Forum-Actualite.com • Débats Politiques

Seeing as our previous thread got hijacked, let's start a new one When you think we have to put up with a French speaking mod! I'm gonna take this issue with the direction

New year, new posts. Come on people, speak up!

JoeBAR a écrit :Seeing as our previous thread got hijacked, let's start a new one When you think we have to put up with a French speaking mod! I'm gonna take this issue with the direction

New year, new posts. Come on people, speak up!

Hello Fonck,and all of you guys,

As a matter of course,it was only just in time to bury some desagreements. We start a new year and I think that all of us are favoroubly disposed to continue our English lessons and have regards for the conventions.And as JoeBar said,come people, speak up...drop a line,a sentence or a joke,Have a very active imagination. Till soon

Stévenot Gilbert a écrit :
Hello Fonck,and all of you guys,

As a matter of course,it was only just in time to bury some desagreements. We start a new year and I think that all of us are favoroubly disposed to continue our English lessons and have regards for the conventions.And as JoeBar said,come people, speak up...drop a line,a sentence or a joke,Have a very active imagination. Till soon

Glad to see we're all friends again. Now, what can we talk about that gonna draw some attention. Since Fonck1 DARED write in French in OUR part of the forum, everybody's gone. Let's blame him

On a side note, I wonder if we should discuss some subjects like the news, or sports, as in ... I dunno, how about some recent articles from the BBC or CNN?

Yes, I think it's a good idea to discuss some recent articles from the BBC or CNN!

[quote="JoeBAR"][quote="Stévenot Gilbert"]

Hello Fonck,and all of you guys,

Glad to see we're all friends again. Now, what can we talk about that gonna draw some attention. Since Fonck1 DARED write in French in OUR part of the forum, everybody's gone. Let's blame him

On a side note, I wonder if we should discuss some subjects like the news, or sports, as in ... I dunno, how about some recent articles from the BBC or CNN.

Hello dear friends,
Sir Edmond's health has been in decline since April. As you knew he was the fist man to climb the highest mountain Everest the 8850 m peak, with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.
Well, he said, we hane knocked the "son of a bitch" or the bastard if you want.
After climbing the highest montain; he has climbed the last one, on his way to Paradise.... No more moutains to climb, no more need of oxygen... Rest in Peace great Hero.

I hadn't ever heard of that man

Sir Edmund Hillary

Edmund Hillary was born to Percival Augustus Hillary and Gertrude Hillary, née Clark, in Tuakau (south of Auckland), on 20 July 1919.[3] His grandparents were early settlers in northern Wairoa in the mid 19th century after emigrating from Yorkshire.[4] Hillary was educated at Auckland Grammar School. His daily bus journey to and from school was over two hours each way, during which he regularly used the time to read. As he grew up he was smaller than his peers and very shy so he took refuge in his books and daydreams of a life filled with adventure. At 16 his interest in climbing was sparked during a school trip to Mount Ruapehu. Though gangly and uncoordinated he found that he was physically strong and had greater endurance than many of his tramping companions. In 1939 he completed his first major climb, reaching the summit of Mount Oliver in the Southern Alps.

With his brother, Rex, Hillary became a beekeeper,[3][5] a summer occupation that allowed him to pursue climbing in the winter.[6]

World War II

On the outbreak of the war Hillary applied to join the air force, but withdrew the application before it was considered because he was "harassed by my religious conscience".[7] Following the introduction of conscription on the outbreak of war in the Pacific, in 1943 Hillary joined the RNZAF as a navigator and served on Catalina flying boats. In 1945 he was sent to Fiji and to the Solomon Islands where he was badly burned in a boating accident, after which he was repatriated to New Zealand.[7]

Expeditions

Hillary was part of a British reconnaissance expedition to Everest in 1951 led by Eric Shipton before joining the successful British attempt of 1953.

In 1952 Hillary and George Lowe were part of the British team led by Eric Shipton that attempted Cho Oyu. After that attempt failed due to the lack of route from the Nepal side, Hillary and Lowe crossed the Lho-La into Tibet and reached the old Camp II, on the northern side, where all the pre-war expeditions camped.

1953 Everest Expedition

The route to Everest was closed by Chinese-controlled Tibet and Nepal only allowed one expedition per year. A Swiss expedition (in which Tenzing took part) had attempted to reach the summit in 1952 but was turned back by bad weather 800 feet (260 m) from the summit. During a 1952 trip in the Alps Hillary discovered he and his friend George Lowe had been invited for the approved British 1953 attempt and immediately accepted.[8]

Shipton was named as leader but was replaced by Hunt. Hillary considered pulling out but both Hunt and Shipton talked him into remaining. Hillary was intending to climb with Lowe but Hunt named two teams for the assault: Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans; and Hillary and Tenzing. Hillary therefore made a concerted effort to forge a working friendship with Tenzing.[8]

The Hunt expedition, like many such expeditions, was a team effort. Lowe supervised the preparation of the Lhotse Face, a huge and steep ice face, for climbing. Hillary forged a route through the treacherous Khumbu Icefall.[8]

The expedition set up base camp in March 1953. Working slowly it set up its final camp at the South Col at 7,900 metres (25,900 ft). On 26 May Bourdillon and Evans attempted the climb but turned back when Evans's oxygen system failed. The pair had reached the South Summit, coming within 100 metres (330 ft) of the summit.[9] Hunt then directed Hillary and Tenzing to go for the summit.

Snow and wind held the pair up at the South Col for two days. They set out on 28 May with a support trio of Lowe, Alfred Gregory and Ang Nyima. The two pitched a tent at 8,500 metres (27,900 ft) on 28 May while their support group returned down the mountain. On the following morning Hillary discovered that his boots had frozen solid outside the tent. He s àpent two hours warming them before he and Tenzing attempted the final ascent wearing 30-pound (10 kg) packs.[8] The crucial move of the last part of the ascent was the 40-foot (12 m) rock face later named the "Hillary Step". Hillary saw a means to wedge his way up a crack in the face between the rock wall and the ice and Tenzing followed.[10] From there the following effort was relatively simple. They reached the summit at 11:30 am.[3]. As Hillary put it, "A few more whacks of the ice axe in the firm snow, and we stood on top."[11]
Tenzing Norgay on the summit of Mt Everest. Photograph taken by Hillary, 29 May 1953
Tenzing Norgay on the summit of Mt Everest. Photograph taken by Hillary, 29 May 1953

They spent only about 15 minutes at the summit. They unsuccessfully looked for evidence of the earlier Mallory expedition. Hillary took Tenzing's photo, Tenzing left chocolates in the snow as an offering, and Hillary left a cross that he had been given.[8] Because Tenzing did not know how to use a camera, there are no pictures of Hillary there.[12]

The two had to take care on the descent after discovering that drifting snow had covered their tracks to complicate the task. The first person they met was Lowe, who had climbed up to meet them with hot soup.[8]

"Well George, we finally knocked the bastard off."

– Hillary's first words, to lifelong friend George Lowe, on returning from Everest's summit

News of the successful expedition reached Britain on the day of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. The group was surprised by the international acclaim that they received upon arriving in Kathmandu.[8]