Death of Sir Edmund Hillary
I just heard that Sir Edmund Hillary, first person to climb Mount Everest, has died, aged 88.
Sir Edmund died of a heart attack this morning at Auckland City Hospital.
Sir Edmund Hillary became famous back in 1953 for being the first person (along with Sherpa mountaineer Tenzing Norgay) to reach the summit of Mount Everest - the world’s highest mountain. Since then, he has used his fame to help the people of Nepal. He founded the Himalayan Trust, to which he gave much of his time and energy. He was also responsible for building many schools and hospitals across remote regions of the Himalayas. He was also named as the Honorary President of the American Himalayan Foundation.
Having been born in New Zealand myself, I’ve always known that Sir Edmund Hillary was a bit of a legend. I remember a few years back hiking to Mueller Hut, then onward to Mount Oliver. I heard at the time that Mount Oliver was Sir Edmund Hillary’s first major climb.
So, my first major climb was also Sir Edmund Hillary’s major climb! (although, I suspect he took a more direct different route!)
Tags: himalayas, mount everest, mount oliver, mueller hut, sherpa, sir edmund hillary, Tenzing Norgay
