Sir Ed's grandchild set to help Sherpas

Sir Edmund Hillary's granddaughter is following in his footsteps to help the Sherpa people living at the top of the world.

Amelia Hillary, 18, will participate in the Kathmandu celebrations for Nepal's inaugural "Everest Day" on May 29 – exactly 55 years to the day after her grandfather became the first man to conquer Mt Everest with Tenzing Norgay Sherpa.

She and her father, Sir Edmund's son Peter Hillary have worked together several times, including leading a group to Everest base camp through the foothills of Tibet.

She has also been involved with Sir Edmund's Himalayan Trust work setting up schools and health centres for the Sherpa community in northern Solukhumbu district, lying in the foothills of the Himalayan ranges.

"To give continuity to Hillary's work, they have to be extended to other parts of Nepal as well," Miss Hillary told the Indo-Asian News Service: "This is the biggest challenge and responsibility for the Hillary family."

She first travelled to Nepal during 2003, and reached Everest base camp with her father. The previous year, she had been to the base camp from Tibet.

She told Indian journalists that one day she hoped to match her father and grandfather's feats in climbing the 8848m mountain.

Sir Edmund died in hospital on January 11 this year at the age of 88.

- NZPA