Sir Edmund Hillary

It was just last Friday when the world heard about the passing of one of it's great explorers and achievers. Sir Edmund Hillary passed away on Jan. 11, 2008 of heart failure at the age of 88.

It was on May 29, 1953 when Tenzing Hillary and Norgay made it to the top of Everest's 29,028 ft summit, the highest point on earth. This made them the first two men to reach the summit of Mount Everest. After spending only fifteen minutes at the top they made their journey down.

Hillary later became the first man to stand at both the North and South Poles and Everest. His son Peter also became a climber, conquering Everest in 1990. In April 2003 Peter and Jamling Tenzing Norgay (son of Tenzing) climbed Everest as part of a 50th anniversary celebration.

I'm kicking myself for not having dedicated a post sooner in honor of the this great human achiever. Having set the bar at the highest achievement on earth, is how the world will remember Sir Edmund Hillary.