Showing posts with label Sherpa. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Sherpa. Show all posts

Saturday, November 06, 2010

Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), New Zealand mounta...Image via Wikipedia The rift betwwn Sir Edmund Hillary's children and his widow, their stepmother, grew yesterday...





The rift between Sir Edmund Hillary's widow and his children grew yesterday, with claims his son Peter has been cut out of a trust the great mountaineer set up.


Sir Ed's daughter, Sarah Hillary, said her brother Peter had not been appointed to the Himalayan Trust, set up by her father to help the Sherpa people, because of personality conflicts.


"There's been a bit of a take-over of the trust by a group that probably don't want Peter there," she said.
Sarah Hillary was appointed to the trust on Friday but she said Peter would have been a better choice.
The comments come as Sarah and Peter battle Sir Ed's widow, Lady June Hillary, over her plans to auction in Switzerland next Saturday his collection of Rolex watches, including one given to him after he climbed Mt Everest in 1953 which is now valued at $25,000.

Sarah and Peter have threatened legal action if the auction house does not withdraw them from sale.
Mike Gill, a long time Himalayan Trust member and a close friend of Sir Ed, said he was expelled on Thursday in a letter couriered to him from Lady June.

He said the trust had split into two groups - one behind Lady June, the other looking for more activity in the trust. Gill had suggested Peter Hillary be appointed to the trust.
Trust council member David Hayman, who is Lady June's son-in-law, said Friday's meeting was "very successful".
Sarah Hillary's appointment was a "very popular outcome".
Lady June said yesterday that the proceeds from the sale of the watches were earmarked for charity work supporting education and health services in Nepal.

A friend of Lady June, Jim Wilson told the Herald on Sunday they wanted to "clear up any possible misconception that we are selling these watches for personal gain
.
The sale of the watches was to raise funds for Ed Hillary's Himalayan Trust." At the end of last June the trust's assets were worth about $3.9 million.

But Lady June's intention to sell the watches to benefit the trust came as news to Sarah and Peter Hillary.
Sarah Hillary said: "We think it's a wonderful idea to do it to raise money for the Himalayan Trust but we should have been consulted about it. One of the watches is one that Peter had for quite some time."
Peter Hillary declined to comment but his wife, Yvonne, said: "Ed Hillary had a son, three grandsons - any one of whom would have loved those watches."

KR: Such a sad story. I hope it can be resolved speedily; it could damage the memory of one of our country's greatest sons. Sir Ed's wishes should be granted.

 Acknowledgements: Kathryn Powley/MSN News

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Saturday, May 22, 2010

Mount Everest from Kalapatthar.Image via Wikipedia
We knocked the bastard off!


 Ed Hillary's comments in 1953 after he and  Tenzing Norgay officially climbed and returned from Mount Everest...


Those were the comments of the late Sir Ed Hillary after he and Tibetan born  sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, climbed and returned from Mount Everest in 1953. That was the beginning of the legend surrounding the young  New Zealander. A climber and adventurer who also became so well known for his deeds within Nepal itself, his second home and a country he loved almost as much as his homeland. He became an icon and one of the greatest living New Zealanders until his death just a couple or so years ago. This mountainous country also claimed the lives of his first wife and eldest daughter in a small plane crash that almost cost Hillary his sanity. The great man recovered and returned to Nepal to continue his works there building schools and hospitals and assisting the Nepalese people. It was so sad that the Nepalese Government recently  refused to allow Sir Ed's last ashes to be scattered om Mount Everest.

In recent years there have been claims that Hillary and Norgay's place as the conquerors of Mount Everest were disputed. The question that has been repeatedly asked is "Did those intrepid British climbers Mallory and Irvine actually climb the mountain in 1924, before the definitive success of Hillary and Norgay 29 years later and died on their descent?  The climbing community is split on the issue. Did they reach the summit or did they fail to climb beyond what is known as the Second Step? George Mallory's body was found some years ago and has fuelled the speculation that he and  Andrew Irvine had beaten Hillary and Tenzing to the summit 29 years earlier. Their technology was as inferior to Hillary and Tenzing's, as the latter is to that of the 21st century.

Are these claims true or just a case of attempting to use theories to fit the facts? It is also very doubtful that a film in a camera that was found on the mountain will be developed and able to cast any light on the speculation that surrounds the conquest of Everest. The speculation may continue; but as the then young Ed Hillary said in 1953, "We knocked the bastard off!

Mallory & Irvine 1924 Theories and Maps:
http://www.everestnews2004.com/malloryandirvine2004/theories2.htm

Did Mallory & Irvine reach the summit? An interview with American historian and climber, Tom Holzel.
http://www.explorersweb.com/everest_k2/news.php?id=17030

Did Mallory & Irvine make it to the summit of Everest?
http://www.nowpublic.com/sports/did-mallory-irvine-make-it-summit-everest

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Thursday, April 15, 2010

Mount Everest from Kalapatthar.Image via Wikipedia


What are the facts and truth in relation to the decision not to scatter Sir Edmund Hillary's remaining ashes on Mount Everest?







I wrote the following post about a week ago here and on a couple of my other blogsites:



"Sir Ed's ashes to be scattered on Mount Everest this week...





The ashes of 1953 Mount Everest conqueror, Sir Edmund Hillary, affectionally known as Sir Ed, will be scattered on the mountain this week by Nepalese mountaineer Apa Sherpa.







Most of Sir Ed's ashes were scattered in the sea off Auckland, New Zealand in 2008, but he wanted some returned to the mountain he climbed in the country he loved.







Fifty year old Apa, plans to place the ashes on the summit of Mount Everest when he attempts to personally conquer the peak for a record twentieth time this coming week. Sir Ed's son, Peter, also a former mountaineer, fully supports the bid by Apa Sherpa. Sir Ed is held in the highest esteem by the Nepalese people."



But however I read in the local Wellington newspaper, the Dominion Post this morning that all bets are off:



AngTenzing Sherpa, chief of Sherpa citizens group Khumbu Civil Society, has announced that the scattering of ashes on the mountain, considered a god by their Sherpa culture, was against their culture and tradition. Really?



How could a man who regularly visited and lived in Nepal off and on for decades, not know the traditions of the Sherpa culture and traditions? Why would he make a request in his will for some of his ashes to be scattered on the mountain? How could Apa Sherpa, who has climbed Mount Everest a record 19 times also be ignoranr of Sherpa culture and traditions?



The remaining ashes of Sir Ed's body will be kept at a memorial at the first school Sir Ed opened in Khumjung in Nepal.



How could such an incredible error of judgement be made, or are there political forces and intrigue at work in this remote and politically volatile country? It would be extremely sad if there were? Read one of the related articles linked below.

Acknowledgements: Down by the HuttRiver


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