“A documentary special on the life of one of our most famous New Zealand heroes Sir Edmund Hillary airing as part of the 50th Everest anniversary celebrations. Seven years in the making this programme features special ." (NZ Listener)
Provides a history of Hillary’s achievements, chronicling his deeds through interviews, diary extracts, family photograph albums, scrapbooks and private letters. Hillary returns to his home town, his high School and the mountains of his youth and tells of his life as a young man. His initial trip to the Himalayas and his meeting with Eric Shipton and his inclusion on the reconnaissance exercise in the Everest region. Tells of the Swiss failure on the mountain in 1952, Hillary’s budding relationship with Louise Rose, and the planning that went into the 1953 British expedition, explains how Hillary and Lowe came to be involved in the expedition. Describes the assault on the mountain and their subsequent success after the failure of the first team. The challenges presented by the Hillary Step and the last few steps to the top and the emotions Tenzing Norgay and Hillary felt on having reached the peak.
Describes the aftermath of their climb, the jubilation and controversy in Nepal and India and the knighting of Hillary and Hunt. Hillary’s marriage to Louise and his frustrations at returning to beekeeping. Involvement in the British Trans-Antarctic expedition and his achievement at becoming the first person to get to the South Pole by vehicle. Returns to Nepal, discovers his body is no longer capable of high altitude climbing and tells of the driving force behind inauguration of the philanthropic Sir Edmund Hillary Himalayan Trust. The death of his wife and youngest daughter in an air accident in Nepal. His trip up the Ganges with son Peter, and the epiphany he had at Varanasi, the relationship he formed with June Mulgrave, elevation to the job of New Zealand High Commissioner to India in 1985 and his relationship with Tenzing Norgay.
Interviews: June Hillary, Rex Hillary, Ed Cotter, George Lowe, Sir John Hunt, George Band, Peter Hillary, Jamling Tenzing, Sir Vivian ‘Bunny’ Fuchs, Sarah Hillary, June Mulgrew, Elizabeth Hawley.