Eric Shipton - Early Years

Early Years

Born in Ceylon ( Now known as Sri Lanka ) in 1907 where his father, a tea planter, died before he was three years old. When he was eight his mother brought him to London so that he could be educated. When he failed the entrance exam to Harrow School his mother sent him to Pyt House School in Wiltshire. His first real encounter with mountains was at 15, when he visited the Pyrenees with his family. The next summer he spent travelling in Norway with a school friend and within a year he had begun climbing seriously.