In reply to nz Cragrat: Piece by Jan Morris (journalist on the 1953 expedition) in today's Guardian
http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,2239514,00.html
here's an extract of relevence to the above discussion
"In itself, to his mind, climbing Everest was a modest claim to fame, nothing showy. It was a personal, private thing that he had done, but which had led him into lifelong friendships with the Sherpa people, who greatly respected and loved him. I will bet that the achievement he was proudest of in his life was the many years, after the ascent, which he dedicated to helping the Sherpas.
It had never occurred to me, when they came down from the summit, to ask who got there first, though I now know that it was the question that journalists would ask repeatedly. It was Hillary, by a rope, but he resisted saying so for much of his life.
I think he didn't want to upset the Nepalis, who regarded Tenzing as the hero of the day, and of course he was, an absolutely equal hero. But he also genuinely believed that it was an achievement of the team. "