Overview
Humans had broken the sound barrier, developed nuclear weapons and discovered DNA, yet before 1953, climbing the summit of Mt Everest was still considered too mammoth a task to accomplish. So when Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay 'knocked the bastard off', it was considered a tremendous feat for human courage and fortitude. The once impossible mountain is now frequently scaled, which posed a series of questions to writer and self-confessed 'Everest nut' Gareth Davies – what took us so long to get there, and was there a lesser known story behind one of New Zealand's greatest historical moments?
Little known is the twist of fate the sent a Kiwi to the top – two British climbers within the 15-strong party had attempted the summit just three days prior, but had been forced to turn back. Everest Untold is an insight into the climbing experience of expedition leader and British Army Colonel Sir John Hunt and the 'other Kiwi', George Lowe, an experienced climber and schoolmaster. Starring Stephen Lovatt (The Book of Everything) and Edwin Wright (Slow West), Everest Untold assumes the form of a guest lecture given to the Otago University Mountaineering Club.
What follows is tales of grit and determination in an inhospitable environment from two unique vantage points – Hunt informs on the technical details of the climb, while Lowe recalls memories of the men involved. A well researched production, expect valuable insights into the roles of the men on the expedition, details of particular difficulties faced and the relationship both men formed with the once unconquerable mountain.