Hillary Challenge

Social Studies Online

A collection of useful quotes and some suggestions of the types of skills, values and qualities they demonstrate.

• Quotes from Sir Edmund Hillary

  Humanitarian heritage
  

  'My parents were people of very strong character and I was brought up to feel that it was important to be interested in the welfare of other people around the world.'

  Modelled himself on Shackleton's skills and values
  

  'Shackleton was unquestionably my greatest hero, the epitome of a real explorer, and a great handler of men ... leading his party through great difficulties and danger and achieving success at the end of it. I admired him enormously.'

  'He was prepared to make a decision and change his mind quickly when circumstances changed'

  Role model, hero
  

  'Shipton was a hero to me, he did all the things I wanted to do.'

  Respect for the mountain

  On reaching the top of Mt Everest -

  'A few more wacks of the ice-axe, a few very weary steps, and we were on the summit of Everest.'

  'We didn't feel that we had conquered Everest... we felt that Everest had relented.'

  Altruistic

  Hillary after reaching the top of Everest and meeting Hunt [the expedition leader] -
  

  'To see the unashamed joy spread over the tired, strained face of our gallant and determined leader was to me reward enough in itself.'

  Teamwork, Unselfish, Fair

  'We were a good team of that I am convinced, and it was this team spirit more than anything that ultimately got Tenzing and me to the summit.'

  Altruistic, Humanitarian

  'I take most pride and satisfaction from the Sherpa schools and medical centres we have built with our friends.'

  Humble, Caring

  'I have had the world lie beneath my clumsy boots. And saw the red sun slip over the horizon after the dark Antarctic winter. I have been given more than my fair share of excitement, beauty, laughter and friendship. But for me the most rewarding moments have not always been the great moments - for what can surpass a tear on your departure, joy on your return, or a trusting hand in yours.'

• From Hillary, E. (1999). View from the Summit. Doubleday: Great Britain

  Dreamer, Visionary, Thinker [Childhood]

  'Even in those days I was a great dreamer. I used to go for long walks about the area, or cut across the paddocks, jumping over fences with my mind in far away places just thinking about adventures and exciting things to do. I'd have a stick in my hand and imagine it was a sword and that I was fighting great battles.'

  Identifies opportunities, Positive response to challenge, Frugal, Self sufficient [University]

  'During my university years, my father only gave me the few pence needed to travel the five miles by bus to and from our home, so I jogged distance instead and accumulated a little money.'

  Hard work ethic, Optimistic [Beekeeper]

  'Why did we persist in working with a father who paid us so little and whose views varied so often from our own? The main reason I believe was because we actually enjoyed the beekeeping. Rex [brother] and I reveled in the hard work and increasingly the field activity fell into our hands.'

  Identifies opportunities, Risk taker [Mountain climbing in the Himalayas]

  'When I read the newspaper article saying that Eric Shipton was taking an expedition to the south side of Mount Everest I cheekily wrote a letter to him suggesting that a couple of the members of our {N.Z.] expedition would be very well acclimatised and, being excellent snow and ice climbers, we could make a substantial contribution to his team.'

  Risk taker, Brave [Mt Everest]

  'After days of dangerous and difficult exploration often with the cold hand of fear gripping our stomachs...'

  Risk taker, Adventurous, Courageous, Competitive [Mt Everest]

  'The porters had brought three six-foot lengths of aluminium ladder and late in the afternoon we bolted them together and lowered the ladder across the great crevasse. I enjoyed making sure I was the first to crawl over it which was indicative of the competitive attitude I had in those days.'

  Identifies opportunities, Determined [Mt Everest]

  'It seemed very unlikely that John Hunt [expedition leader] would let George Lowe and me climb together - you couldn't have two New Zealanders getting to the top! - but what about Tensing and me? It seemed a good idea and I decided to encourage it.'

  Humble, Teamwork, Empathy [Mt Everest]

  'We were now as high as anyone had ever been before. It was impossible not to dwell for a moment on the remarkable support we had received from our colleagues.'

  'As I lay in my sleeping bag my mind turned over a great mixture of thoughts - what a fine support Tenzing had been on the climb, and how glad I was that a Sherpa had been one of the first to reach the summit. I knew he had been even more excited than I was. And the there was George Lowe, now with me in the tent, what a great job he had done.'

  Unselfish, Common goal, Teamwork [Mt Everest]

  'As you know it matters little who actually gets to the top first - it's so unimportant that we never think of it...' p 'I certainly never regarded it as being important and we agreed that as a team, sharing the tasks on the mountain, we would say we had reached the summit together.'

  Empathy, Altruistic [Great Britain]

  'There was only one thing on this great occasion that made me feel slightly uncomfortable. It would have been nice if Tenzing had received a knighthood too.'

  Humble, Rational

  'I did not regard myself as suitable knightly material. For one thing I was far too impoverished to play the role.'

  Preparation [for Antarctica]

  'I had the whole wintering-over team of twenty three spend a couple of months on the Tasman Glacier [in NZ]. Everyone drove tractors, handled dogs, skied, camped in the snow in tents and at least became familiar with all the skills needed for living in polar regions.'

  Hard work, Stamina, Tenacity, Determination [Antarctica]

  'This was the most exciting moment I can ever remember, certainly more exciting than reaching the summit of Everest. I actually shrieked and yelled with joy. It had been a monumental struggle up the Skelton Glacier with our Ferguson Tractors and heavy loads but we had done it.'

  Pragmatic, Adventurous, Brave, Responds to challenges [Antarctica]

  'Somewhat shaken I turned off the motor and scrambled out for a look. The hole was a beauty, plenty big enough to take the tractor. And I couldn't quite see how I'd managed to escape from it. If the motor had stalled I wouldn't have had a chance. I knew it wasn't any use brooding over these things, so I started looking for a better bridge.'

  Adventurer, Outside personal comfort zones, Brave, Risk taker [Ganges River]

  '... could once again feel the grip of fear. We headed through the surging waves and were tossed high in the air. Jim's foot slipped off the accelerator and the boat rolled sideways off a huge surge, completely out of control. This is it, I thought, next roll we'll go under.'

  Identifies opportunities, Responds to challenges

  'As one thing seemed to become impossible for me, other opportunities and other interests certainly developed. And although those interests were perhaps not as dangerous or exciting as some of my previous ones, yet they were in many ways just as important challenges.'

  Humble, Determined

  'I am a person of modest abilities, but I have a great deal of determination. And once started on a project that I want to do, I don't give up easily.'

• NZ Edge

• Brilliant Careers: A man to match his mountain

• From Tenzing

  'Everest is the top not merely of one country or another, but of the whole earth. It was climbed by men both of the East and the West. It belongs to us all.'