Sir Edmund Hillary dies

[Dinner]

The man who first climbed the world's tallest mountain is dead at the age of 88.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7182376.stm

[SlowwHand]

Peaked early.

[Koyaanisqatsi]

/me smacks Sloww on the nose with a rolled up newspaper

[Imran Siddiqui]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Peaked early.

[Harovan]

A sad loss for mankind. And to people who make fun of his death.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Peaked early.

He would have laughed. He was like that.

Sad news, but a good innings.

Well... the bastard knocked him off.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph


A sad loss for mankind. And to people who make fun of his death.

I see you weren't familiar with Sir Ed's sense of humour.

[Blake]

Originally posted by SlowwHand
Peaked early.

Making jokes at a funeral .

Sir Hillary lived a life worth celebrating.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Agathon
I see you weren't familiar with Sir Ed's sense of humour.

Maybe. But I know the fine line between humour and mockery.

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph

Maybe. But I know the fine line between humour and mockery.

This is the same guy who first words were, "Well, we knocked the bastard off" when he got down from Everest. Can you imagine Neil Armstrong saying the something like that?

Ed was loved by New Zealanders more for his character than for his achievements. Indeed, more than any other person he represents the kind of character that New Zealanders aspire to. He was probably the nicest bloke in the country, and would stop and talk to anyone. He had a wonderful self deprecatory sense of humour and never took himself that seriously. People loved him for that, and he was easily the most popular man in the country.

He'd always accepted the reality of his own death with his customary wry humour. I think I remember him laughing at false rumours of it more than once.

[Harovan]

Originally posted by Agathon
This is the same guy who first words were, "Well, we knocked the bastard off" when he got down from Everest.

Or "We really did it! If BBC reports it, it must be true." Yes, that is humour. Sorry if that citation is not authentic by every word, it's how I remember it...

Remarkable also his work for the Nepalese people and his lifelong friendship with Tenzing.

[Agathon]

In his own words.

* Announcing to his climbing companions that he and Tenzing had reached Everest's summit:

"We knocked the bastard off."

* On the changes fame brings:

"I used to walk down Broadway, Papakura, in my tattered overalls and the seat out of my pants. Now, I thought 'That's gone forever. I'll have to buy a new pair of overalls now'."

* On life's inner challenges:

"It is not the mountains that we conquer, but ourselves."

* On the motivation for climbing mountains:

"Nobody climbs mountains for scientific reasons. Science is used to raise money for the expeditions, but you really climb for the hell of it."

* On what is attainable by Everyman:

"You don't have to be a fantastic hero to do certain things -- to compete. You can be just an ordinary chap, sufficiently motivated to reach challenging goals."

* At the 50th anniversary of the conquering of Everest:

"I like to think that I am a very ordinary New Zealander, not terribly bright perhaps but determined and practical in what I do."

* On 'giving back' later in life:

"The fact that we (in NZ are affluent) is a blessing, and with it comes responsibilities."

* On his reasons for establishing his humanitarian project, the Himalayan Trust, to assist the impoverished in Nepal:

"It is impossible not to see that they lack all the things that we regard as essential in life. They don't have schools and they don't have any medical care or anything of this nature. And I suddenly decided that instead of just talking about it - why didn't I try and do something about it."

* On becoming a knight:

"It was a tremendous honour, of course, but I had never really approved of titles and couldn't really imagine myself possessing one."

* On the news that his face would adorn a banknote - the five dollar note, the first living New Zealander to be so honoured:

"I guess I'll have be respectable for the rest of my life."

* On the decision by NZ climber Mark Inglis who passed a dying British mountaineer during an ascent of Mt Everest for the Discovery Channel:

"All I can say is that in our expedition there was never any likelihood whatsoever if one member of the party was incapacitated that we would just leave him to die."

RIP dude. Well played

[Agathon]

Originally posted by Sir Ralph

Or "We really did it! If BBC reports it, it must be true." Yes, that is humour. Sorry if that citation is not authentic by every word, it's how I remember it...

It's 110% accurate. My parents met the guy he said it to, and he was still laughing about it 40 years later.

Remarkable also his work for the Nepalese people and his lifelong friendship with Tenzing.

And for being the world's most famous beekeeper.

[Zoid]

RIP Sir Edmund...

[dannubis]

Achieving something unique and still staying yourself

RIP, he deserved it !