The sad passing of Sir Edmund Hillary has focussed a lot of our minds on his achievement in pressing on to climb the mountain in 1953, but also on his arguably greater achievements AFTER the climb. His dedication to helping the Sherpa people, who had been so instrumental in the success of the expedition, was undimmed throughout the rest of his life, and he was loved very deeply for it. He formed the charitable Himalayan Trust, which expanded the hands-on work he himself had started out in the Khumbu valley, and it remains an absolute model charity to this day. I believe it continues to deserve our support. The details can be found on www.himalayan-trust.org.np or www.himalayantrust.co.uk and no doubt many other variations worldwide. I hope some of you feel able to give something towards the cause.

Hillary was a true early hero of mine, and as we haul ourselves in his footsteps years later, I'm very aware of what a different mountain challenge he and the team were facing back then. There is clearly no comparison with our straightforward fixed-rope sections on the trade route, and in particular the final ridge to the true summit would have been formidable without the modern fixed ropes that tend to be there now. He was a strong and courageous man, a giant in our exploring history. Despite the trend to criticise the commercial development of Everest in modern times (none more so than Hillary himself,of course!), I think it is fantastic that more modest climbers like myself can now have a decent opportunity to experience the flavour of those pioneers, to pad out the powerful impressions we gleaned from the writings of the time, and I feel truly privileged to have that chance. My experiences so far have definitely enhanced my respect for those men from the past, there is no diminution taking place in any way. The elements pose the same degree of challenge as ever.