We Have Lost Another Hero – Sir Edmund Hillary
January 23, 2008 – 6:00 am
As most of the regular readers know, I have a passion for backpacking and other adventure activities like long distance cycle touring and running. I also enjoy reading stories about the really great adventurers like Sir Edmund Hillary, the true king of the mountain.
Although Hillary had bagged several summits during his early climbing career, he was best known for his walk to the top of the world – Mount Everest. In 1953, he and sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first men to summit the highest peak on earth. The two men spent only about 15 minutes at the summit and because Tenzing didn’t know how to use a camera, there are no pictures of Hillary on the peak. Hillary’s first comment upon climbing down and meeting his lifelong friend George Lowe was “ Well, George, we finally knocked the bastard off.” You got to love it! Queen Elizabeth II knighted Hillary and awarded Tenzing the British Empire Medal.
If you’re wondering what prompted this short biography of this great man, a friend of mine pointed out that it needed to be written. You see the world has lost another hero since Sir Edmund passed away on January 11, 2008. His memorial service was held yesterday.