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The Other "Fab Four"
Four men combined forces in the spring of 1962 to attempt a first American ascent of Everest along a most improbable route. Although climbed already in 1953 by a British/New Zealand/Tibetan team, in 1957 by the Swiss, and possibly in 1960 by the Chinese, Everest was still the most coveted prize in mountaineering. That no American had yet stepped foot on the mountain was certainly a driving force for Woodrow Wilson Sayre. His thorough planning and visionary leadership helped to inspire three others to accompany him on his quest for immortality.
Woodrow Wilson Sayre
Professor of philosophy at Tufts University near Boston, Massachusetts, Woody--as he was known--had a reputation as an eccentric and a rabble rouser. Among his students, he was a highly respected and popular educator. His tremendous physical and mental energy were more than his academic life could contain, and he had a burning desire to make his mark on the world in dramatic ways.
Everest was Woody's idea. He had planned to test himself on the mountain since his late 20s. He climbed Denali and Mt. Whitney in superalpine style to test himself and prepare for the "big one." In 1962, at 42 years of age, he finally realized he was running short of time, and his meticulously laid plans finally blossomed. He may well have known that a group of professional American mountaineers would try Everest for the first time in 1963, but his primary motivation appeared to have come from within. He needed to test himself. And he indeed would.
Norman Hansen
Norm was Woody's first choice, a long trusted friend and regular climbing partner who had also been with him on Denali. An attorney, the unmarried Norm had few fears and a playfulness that encouraged Woody's dreaming. Norm took Everest seriously, and he knew it would test them, but he never let altitude sickness keep him from smiling through the hardest of days.
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Roger Hart
A Tufts senior majoring in geology, Roger was president of the college Mountaineering Club and a former Appalachian Mountain Club hut crew member. He had never climbed above 2000 meters, but was exceptionally strong and fit. He had taken Woody's introductory philosophy course and had rock climbed with him on occasion before Woody invited him on the expedition. A native of Lynn, Massachusetts, he did secure his parents' blessing before arranging to take off for Nepal. It would be Roger who would find the fourth expedition member while the original three were enroute to Nepal. He did in fact receive his degree on time, continuing on for graduate training at Yale University in the fall of 1962.
Hans Peter Duttle
A native of lowland Bern, Hans Peter was an avid climber, but he felt he was never accepted by the Swiss mountaineering establishment because he was not raised in the heart of the Swiss Alps. He studied to be a school teacher, although he tried to spend every free moment testing himself in the mountains. When he serendipitously met Roger in a Zermatt hostel during his winter school vacation, he jumped at the chance to prove he too could reach the top of Everest, as his countrymen had done in 1957.
When Roger introduced Hans-Peter to Woody and Norm, he was quickly accepted as both worthy and compatible. He then quickly secured leave from his student teaching position, and was off to Nepal in a matter of weeks.
The "Four" 39 years later at an expedition reunion on Martha's Vineyard
Contacts and Connections
Send e-mail to Rand McNeely or call him in the USA at 617-417-9020 or in Canada at 604-617-8624. You may also contact 1962 expedition team member Hans-Peter Duttle.
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