The Highest of Highs

On July 20, 1919, Mt. Everest’s nemesis was born: famed mountain climber Edmund Hillary of Aukland, New Zealand.

Hillary’s first job was beekeeper, the income from which funded his early mountain-climbing excursions — in New Zealand, the Alps, and finally the Himalayas, where he scaled 11 peaks exceeding 20,000 feet in elevation. Between 1920 and 1952, seven major expeditions to conquer Mt. Everest had failed. That changed on May 29, 1953.

Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, a Nepalese sherpa, outlasted the rest of their British-led party and reached Everest’s peak. They hung around just long enough to congratulate each other, soak in the view, and bury a crucifix (Hillary) and some chocolates and biscuits for the “mountain gods” (Norgay).

On the eve of Queen Elizabeth II’s June 2 coronation, news broke of Hillary’s feat, boosting the confidence of a weary nation still recovering from war and postwar shortages. Soon after, Hillary was knighted by Queen Elizabeth and added “sir” to his resume.

Although New Zealand was home, Hillary developed a deep affinity for the Nepalese people. In the 1960s, he was a common presence and helped get new clinics, hospitals, and schools off the ground. He also convinced New Zealand’s government to fund environmental maintenance around the base of Everest to help preserve it as a national park.

For his mountain-climbing and humanitarian exploits, Hillary was named one of the “100 Most Influential People of the 20th Century” by Time magazine in 1999. On the 50th anniversary of his Everest ascent, he was granted honorary citizenship by Nepal’s government — the first foreigner so honored.

Hillary, who passed away in January 2008, summed up his life as follows: “The truth is, I’m just a rough old New Zealander who has enjoyed many challenges in his life.” Humility is a wonderful altitude attitude.