Tom Hornbein, Everest West Ridge pioneer, in American Alpine Club Legacy Series
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American Alpine Club archive
Born in St. Louis in 1930, Tom Hornbein is one of America's foremost mountaineers, famous above all for blazing his way to the summit of Everest in 1963 via the hitherto unclimbed, daunting West Ridge with Willi Unsoeld.
After reaching the summit at 18:15 on 22 May the two then tenaciously descended the South Col route where they met up with fellow expedition members Barry Bishop and Lute Jerstad.
Having run out of supplementary oxygen and exhausted they endured a windless bivoauc at circa 8500 meters before descending to safety; this first traverse of the highest mountain in the world has often been described as a quantum leap in high altitude mountaineering.
The Hornbein Couloir, named in Tom's honour, represents the crux of the route and stands as testament to his determination, spirit of adventure and quest for uncertainty.
