New Zealander Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest on May 29, 1953, as part of a British expedition, a major milestone in mountaineering history.
"History was written 70 years ago by these two simple, humble and kind gentlemen who gave back everything they could to the people of the Himalayas," the son of Nepal's first climber, Jamling Tenzing Norgay, said at the ceremony.
Monks blessed the duo's smiling statues, erected near the runway of Tenzing-Hillary Airport in Lukla, which includes access to Everest Base Camp, the first stop for climbers seeking to climb the summit.
70 years of climbing Everest © Valentin RAKOVSKY, Sabrina BLANCHARD / AFP
"It must have been a terrifying moment for them, no one before had been able to do it," said Peter Hillary, son of Edmund Hillary, referring to a difficult key passage in the final part of the climb that has been dubbed Jump Hillary.
Locals have arranged khatas, traditional Tibetan scarves, around the necks of statues.
Since the first ascent, more than 6,000 climbers have reached the summit of Everest (8,849 meters above sea level) according to the Himalayan Database, a database that lists all ascents made in the Himalayas in Nepal.
The ascent of Everest, which has become a flagship product of expedition organizing agencies, brings revenue to the government, which imposes on foreign mountaineers an ascent permit costing $ 11,000.
1953, the first ascent of Everest © Valentin RAKOVSKY / AFP
For the 2023 season, 478 permits were issued. With most foreigners seeking the ascent needing a guide, more than 900 people, a record, are likely to reach the summit.
© 2023 AFP