IN MEMORIAM

Sir Edmund Hillary KG

Tiger Mountain Family is deeply moved by the death in his beloved New Zealand of Sir Edmund Hillary, a dear friend of our Chairman, A.V. Jim Edwards and the late Colonel Jimmy Roberts MVO MBE MC, mountaineer and founder of Mountain Travel. Our heartfelt condolences go to Lady Hillary and his family.

After summiting Mount Everest in 1953, Sir Edmund devoted his life to helping the Sherpas of Khumbu to improve their lives. He funded the building of schools, clinics, hospitals and bridges as well as establishing airstrips and renovating monasteries. He founded the Himalayan Trust, which mobilised funding and support for the high mountain communities with which he had such a deep rapport. He visited Nepal almost every year and spent much of his time with the Sherpas in the Khumbu until his age denied him the ability to travel in high altitudes.

Born in Auckland, New Zealand 19th July 1919, Sir Edmund began climbing mountains in his native country as a teenager and soon became well-known in climbing circles as an ice climber. He was invited by the British Expedition leader John Hunt (later Lord Hunt) to climb Mt. Everest and was chosen along with Tenzing Norgay to form the team for the summit bid. He was made an honorary Nepalese citizen in 2003 on the Golden Jubilee of that famous ascent and had been the recipient of many awards, the first of which he received from King Tribhuvan Bir Bikram Shah on his return to Kathmandu after the expedition. He was created a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter, Britain’s highest order of chivalry.

Sir Edmund was a friend and supporter of the Tiger Mountain Group formed from the joining of Tiger Tops and Mountain Travel in the late seventies. This culminated with his opening Tiger Mountain Pokhara Lodge in October 1998.