by Michael Gill
5. Hillary, From the Ocean to the Sky, 1979, p. 89.
6. Diary, 1 September 1977, MHF, box 47, fdr 717.
7. Diary, 1 October 1977, MHF, box 47, fdr 718.
Chapter 30 Reconciliation
1. MHF, box 46, fdr 707.
2. Hillary and Hillary, Two Generations, 1984, pp. 144–45.
3. Personal communication, 2016.
4. Hillary diary, 22 February 1978, MHF, box 41, fdr 637.
5. Letter to Sarah, 4 February 1977, MHF, box 41, fdr 638.
6. Personal communication, 2016.
7. Letter to Liz Hawley, 11 May 1978, MHF, box 46, fdr 710.
8. Hillary, View from the Summit, 1999, p. 256.
9. Graham Langton, ‘Mulgrew, Peter David’, from the Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Te Ara – the Encyclopedia of New Zealand, www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/5m61/mulgrew-peter-david (accessed 27 February 2017).
10. www.stuff.co.nz/national/erebus/3030756/flight-transcript (accessed 27 February 2017).
11. Hillary, View from the Summit, 1999, p. 257.
12. Hillary diary, 23–28 August 1981, MHF, box 47, fdr 719.
13. Hillary diary, 10 September 1981, in ibid.
14. Tabin, Geoffrey C., ‘The Kangshung Face of Everest’, American Alpine Journal, 1982.
15. In 1983 an American expedition led by Jim Morrissey, and including Lou Reichardt and many of the 1981 team, returned to the Kangshung Face. Climbing the buttress in 28 days, they found better snow conditions and weather on the face above. On 8 October three climbers reached the summit, followed next day by three more.
16. Hillary and Hillary, Two Generations, 1984, pp. 106–11.
17. Hillary, View from the Summit, 1999, p. 268.
18. Auckland Star, 27 June 1967.
19. New Zealand Herald, 14 April 1969.
20. Hillary, View from the Summit, 1999, p. 272.
21. Ibid., p. 276.
22. Merv Norrish to Ed Hillary, 7 April 1986, MHF, box 34, fdr 541.
23. Merv Norrish to Ed Hillary, 23 June 1986, MHF, box 35, fdr 557.
24. Hillary, View from the Summit, 1999, p. 280.
25. Ibid., p. 285.
Chapter 31 The last two decades
1. David Shlim interpreted this episode in the light of what was known about high altitude sickness (HAS) and his description helped explain Ed’s later health problems.
The hypoxia of high altitude is known to cause changes in the small blood vessels in the lungs and brain. In the lungs hypoxia causes constriction of small blood vessels (arterioles) leading to pulmonary hypertension: an increase in the blood pressure on the right side of the heart. In most people this is of little consequence but in a few where hypertension is more severe, high altitude pulmonary edema (HAPE) develops. Uniform arteriolar constriction throughout both lungs would cause hypertension but not edema. In HAPE, constriction is patchy, not uniform, so in an area of lung where there is no constriction the capillaries, which are the smallest vessels and the site where absorption of oxygen into blood cells takes place, are subjected to a damagingly high pressure. As a result the capillaries leak fluid into the alveoli, the air spaces of the lung. This is pulmonary edema. Oxygen cannot be absorbed from these fluid-filled alveoli, and the oxygen saturation/content of the blood feeding brain, muscles and heart falls. Breathlessness and cyanosis are major symptoms of HAPE. On a chest x-ray the edema shows as patches of increased opacity. If untreated, severe HAPE will follow a downward spiral to death.
In high altitude cerebral edema (HACE) the cerebral vessels do not constrict but are damaged by hypoxia. Damaged capillaries leak fluid into the brain, causing an increase in intracranial pressure and a range of symptoms depending on which areas of the brain are most affected. Because HAPE reduces the oxygen supply to all tissues, including the brain, it makes HACE worse. As with HAPE, untreated severe HACE typically follows a downward spiral to death.
Ed suffered from both HACE and HAPE at various times. His cerebral symptoms included severe headache, unilateral facial pain, dysarthria, diplopia, anorexia, nausea, vomiting, backache, fever, ataxia, insomnia, nightmares, confusion and coma.
Why do some people suffer from HACE and HAPE and not others? The answer is that it is an idiosyncratic response unrelated to the individual’s fitness or climbing ability. It just happens. An analogy is the way some individuals develop asthma when exposed to an allergen like grass pollen.
