Sir Edmund Hillary

[Kevin Farnell]

Just reading on BBC News, that Sir Edmund Hillary has passed away.

A true adventurer, and someone who showed what dedication could acheive.
I was fortunate to visit his birthplace in NZ just a couple of years ago.

May he rest in peace.

Kevin

[steelsporran]

He is still with us on our $5 note and had the distinction of being the only living New Zealander to be featured on our currency.
Truly a good bloke and modest with it.

[Techy111]

RIP Sir Edmund......

Tony

[Garry Russell]

How sad

Indeed a modest man......a true great

Garry

[Kevin Farnell]

The BBC article can be found here

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 182376.stm

And

Obituary

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-p ... 740536.stm

Quite an amazing gentleman. Not only did he conquer Everest, he has also been an Ambassador, a pilot and most nobly, devoted much of his life to helping the Nepalese people who helped to the top of the world.

An inspiration!

Kevin

[Paul K]

A great man indeed, and a life well lived. You can't do much better than that.

Is it true that he and Tensing Norgay agreed never to reveal which of them actually stood on the summit first ? I'm sure I read that somewhere a few years back.

[Trev Clark]

Thankfully, we will now never know which of them was first. I always thought that Tensing got there first (possibly by mistake) and in 'the times they lived in' this was not acceptable. When I am slogging up a (much smaller) mountain next Sunday, I will think of them.

[Hot_Charlie]

A very sad loss to the world, but no a bad innings at 88.

Thankfully, we will now never know which of them was first. I always thought that Tensing got there first (possibly by mistake) and in 'the times they lived in' this was not acceptable. When I am slogging up a (much smaller) mountain next Sunday, I will think of them.

You can almost imagine him, a true gentleman saying "after you..."

[Archer]

A sad loss indeed. I did a bit of a double take when I read about it in the papers this morning as just last night I had been reading an excerpt from Tenzing Norgay's account of their first ascent of Everest.

Actually, in that account Tenzing says that Sir Edmund was the first to set foot on the top, but they were roped close together so that they were no more than 2 or 3 yards apart. This lead to their statement that they arrived on the top 'almost together'. They did indeed agree to stick to this statement but years later apparently Tenzing tried to set the record straight in his account. I've heard that Sir Edmund has also disclosed more about their feat in later years but I have not read his book (yet).

[hobby]

A gentleman. A great example to us all.