Lived a great 88 years. RIP.
Lived a great 88 years. RIP.
Tenzing was first! RIP Sir Ed.
HIllary Clinton was named after him.
Not exactly. Sir Edmund was unknown to the general world when HRC was born. He did not climb Everest until she was over five years old.
RIP Sir Edmund.
He was Edmund Hillary, sans Sir. The U.S. America doesn\'t have class titles as in the aboriginal world. We do have nicknames though, like Wimp Bush.
RIP sir...as an endurance athlete I can only imagine what it must take to climb Everest...
I was reading an article about him, and I thought it was really cool how humble he was.
"Hillary didn't place himself among top mountaineers. "I don't regard myself as a cracking good climber. I'm just strong in the back. I have a lot of enthusiasm and I'm good on ice," he said."
The dude was a beast.
The achievement he and Norgay accomplished was SO much more impressive than people who summit Everest today. They were a group of only two, with no fixed ropes or permanent ladders in place to aid the climb. They did not have anyone leading them who "had been there before" and had to lead themselves.
Today, the biggest hurdle to reaching the top of the world is financial. They have ladders to help them up the 30-foot vertical wall near the top of the mountain. There are fixed ropes put in place by sherpas, who end up carrying many of the oxygen needed by the "yuppie climbers". And sadly these people do nothing more than litter the mountain with their garbage. I love contrasting the famouns picture of Norgay (I think it is him and not Hillary) with pictures of the summit today. In 1953, it was totally pristine. Now it looks like a garbage dump. They should require these jackasses to bring their garbage back down or face a $20,000 fine on top of their $50,000 permit to climb.
Well, you know, it's still REALLY cold and hard to breathe up there, and people die. If you think it's so easy, try it.
Strong willed and gentle hearted - the fact that he used his fame and status for the good of others, makes him one of the worlds true giants.
wineturtle wrote:
Tenzing was first! RIP Sir Ed.
They climbed as a team but if you really must know, Hillary confirmed it was he who was a few steps in front of Tenzing at the summitt. I am guessing, he would know and does not seem to be the type to fib about such things.
Lorenzo the Magnificent wrote:
Not exactly. Sir Edmund was unknown to the general world when HRC was born. He did not climb Everest until she was over five years old.
RIP Sir Edmund.
The previous poster stated that Hillary Clinton was named after may have been sarcastic. Your post above is correct, but HRC herself made the claim she was named after Edmund. Once again HRC shows herself to be false, fake, and disingenuous!
wineturtle wrote:
Tenzing was first! RIP Sir Ed.
BS wrote:
They climbed as a team but if you really must know, Hillary confirmed it was he who was a few steps in front of Tenzing at the summitt. I am guessing, he would know and does not seem to be the type to fib about such things.
Even Norgay admitted Hillary was first. I found this interesting: there are only photos of Norgay at the summit, none of HIllary. The reason is Norgay apparently did not know how to use a camera so Hillary took all the pictures.
kodak moment wrote:
wineturtle wrote:Tenzing was first! RIP Sir Ed.
BS wrote:
They climbed as a team but if you really must know, Hillary confirmed it was he who was a few steps in front of Tenzing at the summitt. I am guessing, he would know and does not seem to be the type to fib about such things.
Even Norgay admitted Hillary was first. I found this interesting: there are only photos of Norgay at the summit, none of HIllary. The reason is Norgay apparently did not know how to use a camera so Hillary took all the pictures.
Makes sense. Learning to use a camera (50+ years ago) on top of Everest probably wasn't a good idea!
Certainly one of the last of breed of explorers trying to accomplish "firsts". Hillary also traversed the Antarctic (although certainly by no means the first - Amunsden in 1911) and stood at the North Pole - perhaps the only man to have been at both poles and the top of Everest?
I'd say the lack of oxygen at 29,000 ft (even with bottled oxygen which only makes you feel like you're at 26,000 feet) is a pretty big obstacle. Although not this past spring, the weather is often a pretty big obstacle as well.
spectator wrote:
kodak moment wrote:Even Norgay admitted Hillary was first. I found this interesting: there are only photos of Norgay at the summit, none of HIllary. The reason is Norgay apparently did not know how to use a camera so Hillary took all the pictures.
Makes sense. Learning to use a camera (50+ years ago) on top of Everest probably wasn't a good idea!
Certainly one of the last of breed of explorers trying to accomplish "firsts". Hillary also traversed the Antarctic (although certainly by no means the first - Amunsden in 1911) and stood at the North Pole - perhaps the only man to have been at both poles and the top of Everest?
I never knew Tenzing said EH was first, not doubting it just never heard it .
Ur the man Hillary, RIP on the summit of your dreams.