Ed became increasingly susceptible to HAPE and HACE each time he returned to the Himalayas from 1954 onwards. From 1960 he was spending weeks or months of each year at high altitude while managing his projects, and by 1991 there was evidence of permanent lung damage, as shown by an oxygen saturation of 90% at sea level when a normal value is 97–100%. By 2001 he was taking digoxin for heart failure and in his last year he had ascites secondary to right heart failure. See West et al., High Altitude Medicine and Physiology, 2012 for a more detailed account of the pathophysiology of HAPE and HACE.
2. Hillary, View from the Summit, 1999, p. 287.
3. Jefferies, Sagarmatha, 1986, p. 20.
4. The Most Noble Order of the Garter was founded by Edward lll in 1348 and is England’s highest order of chivalry. An explanation of the motto is that when Edward was dancing with Joan of Kent, her garter slipped to her ankle. The King, having reached for her garter, silenced sniggering courtiers with the words Honi soit qui mal y pense – Shame be to him who thinks evil of it.
5. MHF, box 49, fdr 775.
6. David Hill, in New Zealand Listener, 31 July 1999.
7. Antony Rouse, in London Evening Standard, 14 July 1999.
8. Jan Morris, in Literary Review, July 1999.
9. Betty Joplin interview with the author, 2008.
10. New Zealand Herald, 14 January 2008.
11. Jan Morris speaking at the New Zealand Alpine Club commemorative gathering in the Auckland Domain, 23 January 2008.
Epilogue
1. Hillary and Hillary, Two Generations, 1984, p. 19.
2. Hillary, Nothing Venture, 1975, p. 28.
3. Greenfield, A Smattering of Monsters, 1995, p. 152.
4. Interview in the Washington Post, 24 July 1970.
5. Di McKinnon, personal communication, 2011.
6. Marilyn Eales, personal communication, 2014.
7. Sarah Hillary, personal interview, 2009.
8. Peter Hillary, personal interview, 2011.
9. The museum files have many sets of speech notes.
10. Hillary, Schoolhouse in the Clouds, 1964, p. 1.
11. Mulgan, John, Report on Experience, Oxford University Press, 1947, p. 14.
12. Hillary, Nothing Venture, 1975, p. 308.
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– Photographs and Maps –
Ed Hillary on the 1953 British Everest expedition. ALF GREGORY
Edmund Raymond Hillary (b.1836), father of Percival Augustus Hillary (b.1885), and grandfather of Edmund Percival Hillary (b.1919). JOHN HILLARY COLLECTION
Annie Clementina Fleming, always known as Ida, married Edmund Raymond Hillary in 1884 when she was 28 and he 48. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
Percy in best dress pre-war, age c.28. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
The Clark homestead at Whakahara on the banks of the Northern Wairoa branch of the Kaipara Harbour. Dargaville and the school at Te Kopuru are on the opposite bank of the tidal river. HILLARY MUSEUM COLLECTION
Gertrude Clark, age 23. Signed: ‘From Gertie 1915’. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
Percy Hillary c.1913 poses (centre) and writes to Gertie, ‘These are three friends of mine, one of whom you know, and thinking it might interest you …’ HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
Lance-corporal Hillary (one stripe) with Gertrude in 1914 before he departs New Zealand. At Gallipoli he became a sergeant. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
Landing in Anzac Cove at Gallipoli, A
pril 1915. ALEXANDER TURNBULL LIBRARY, WELLINGTON, PACOLL-4318
The steep slopes behind Anzac Cove which were the scene of bitter fighting between ANZAC soldiers and the Turks. AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL, C01621
Percy after evacuation from Gallipoli, July 1915. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
Percy and Gertrude were married at St Matthew-in-the-City in Auckland on 6 February 1916. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
The main street of Tuakau in the 1920s. TUAKAU MUSEUM
Rex, June and Ed, c.1925. HILLARY MUSEUM COLLECTION
The junior classes of Tuakau School in the 1920s. School motto reads: SERVICE THE MASTER KEY OF LIFE. TUAKAU MUSEUM
A studio portrait of Ed in 1938. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
Rex, Gertrude, Percy, June and Ed in front of their house at 730 Remuera Road, c.1936. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
The Hillary honey van provided necessary transport to check hives, feed bees and collect honey comb from sites around South Auckland. HILLARY MUSEUM COLLECTION
Herbert Sutcliffe, founder of Radiant Living, with Ed who had become his secretary.
Mt Cook and the Hooker Valley seen through the window of The Hermitage Hotel. HILLARY MUSEUM COLLECTION
Rex, unknown, June and Ed at Ōrewa beach north of Auckland where Percy had bought a bach. HILLARY FAMILY COLLECTION
To the right of the larger Mt Sefton is Mt Footstool, 9078ft, on which Ed made an abortive solo attempt in December 1944 while on leave from his Air Force training. The road leads to The Hermitage Hotel. COLIN MONTEATH/HEDGEHOG HOUSE
