Touching heaven: Everest - in pictures

Edmund Hillary uses stones to secure a tent on a col at the head of the Chola Khola valley during an acclimatisation climb. In the background is Pointed Peak (19,500ft/5,944m) Photograph: Charles Wylie/Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

George Lowe looks on as Tenzing Norgay attaches long-spiked ice and snow crampons to his new climbing boots. The expedition members spent three weeks camping next to the monastery at Thyangboche in order to give them time to acclimatise to the extreme altitude Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Charles Evans cuts George Lowe's hair at the expedition's Base Camp Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

A group of Sherpas gather to eat and write notes at Camp IV Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Bathing in the glacial waters of a mountain stream, Edmund Hillary takes a chance to freshen up Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

A Sherpa carrying a heavy load inches his way across a metal ladder spanning a crevasse. He is secured by rope to the waist of Wilfrid Noyce. Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Edmund Hillary (R) and Tenzing Norgay (L) check their oxygen equipment before setting off from Camp IV on their successful attempt on the Summit of Everest. Note the flags wrapped around Tenzing's ice axe Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Charles Evans and Tom Bourdillon try to gather their strength upon their return to Camp VIII from the South Summit. Problems with Evans' oxygen equipment and a lack of time had prevented them from making an attempt on the Summit itself. During their descent from the Southeast Ridge, Evans had slipped, dragging Bourdillon with him and they had been lucky to arrest their fall. Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Dressed in thick down jackets and woollen mitts to cope with the sub-zero temperatures, George Lowe and Tenzing Norgay share a tent at Camp VIII at 26,000ft (7,925m) on the South Col Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Tenzing Norgay steadies himself with his ice axe as he makes his way down the Lhotse Face Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Roped together and breathing through oxygen masks, Hillary (left) and Tenzing approach a site at almost 28,000ft (8,534m) where they establish their final camp. The expedition’s photographer, Alf Gregory, turned back at this point, leaving the other two to climb higher than anyone ever had Photograph: Alfred Gregory/Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Tenzing Norgay stands on the Summit of Mount Everest holding aloft his ice axe, to which are attached the flags of the United Nations, the United Kingdom, Nepal and India. Afterwards, Tenzing offered to take Hillary’s photograph but he declined, as Norgay recalls: ‘I motioned that I would now take his picture. But for some reason he shook his head; he did not want it’. Photograph: Edmund Hillary/Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Two days after reaching the summit, Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary enjoy a mug of sweet tea on their return to Camp IV in the Western Cwm Photograph: Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)

Members of the successful 1953 expedition team. Hillary and Norgay can be seen standing at the left of the back row Photograph: Alfred Gregory/Royal Geographical Society (with IBG)