Two Generations

TWO GENERATIONS. By Edmund and Peter Hillary. Pp. 223, 31 illustrations, 4 maps, 1984. (Hodder and Stoughton, London, £9.95).

In the modern times we have the whole family taking part in the various adventure activities. So as time passed by, there -emerge Two Generations of mountaineers. They are Edmund and Peter Hillary. The Hillary family adventures covered a wide range from New Zealand’s coast line to the Himalaya.
Ed’s teenage adventures led him towards Himalaya, when he -entered ‘the heart of the Sherpa country* and with the climb of Everest, Sherpa land is virtually Ed’s home. To the mountaineer¬ing world the climb of Everest was of course important and the reaction of the general public was overwhelming. Young Peter grew up in such surroundings.

The Hillary family was always engrossed in the aid-work for the Sherpas. To the young Peter, this had a tremendous impact, because he could see the difference between the world and the ,Sherpa way of life, yet how happy they were in their own way, Peter looks up towards his father with due respect for his work, his adventure, his enthusiasm for new horizons. Yet he naturally resents being pointed out as ‘Ed Hillary’s son’.

Louise Hillary, was a strong link between the family. It was in the growing-up age, the tragic death of Louise and Belinda brings the father and the son close to realize that both shared the true love for mountains.

Like Edmund, Peter too has no heart in the academics but he qualifies as a ski-instructor, pilot and as a competent moun¬taineer. Though himself a mountaineer Ed worries about Peter, Ed finally resigned himself to the fact that Peter had become-an incurable adventurer and climber. To both, this acceptance made life a lot easier.

Peter joins Ed in the ‘Ocean to Sky* expedition up the river Ganges in 1977. Then on Peter moves to Himalayan climbing-West Face of Ama Dablam—where a climber was killed and Peter severely injured. 1981 takes Peter on a traverse of Himalaya.

The book makes good reading of the climbs the two genera¬tions of Hillary have made. Though there are streaks of con¬flict and differences, the clear-cut difference in climbing attitudes is not drawn. In 1981, Ed goes to Tibet. Here after 28 years he-was, to look up to Everest from north and the giant ice-face pour¬ing down to the Kangshung glacier. Here Ed feels that demo-r cratic discussions lead nowhere. ‘There was lack of decisions when decisions were badly needed’.

With this Tibet adventure, Ed reclines to modest adventures, and admits to Sherpa Mingma’s statement of just to go ‘looking looking’.

Peter, of course, looks forward to many more climbs.

GEETA KAPADIA