Eric Shipton facts for kids

Eric Earle Shipton (born August 1, 1907 – died March 28, 1977) was a famous English mountaineer and explorer. He was known for his amazing trips to the Himalayas and other mountain ranges around the world. He preferred small, light expeditions over large, army-style ones.

Early Life and First Climbs

Eric Shipton was born in Sri Lanka in 1907. His father, who grew tea, passed away when Eric was very young. When he was eight, his mother brought him to London for school.

Eric first saw mountains when he was 15, visiting the Pyrenees with his family. The next summer, he explored Norway with a friend. Within a year, he had started climbing seriously, which would become his life's passion.

Adventures in Africa and the Himalayas

In 1928, Eric moved to Kenya to grow coffee. There, he started climbing big peaks. In 1929, he made his first climb of Nelion, one of the peaks of Mount Kenya. He also met his future climbing friends, Bill Tilman and Percy Wyn-Harris, in Kenya.

With Frank Smythe, Shipton was one of the first climbers to reach the top of Kamet (7,756 meters) in 1931. At that time, it was the highest peak ever climbed!

Eric was involved in many Mount Everest expeditions in the 1930s and later.

• In 1935, he led an Everest expedition. This was also the first time Tenzing Norgay, who later climbed Everest with Edmund Hillary, joined an expedition.
• In 1951, Eric led another important Everest trip. They found the now-famous route over the Khumbu Glacier, which many climbers still use today.

Shipton and Tilman also found a way into the hidden Nanda Devi sanctuary in 1934. Their expedition was done on a very small budget, but they achieved a lot, exploring the mountains for a long time.

During World War II

During World War II, Eric Shipton took on different roles. From 1940 to 1942, he worked as a British Consul in Kashgar, a city in western China. Later, he worked in Iran and Hungary, helping with agriculture and other tasks until the war ended.

Post-War Explorations

After the war, Eric returned to Kashgar in 1946. He continued exploring the mountains of Central Asia.

• In 1947, he discovered and named a huge natural rock arch, now known as Shipton's Arch.
• In 1951, while exploring for the Everest expedition, he explored the Rolwaling Himal and named Island Peak.

During the 1951 Everest trip, Eric Shipton and Dr. Michael Ward even took photos of large footprints. Some people thought these might belong to the Yeti (also called the Abominable Snowman)!

Eric believed that small, agile expeditions were better for climbing than large, military-style ones. Because of this belief, he was not chosen to lead the 1953 Everest expedition, which was instead led by Major John Hunt.

Between 1953 and 1957, Eric worked in different jobs, including as a warden at a mountain school. He also received the CBE award. In 1957, he led a group of students from Imperial College London to the Karakoram mountains.

Later Years and Legacy

For the last ten years of his life, Eric Shipton kept traveling. He gave talks and worked as a guide to support himself. He wrote a book about his life called That Untravelled World in 1969. He visited many places, including the Galápagos Islands, Alaska, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Bhutan, and Nepal.

In 1976, while in Bhutan, he became ill. When he returned to England, doctors found he had cancer, and he passed away in March 1977. His ashes were scattered on Fonthill Lake in Wiltshire.

Eric Shipton's grand-daughter, Zoe Shipton, is now a famous geologist.

Honours

• Patron's Medal of the Royal Geographical Society, 1938
• Livingstone Medal from the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, 1951
• Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his contributions to mountaineering, 1957
• President of the Alpine Club, 1964–1967
• The tallest peak in Tierra del Fuego (2,469 meters) is named after him, celebrating his work in Patagonia.

Mountaineering Highlights

• 1929: First ascent of Nelion (Mount Kenya) by its east face.
• 1931: First ascent of Kamet with Frank Smythe.
• 1934: With Bill Tilman, first to reach the Nanda Devi Sanctuary.
• 1935: Led the Everest Reconnaissance Expedition, where he gave Tenzing Norgay his first chance as a porter.
• 1937: Explored and mapped the northern approaches to K2 with Tilman.
• 1947: Discovered Shipton's Arch in China.
• 1951: Led the Mount Everest Reconnaissance Expedition, finding the route through the Khumbu Icefall. Edmund Hillary was part of this team.
• 1960: Crossed the Southern Patagonia Ice Field in 52 days.
• 1962: Crossed the Cordillera Darwin and made the first ascents of Cerro Yagán and Mount Darwin's three peaks.
• 1973: Made the first ascent of Monte Burney.