Person

Edmund Hillary: a bee keeper and experienced mountaineer from New Zealand

"Never in the history of Himalayan mountaineering has the responsibility for success been so widely spread amongst members of the expedition. If [Sir John] Hunt had been anything less of a brilliant and determined planner; if [George] Lowe had failed to make a safe and practicable route up the steep Lhotse ice face; if [Charles] Evans and [Tom] Bourdillon had not succeeded in pioneering the route to the South Summit; if all the numerous arduous and difficult jobs had not been performed with courage and resourcefulness our attempt would certainly have failed.

Tenzing and I were given the opportunity to cap off this accumulated store of hard endeavour. That we were successful must be entirely to the credit of the whole expedition."

Role: Spokesperson (especially as time went by)

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Tenzig Norgay: a high-altitude porter from Nepal who often worked also as a climbing member of teams

Role: Optimist & Spy (he had been on many previous expeditions & loved climbing)

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Tom Bourdillon & Charles Evans: the first pair from the team who attempted to reach the summit; they broke trail and left oxygen supplies for the next team of Hillary & Norgay

Role: Active Team Members

Person

Col. John Hunt: expedition leader (created the team, orchestrated the equipment & scientific preparation)

In the words of Sir John Hunt, leader of the 1953 climb, the conquest of Everest is "a tale of sustained and tenacious endeavor by many, over a long period of time."

Colonel John Hunt said the success of his expedition to conquer Mount Everest was due to the work done by past climbers and excellent team work. The British expedition had only completed work which had been going on for many years. "We have climbed on the shoulders of other climbers," he said. Col. Hunt mentioned specially the contributions of the two Swiss expeditions in 1952, and "the wonderful work done by Sherpas".

(The Hindu: http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/2003/06/19/stories/2003061900860900.htm)

Role: Captain & Planner

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George Lowe: Photographer & Cinematographer, created "The Conquest of Everest", a film documenting the achievement

Role: Recorder (in pictures & film; all members kept journals)

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Charles Wylie: British Army in a Ghurkha regiment, fluent in Nepali language (organized and worked with the 350 porters and 35 Sherpas who were part of the team)

Role: Planner & Conflict Resolver

Person

Mike Westmacott: climber and former Indian army officer (kept the treacherous Khumbu Icefall open so that supplies could be brought from lower basecamp to basecamp 6)

"I think every member of the team would have liked to have been to the top—I certainly would. But we did look upon it very much as a team effort, and the fact that those two got to the top was extremely satisfying."

Role: Active Team Member