Everest | 1951 Khumbu Glacier-Khumbu Icefall (recon)

A UK expedition to Everest in 1951 via Khumbu Glacier-Khumbu Icefall (recon), led by Eric Shipton. Summit reached on 28th October 1951. 9 members recorded.

Expedition Details

Field Value
ID 2747
Imported 2026-03-06 18:04:49.359634
Expedition ID EVER51301
Peak ID EVER
Year 1951
Season 3
Host Country 1
Route 1 Khumbu Glacier-Khumbu Icefall (recon)
Route 2 -
Route 3 -
Route 4 -
Nationality UK
Leaders Eric Shipton
Sponsor British Reconnaissance to Mt. Everest
Success 1 False
Success 2 False
Success 3 False
Success 4 False
Ascent 1 -
Ascent 2 -
Ascent 3 -
Ascent 4 -
Claimed False
Disputed False
Countries New Zealand
Approach Khumbu Valley
Basecamp Date 1951-09-29
Summit Date 1951-10-28
Summit Time -
Summit Days 29
Total Days 31
Termination Date 1951-10-30
Termination Reason 10
Termination Notes -
High Point (m) 6000
Traverse False
Ski False
Paraglide False
Camps 0
Fixed Rope (m) 0
Total Members 6
Summit Members 0
Member Deaths 0
Total Hired 5
Summit Hired 0
Hired Deaths 0
No Hired False
O2 Used False
O2 None True
O2 Climb False
O2 Descent False
O2 Sleep False
O2 Medical False
O2 Taken False
O2 Unknown False
Other Summits Recon Cho Oyu (CHOY-513-01) and Pumori (PUMO-513-01)
Campsites BC(29/09,5485m),xxx(28/10,6000m)
Route Notes Hillary - 7 March 79 In 1951 (and 1952) crossed Nangpa La and looked at north side (Gyabrag Glacier) Shipton and Hillary crossed into Hongu from Imja via Amphu Laptsa to West Col. Riddleford and Hillary made first foreign crossing of Tashi Laptsa. Ward and Shipton made 1st crossing of Menlung La into Menlung Glacier. Hillary, Shipton, Bourdillon, Riddleford and Pasang Dawa Lama climbed to top of Khumbu Icefall and saw Cwm was feasible route to Everest. Shipton and Hillary climbed ESE Ridge of Pumori and first looked into Cwm (the ESE Ridge was attempted by Hammish MacInnes in '53).
Accidents -
Achievement -
Agency -
Commercial Route False
Standard Route -
Primary Route False
Primary Member False
Primary Reference -
Primary ID -
Checksum 2435989
Year 1951
Summit Success False
O2 Summary None
Route (lowercase) khumbu glacier-khumbu icefall (recon)

Members

9 recorded members.

Name Sex Year of Birth Citizenship Status Residence Occupation
Eric Earle Shipton M 1907 UK Leader London, England - Details Other expeditions
Thomas Duncan (Tom) Bourdillon M 1924 UK Climber Aylesbury, Buckingham, England - Details Other expeditions
Edmund Percival Hillary M 1919 New Zealand Climber Auckland, New Zealand Apiarist & alpinist Details Other expeditions
William Hutchison (Bill) Murray M 1913 UK Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Harold Earle Riddiford M 1921 New Zealand Climber - - Details Other expeditions
Michael Phelps Ward M 1925 UK Climber Petworth, W Sussex, England Surgeon Details Other expeditions
Ang Tharkay Sherpa M 1908 Nepal Sirdar Khunde, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Pasang Dawa Sherpa M 1912 Nepal H-A Worker Khumjung, Khumbu - Details Other expeditions
Nima Sherpa M - Nepal H-A Worker Solukhumbu - Details Other expeditions

References

10 recorded references.

Expedition ID Journal Author Title Publisher Citation Yak 94
EVER51301 - Shipton, Eric The Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition 1951 Hodder & Stoughton, London - S435
EVER51301 HJ Murray, W. H. The Reconnaissance of Mount Everest - 17:19-41 (1952) -
EVER51301 AJ Murray, W. H. The Reconnaissance of Mount Everest, 1951 - 58:433-452 (Nov 1952) -
EVER51301 AAJ - - - 26:377-381 (1952) -
EVER51301 MW - - - 279-281 (1951) -
EVER51301 MW Kurz, Marcal Himalaya 1951-1952 - 190-205 (1954) -
EVER51301 - Hillary, Edmund High Adventure Hodder & Stoughton, London - H316
EVER51301 - - http://publications.americanalpineclub.org/articles/12195237700/Asia-Nepal-British-Everest-Expedition-1951 - - -
EVER51301 - - https://www.himalayanclub.org/hj/17/2/the-reconnaissance-of-mount-everest-19511/ - - -
EVER51301 - - https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1952_files/AJ58%201952%20433-452%20Murray%20Everest%20Recce.pdf - - -