Mountaineers from around the world and Nepal’s royal family were gathering in the capital Kathmandu today to join Sir Edmund Hillary in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest.

Half a century on from his great achievement, Sir Edmund Hillary still plays down being one of the first two men to set foot on the summit of Everest.

Storms forced more than 100 climbers to retreat from the south face of Mount Everest today, amid celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the first conquest of the world’s highest peak.

Forty-nine years after his grandfather became one of the first two men to climb Mount Everest, Tashi Wangchuk Tenzing today reached the top of the world’s highest peak.