▁if ▁necessary ▁after ▁a ▁delay ▁of ▁some ▁days . ▁After ▁Wil fr id ▁No y ce ▁and ▁An null u ▁had ▁forced ▁a ▁passage ▁to ▁the ▁South ▁Col , ▁two ▁clim bing ▁pairs ▁previously ▁selected ▁by ▁H unt ▁attempted ▁to ▁reach ▁the ▁sum mit . ▁The ▁first ▁pair , ▁Charles ▁Evans ▁and ▁Tom ▁Bour d illon , ▁using ▁closed - circ uit ▁o xygen ▁sets ▁ ▁achieved ▁the ▁first ▁as cent ▁of ▁the ▁ ▁South ▁Sum mit , ▁within ▁as ▁little ▁as ▁ ▁of ▁the ▁final ▁sum mit , ▁but ▁could ▁go ▁no ▁further ▁because ▁of ▁o xygen ▁equipment ▁problems ▁and ▁lack ▁of ▁time . ▁Two ▁days ▁later , ▁the ▁second ▁assault ▁was ▁made ▁with ▁the ▁f ittest ▁and ▁most ▁determined ▁clim bing ▁pair . ▁Using ▁conventional ▁open - circ uit ▁o xygen ▁sets , ▁the ▁sum mit ▁was ▁eventually ▁reached ▁at ▁ 1 1 : 3 0   a . m . ▁local ▁time ▁on ▁May ▁ 2 9 , ▁ 1 9 5 3 ▁by ▁the ▁New ▁Ze al ander ▁Edmund ▁Hill ary ▁and ▁T enz ing ▁N org ay , ▁a ▁Nep ali , ▁clim bing ▁the ▁South ▁Col ▁route . ▁They ▁paused ▁at ▁the ▁sum mit ▁to ▁take ▁photograph s , ▁Hill ary ▁saying ▁after ▁ten ▁minutes ▁taking ▁photograph s ▁on ▁the ▁sum mit ▁without ▁his ▁o xygen ▁set ▁on ▁that ▁he ▁" was ▁becoming ▁rather ▁cl ums y - f inger ed ▁and ▁slow - mov ing ". ▁They ▁buried ▁a ▁few ▁swe ets ▁and ▁a ▁small ▁cross