Farewell to a great explorer

[Rotary Crewman]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/7182376.stm

Sir Edmund Hillary dies aged 88

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/39083000/jpg/_39083476_hill_port_ap2b.jpg Sir Edmund Hillary was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003

Sir Edmund Hillary, the first man to climb the world's highest mountain, Mount Everest, has died aged 88. New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark described the explorer as a heroic figure and said all New Zealanders would deeply mourn his passing.
Sir Edmund's health had reportedly been in decline since April, when he suffered a fall while visiting Nepal.
He was the first man to climb the 8,850m (29,035ft) peak with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay on 29 May 1953.
Since his ascent, Sir Edmund has devoted his life to helping the Sherpas of Nepal's Khumbu region. He was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003.



Can't believe Steed or Subman1 hadn't picked this up...it has been 3 minutes since its annoucement

[porphy]

That is mountaineering history right there. :yep: I read his book about Everest a few years ago. He lived long, which is not that common among people that push it out on 8000+ peaks. Maybee I should have bought the mountain photograph signed by Hillary, which Doug Scott offered for 3000 sk on a lecture I heard last year.


To my mind Reinhold Messner and Peter Habler also did an amazing thing when they first climbed Everest without bottled oxygen in 1978. Recently I watched the documentary Everest: Unmasked. Great stuff, especially the moving pictures of Habler close to the summit. Never saw that before and it shows what that feat is about. And Reinholds hairstyle at the time is unmatched...;)

cheers

[Tinfish]

He is considered as a hero in this country, he sums up New Zealanders in general.
A very sad day indeed.

He continued to consider himself a humble beekeeper throughout his life, I just heard he even continued to have his name listened in the phone book.
A great man indeed.

[kiwi_2005]

Holy cow! i live in NZ and didn't even know he had died! :oops:

Thanks for the update will now go tell my hermit neighbour the news as well!

[bookworm_020]

Sad to thear that the last of two men who climbed Everest hass passed.:cry: He was a truly great person who never let fame change him, and seeked to make life better for the people of Nepal.

New Zealand has truly lost one of it's hero's, but his legercy will always be remembered :yep:

[Sailor Steve]

Hey! I know that name from somewhere! Didn't he, like, climb a mountain or something?

No, really, I grew up reading about his exploit, as it happened when I was three. A great man.

[Skybird]

"Eddy here. I'm climbing higher, out."

[kiwi_2005]

He is considered as a hero in this country, he sums up New Zealanders in general.
A very sad day indeed.

He continued to consider himself a humble beekeeper throughout his life, I just heard he even continued to have his name listened in the phone book.
A great man indeed.

Yeah he was as humble and clever as they come.

[Torplexed]

Everest in Peace Sir Edmund. :cry:

[Wave Skipper]

yadda yadda

[Reaves]

Another Kiwi we would have gladly called an Aussie.

A true hero, he did a lot of work to support the area surrounding the Himalayas.