![Tom Hornbein in 2011. [Photo] Claudia Camila Lopez](https://i0.wp.com/alpinist.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/tom-hornbein-1.jpg?resize=930%2C620&ssl=1)
What’s Past is Prologue: Tom Hornbein’s Winding Road to Chomolungma
To honor the life of Tom Hornbein, who died on May 6, 2023, at his home in Estes Park, Colorado, at age 92, we are sharing this feature story from Alpinist 73 (2021) by mountaineering historian Maurice Isserman. Hornbein was one of America’s greatest climbers, best known for completing the first ascent of Mt. Everest’s West Ridge with Willi Unsoeld in 1963. He also earned distinction in his long career as an anesthesiologist and advanced research on the effects of altitude on the human body. The American Alpine Club awarded him the AAC President’s Gold Medal twice and bestowed him with an honorary membership and special recognition for service to the club. In this story, Isserman interviews Hornbein about the youthful adventures that led him to the world’s highest peak and the meanings that he still sought in the mountains at age 90.
