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Posted: Tue Jun 25, 2024 6:13 am
Douglas Mercer
June 25 2024
The story is told of Edmund Hillary that after his trek to the top of the world he faced some questions from the inquiring press. Not that he wanted to spoil the moment but a reporter deigned to suggest that perhaps after all Mr. Hillary had not in fact been the first to summit to the roof of the earth. He said that it was a well-known fact that many bodies had been found littered across the side of the mountain and that surely, for all we know, many more such were covered over forever in ice and snow never to be found. Perhaps, just perhaps, said the intrepid journalist, one of these people now dead and nameless had in fact reached the magical peak, looked around, and was the actual first person to enjoy that exhilarating sense of being the master of all he surveyed and then had succumbed on the way down. They say that Hillary took this in with good repose and, thoughtful as always, pondered the question deeply. But not too deeply for after a moment a wry smile appeared on his face as he said: yes of course you are quite right, no one can discount it, that is it is entirely possible that I am not actually the first person to go to the highest point on the earth’s surface. But still it seems to me that it is quite important also to return, wouldn’t you say?
June 25 2024
The story is told of Edmund Hillary that after his trek to the top of the world he faced some questions from the inquiring press. Not that he wanted to spoil the moment but a reporter deigned to suggest that perhaps after all Mr. Hillary had not in fact been the first to summit to the roof of the earth. He said that it was a well-known fact that many bodies had been found littered across the side of the mountain and that surely, for all we know, many more such were covered over forever in ice and snow never to be found. Perhaps, just perhaps, said the intrepid journalist, one of these people now dead and nameless had in fact reached the magical peak, looked around, and was the actual first person to enjoy that exhilarating sense of being the master of all he surveyed and then had succumbed on the way down. They say that Hillary took this in with good repose and, thoughtful as always, pondered the question deeply. But not too deeply for after a moment a wry smile appeared on his face as he said: yes of course you are quite right, no one can discount it, that is it is entirely possible that I am not actually the first person to go to the highest point on the earth’s surface. But still it seems to me that it is quite important also to return, wouldn’t you say?
