This image of Sir Graeme Dingle and Peter Hillary above the Imja Glacier in Nepal was used as the front cover of the 1983 edition of Hallmark Magazine and captures one of the most ambitious expeditions of its time.
In January 1981, Graeme set out with a small team to attempt the first traverse of the Himalaya from Kangchenjunga in the east to K2 in the west. No one had ever completed the journey on foot from end to end, and Graeme and Peter were determined to be the first in the world to do it
Peter, the son of Sir Edmund Hillary, was very much a chip off the old block. While his father hoped he would head to university, Peter had other ideas – he wanted to be an adventurer.
Graeme had been employed by Hallmark to design and test equipment in some of the world’s most demanding environments. In many ways, the expedition became a field test, pushing new designs to their limits in real Himalayan conditions. To make the traverse possible, the team had to travel light. The “lightweight concept” meant redesigning everything – tents, packs, and suits all purpose-built for this journey.
Chewang Tashi, assigned by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation, joined the team as they pushed west for nine gruelling months. A provisioning crew kept them supplied with freeze-dried food, replacement gear, and film. Living at altitude placed relentless strain on the body. Sleep was scarce. Conditions were cold and unforgiving.
After 265 days, they reached the base of K2, completing the first traverse. The journey was later documented in the book First Across the Roof of the World.
It was not an expedition defined by comfort or glory, but by endurance, partnership, and resolve, a chapter that helped shape the values carried forward into the Graeme Dingle Foundation.
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