Edmund Hillary, First Atop Everest, Dies

Source: Washington Post,

WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- Sir Edmund Hillary, the unassuming beekeeper who conquered Mount Everest to win renown as one of the 20th century's greatest adventurers, has died, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark announced Friday. He was 88.

The gangling New Zealander devoted much of his life to aiding the mountain people of Nepal and took his fame in stride, preferring to be called "Ed" and considering himself just an ordinary beekeeper.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/10/AR2008011002966.html?hpid=artslot

and what's more for his laurels, he always said 'we' in referring to the climb, him and Tenzing Norgay, neither ever said who summitee first, only that 'we' did. Hillary was one of the few early Himalayan climbers who saw Sherpas as partners, not hired labor. He will be missed

(snip)

Worldwide heroes overnight, they were greeted by huge crowds in India and London. A controversy over whether Sir Edmund or Mr. Norgay had been first to stand on the summit threatened briefly to mar the celebrations, but Colonel Hunt declared, “They reached it together, as a team.” It was not until 1999, in his book “View from the Summit” (Doubleday), that Sir Edmund broke his silence about which of the two men had reached the peak first. He wrote that it was he, not Mr. Norgay.

“We drew closer together as Tenzing brought in the slack on the rope,” he wrote. “I continued cutting a line of steps upwards. Next moment I had moved onto a flattish exposed area of snow with nothing but space in every direction.” He added, “Tenzing quickly joined me and we looked round in wonder.”

more…
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/11/world/asia/11hillary.html?pagewanted=2&_r=1&hp

My mother was caught up in the Everest story and wrote to Tenzing, receiving a note and an autographed photo in return. It was a prized possession. Tenzing's son later had a mountain-climbing school in India, I believe.

Most mountaineer's would not consider Mallory's "summit" legitimate. We don't count a summit unless you get up and down successfully.

Hillary and Norga had the first successful summit of Everest.
RIP Sir Ed!

doesn't count if you don't live to tell about it. general rule of exploration.

I was trekking in Nepal around 1990.

We met him and his wife. I sat on his wife's cot in their tent while we chatted for about 20 minutes. He was just a wonderful person.

Unlike people who come to Nepal, scale Everest and disappear, Sir Edmund made a point of trying to improve the life of the Nepalese. Ever since his ascent, he had stayed often in Nepal, building schools, and trying to develop communities. He did a lot for the region, particularly in bringing education (schools) to the people there.

I didn't know him for long, but I liked him a lot and respect him.

I don't know if his wife is still alive or not. If she is, my condolences to her.

He was a great man that didn't take climbing for granted - he believed in the community there.

R.I.P., Sir Edmund.

"In 2006 he climbed into a row over the death of Everest climber David Sharp, stating it was "horrifying" that climbers could leave a dying man after an expedition left the Briton to die high on the upper slopes.

Hillary said he would have abandoned his own pioneering 1953 climb to save another life.

"It was wrong if there was a man suffering altitude problems and was huddled under a rock, just to lift your hat, say 'good morning' and pass on by," he said. "Human life is far more important than just getting to the top of a mountain.""

RIP, Sir.

R.I.P.

Wonderful wonderful human being. The world lost one of two deeply honorable and courageous pioneers: Edmund Hillary. And thanks too to Tenzing Norgay, his Nepalian Sherpa partner who was with him when they, together, conquered Everest for the first time. He led a great life after his achievement, a real honorable gentleman. Rest in peace dear friend of the world.

I met him back around 1986. He gave a talk which was not so much about Everest, but of His work with the people of Nepal. I consider him the finest person I ever had the pleasure to speak with. The world will never again know this kind of hero.

A true gentleman.

Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition

In 1956, a United States Navy expedition set up the first permanent based at the South Pole, Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station, by airlift, to support the International Geophysical Year. In 1958, Edmund Hillary's party in the New Zealand party of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition became the third group in history to reach the South Pole by land, and the first group of motor vehicles to reach the pole. The British team led by Vivian Fuchs, met them at the pole shortly afterwards. The expedition completed the first overland crossing of the continent by land via the South Pole.<10> New Zealand mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary reached the Pole in early January 1958 using farm tractors equipped for polar travel, the first party since Scott's to reach the South Pole overland. Hillary was laying supply depots as part of the Commonwealth Trans-Antarctic Expedition and in typical Hillary style "detoured" to the pole because the trip had gone well. British explorer Sir Vivian Fuchs then arrived at the Pole from the opposite direction later in January, meeting Hillary. Fuchs continued on, making use of the provisions that Hillary had stored, and on March 2 succeeded in reaching Scott Base, completing the overland transpolar crossing that Shackleton had envisaged.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Antarctica#Commonwealth_Trans-Antarctic_Expedition

On edit:
Imagine that, it was 50 years ago.

Conqueror of Everest says he saw Shackleton's ghost
January 24, 2005

Sir Edmund Hillary has backed the preservation of Sir Ernest Shackleton's hut in the Antarctic - because of an eerie encounter with the British pioneer's phantom.

Conservation work begun last week on the Nimrod hut, overlooking a bay at Cape Royds, Ross Island, has spirited significance for Sir Edmund, who described seeing an apparition when he first visited.

In a video promoting the project, the patron of the Antarctic Heritage Trust said it was an experience that had a profound effect on him.

"I'm not a person who really sees things very much but when I opened the door I distinctly saw Shackleton walking towards me and welcoming me," he said.

"It's the only time I can ever remember something like that so I have a very warm feeling indeed for Shackleton and for his hut and I really believe Shackleton's hut must be preserved.

"Shackleton has always been my hero. I still admire enormously his courage and skill in moments of danger."

The hut is listed on the World Monuments Fund's 100 most endangered sites...

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/location/story.cfm?l_id=2&ObjectID=10007737

It makes me like Hillary even more.

I don't know if I believe in ghosts, but I once lived in a house that was kind of peculiar.

On edit - Shackleton was pretty amazing too.