Everest ascension turns 50
May 29, 2003
Since Sir Edmund Hillary arrived at the summit of Mount Everest 50 years ago today, 1,200 climbers have followed in his footsteps, including two UW doctors.
Dr. Thomas Hornbein, a professor in anesthesiology, physiology and biophysics, and Dr. Robert Schoene, director of internal-medicine education for the Department of Medical Education, have scaled the world's tallest mountain, according to the UW's Office of News and Information.
Celebrations began near the 29,035-foot mountain Tuesday with Hillary leading hundreds of climbers and fans in a procession. Nepal's King Gyanendra and Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand are scheduled to honor the climbers at today's celebration.
Hornbein, 72, was a member of the first American expedition to climb Everest. He wrote a book, Everest: The West Ridge, about traversing up the risky west ridge. He was one of the first climbers to take that path to the summit. Hornbein has been teaching at the UW for more than 30 years.
About two-thirds of the people who have climbed Everest are believed to be alive, but only 100 have traveled to Nepal to celebrate the anniversary.
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