Above, left: Both men and women carried loads on the 1953 Mount Everest Expedition. During a rest stop, a Sherpani combs and greases her Sherpa boyfriend’s hair.

Above, right: A Sherpa porter tending a cooking fire. Hot food and drink are vital fuel to sustaining any expedition. Cooks such as Dawa Thondup were loved by many of the team members for the food they prepared and served even at the loftiest elevations.