-China).

Jim Whittaker (1st May 1963)

Jim Whittaker is the first American to ascend Mount Everest. He was born in Seattle, Washington, on February 10, 1929. Whittaker was a participant in the American expedition under Norman G. Dyhrenfurth. Jim Whittaker and his twin brother Lou used to practice climbing techniques on a 30-foot man-made rock when they were kids which made it Jim easier in the future to acclimatize the climb. He conquered the climb through the South East Ridge.

Conclusion

Even though it's encouraging to see more and more people becoming interested in Himalayan mountaineering excursions, the Everest climbing craze is also endangering the delicate environment and beauty of the glaciers and Himalayas. Many of the tourists are seen dumping plastic bottles all over the mountain and chopping down trees for firewood. The climbers act as though they are the region's lords, as stated by Sir Edmund Hillary. Nature must be saved as it's our home.