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The attract of climbing to the highest of the world’s highest mountain is plain for adventurers across the globe. Sir Edmund Hillary and Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay had been the primary confirmed climbers to take action in 1953. As of January of this yr, about 6,664 completely different folks have reached the summit (some have climbed greater than as soon as), for a complete of 11,996 profitable ascents.
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However flip again the pages of climbing historical past just a little greater than 4 a long time in the past and it’s evident that reaching the height of Mount Everest was nonetheless a Herculean job. Within the Eighties, there have been 871 climbers who tried to succeed in the summit, 56 of whom died in the course of the try. Solely 180 made it to the highest.
So, when a bunch of Canadians determined to make an try, it was large information. Early within the Canadians’ climb, two separate accidents killed one Canadian (Vancouver cameraman Blair Griffiths) and three Sherpas. One other Canadian within the group, Calgary’s Laurie Skreslet, then landed within the hospital. He slipped on ice and injured his ribs, whereas carrying the stretcher of Griffiths. Mockingly, the hospital keep led to Skreslet being chosen to try the ascent to the height. The opposite Canadians had been struggling the debilitating results of the oxygen-starved atmosphere, whereas Skreslet was resting in a mountain village hospital. He rejoined the group after per week and was deemed your best option to attempt to attain the summit.
At 10 p.m. on Oct. 5, 1982 Skreslet made historical past and have become the primary Canadian climber to succeed in the summit of Mount Everest. Two Sherpas, Sundare Sherpa and Lhakpa Dorje Sherpa, additionally reached the highest. Fellow Canadian Pat Morrow reached the summit just a few days later. 4 years later, Sharon Wooden of Canmore turned the primary North American lady to climb to the highest of Everest; Dwayne Congdon of Canmore additionally summited that day. Since then, greater than 130 Canadians have climbed Mount Everest.
Listed below are among the archived Calgary Herald tales about Skreslet, Morrow and their historic climbs greater than 4 a long time in the past.
Oct. 4, 1982
Oct. 5, 1982
Oct. 6, 1982
Oct. 7, 1982
Oct. 16, 1982
Oct. 19, 1982
Oct. 22, 1982
Oct. 23, 1982
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Laurie Skreslet continued climbing, main expeditions all over the world and returned to Everest 5 instances. He additionally turned a motivational speaker and was usually concerned in fundraising initiatives in his house province of Alberta through the years.
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