The man happened to be in the small Rajasthani desert town of Pushkar, attending the Pushkar Camel Fair, at the same time I was there. I remember him being larger and taller than I expected. As an avid Himalayas buff, I had already read numerous books on the great mountains and the men and women who had conquered them. I knew all about the great Sir Edmund Hillary. Meeting him, unexpectedly, in this nondescript Indian village, was surreal.

This month marked the passing of Sir Edmund Hillary. He lived a life filled with adventure--but more importantly, those adventures moved him to change the world. And for thousands of individuals, he did change the world--a feat far more awesome than summiting a mountain. For his inspiring efforts--both as an adventurer and as a philanthropist--we honor him as a true Hero.

HILLARY THE ADVENTURER

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Conquering Everest
The former beekeeper sprung to adventure stardom in 1953 after he and Tenzing Norgay, having spent two restless days stranded at the South Col (7,906 meters/25,938 feet), set out, deftly maneuvered the "Hillary Step," and ice-axed their way to the top of mighty Mount Everest. Upon reaching their goal, perched in the oxygen-thin air at 8,850 meters, Hillary put out his hand for Tenzin to shake, but the cheery Sherpa instead threw his arms around Hillary in a congratulatory embrace. For fifteen minutes the two climbers reveled in their victory, standing atop the world. When they returned home, they were greeted as heroes, and young Hillary's life would never be the same again. For years, the greatest mountaineers had tried and failed, as far as we know, to make it to the top of the world's tallest mountain. Sir Edmund Hillary could now say that he was the first.

To the South Pole
Five years later, in 1958, Sir Edmund Hillary seized another opportunity at adventure. He had signed on to a pan-Antarctic expedition (the first overland Antarctic crossing--via the South Pole) as a route-finder and supply-line stocker. Though the original plan said nothing about Hillary making for the Pole, the intrepid journeyer realized that this was a chance to make history--so he set out for the South Pole on converted "farm tractors," as he'd call them, reaching his goal on 3 January, 1958, just 16 days before the main party attempting the overland crossing of the continent arrived. Hillary's accomplishment marked the third time in history that the South Pole had been reached overland--and the first time ever using land vehicles.

ANTARCTIC MEMORIAL

Jetboating the Ganges
In 1977, Hillary was at it again, this time attempting a journey by jetboat from the Bay of Bengal to the high mountain source of the Ganges River. Just two years before, his wife and daughter had been killed in a tragic plane crash in Nepal, and thus, whether intended or not, the Ganges expedition carried with it sacred undertones befitting a journey up the holiest of Hindu waterways. Indeed, throughout the trip local Indians ("literally millions," he would later say) lined the banks of their sacred river, waving encouragingly to the strange jetboats and their crew. The expedition was a success. He would later chronicle the adventure in the book From the Earth to the Sky.

To the North Pole
In 1985, Sir Edmund Hillary teamed up with fellow adventurer Neil Armstrong to reach yet another milestone. The two journeyed via ski plane over the frigid Arctic Ocean, finally landing at the North Pole. Hillary was now the first person to stand on the summit of the world's highest mountain and on both poles.

HILLARY THE STATESMAN

Many people don't know it, but between 1985 and 1990 Sir Edmund Hillary served as the New Zealand High Commissioner to India, High Commissioner to Bangladesh, and Ambassador to Nepal.

HILLARY THE PHILANTHROPIST

Hillary's life was dedicated to the service of others, and he used his significant fame garnered from the Everest climb to make a difference in the lives of the Sherpas, Nepalis, and Tibetans of the high Himalaya. He established the Himalayan Trust, through which he was able to build hospitals and clinics, construct and operate dozens of schools, and establish forestry programs throughout Nepal. It is primarily due to his efforts that the area around Everest--the Khumbu region--is a protected area today.

Thousands of men, women, and children have been benefited greatly by his endeavors. The programs and organizations that he began will continue to operate and improve lives for many years to come.

Perhaps the words inscribed on a plaque at the Edmund Hillary School in Papakura, Nepal, spelling out Hillary's personal motto, also serve to best describe the man's life:

"Be Determined; Aim High."

MORE HEROES

SIR EDMUND HILLARY
ROBIN POIRIER

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