In Memory of Sir Edmund Hillary

On Feb 11 th , 2008 Edmund Hillary passed away from heart failure in Auckland. The New Zealander, Hillary together with Nepali Tensing Norgay were the two first men to climb Mt Everest in 1953. They always both mentioned that they summitted the mountain together and emphasized their group achievement .rather than individual pride.

This is much different from today's reality television set of adventurerers whom are awarded prizes just for living together each week!

Mountaineering in the 1950s had a different spirit from the current climate. There are too many instances today of climbers ignoring sick and injured colleagues or strangers and just leaving them to their deaths.

Hillary had use his celebrity status to draw attention to this and criticize this selfish attitude claiming, “ I think the whole attitude towards climbing Mount Everest has become rather horrifying. The people just want to get to the top, 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”.

Hillary went on to do more expeditions to both the North and South Poles and had a political life serving as the New Zealand High Commishioner (Ambassador) to India, Nepal and Bangladesh.

He will be best remebered aside from his Everest ascent for promoting the welfare of the indiginous Himalayan people the Sherpas through the Establishment of his Himalaya Trust ( www.himalayan-trust.org.np/ ) which has been involved in education, health services, reforestation, building airports, trails, bridges, water supplies and preservation of local cultural monuments.

Hillary is on the New Zealand 5$ bank note and has been honored in many ways.

His plea for adventurers and people from industrialized nations to consider helping local still rings true today.

" To many Western eyes, the Everest region is a place of great beauty and high mountains to be conquered. For the Sherpas who live there, however, life has few privileges. Medicine and Education are scarce, bridges and path are often destroyed, and the forest upon which they depend are rapidly depleting.

Despite these hardships, they are the most warm-hearted people I know. Any help you can provide will be so important and so gratefully received."

Other than the Himalayan trust itself travelers may also enquire of local established charities for their vacation destination of ways they may make small donations. Coupling small amounts of donations while on vacation can have huge positive impacts on local peoples throughout the world.