Tao of Pauly

Everest Half-Century Celebrated! Rallies are being held to mark the anniversary and celebrations are taking place across Nepal to mark the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Everest by Sir Edmund Hillary and the late Tenzing Norgay.

Here's what Stephen A. wrote:  

"Yes 50 years ago Thursday, May 29th, Ed Hillary spoke those timeless words "Well, we knocked the bastard off." The climbing fraternity are flocking to Kathmandu, Nepal like a fat kid on a ho-ho. Celebrations have been taking place for the past couple of weeks now, and will end in a fever pitch on the 29th. Records have been broken... first black summiter, most assents by one person, a sherpa who's name escapes me with 13 and the youngest assent at 19 by young Roskelly from my hometown, Spokane, Washington. (Go Tribe!) Wish I were in Nepal to see the festivities and meet some of the legendary names to summit Chomolungma in Tibetan, Sagarmantha in Nepali, and Everest in English to me though she will always be, CHOMOLUNGMA, GODDESS MOTHER OF THE WORLD."