cover photo

View from the Summit

Sir Edmund Hillary

The first chapter of this book describes the final day’s climb to the top of Everest. The next several chapters describe the major activities of his life leading up to that day including his service in the New Zealand Air Force during World War II and the climbing in the Himalayas leading up to that day. After that the book covers his other major activities including his part in Vivian Fuch’s crossing of the Antarctic continent and his trip by jet boat from the mouth to the source of the Ganges. There were also many mountaineering trips during that time, and eventually his Himalayan Trust, the organization which built schools, hospitals, and bridges for the Sherpas) absorbed nearly all his time. He was also High Commissioner (The British name for Ambassador) to India for four and a half years.

I think I was most impressed by his physical condition and his endurance. At altitudes well below the top of Mount Everest he was able to keep climbing well beyond what seemed possible. In the end though, he paid a price. He continued to climb above 20,000 feet well after it was clear that he could no longer tolerate high altitudes and it nearly cost him his life. Now he does not sleep above about 7000 feet. By comparison, during my two Elderhostel programs in Colorado we lived at 8000 feet at one and at 9000 feet at the other.

I highly recommend the book.

— Warren Langdon

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