Hi SACsters,
I had the honor of attending the gala celebration this past Tuesday at San Francisco's Fairmont Hotel in honor of the 50th anniversary of Sir Edmund Hillary's first ascent of Mt. Everest. There were over 1100 in attendance, including numerous notable Himalayan climbers and 67 Everest summiteers. Sir Ed was toasted by such icons as Junko Tabei (first woman atop Everest, 1975), Kurt Deimberger (self-professed "slowest climber"), and Maurice Herzog (first ascent of Annapurna, 1951). Jon Krakauer presented the 1963 American summit team and the crowd gave what remains of Beck Weathers a standing ovation. The event included a lively auction, featuring an old wooden ice axe signed by Hillary, Bonnington, Herzog, Messner, etc. that went for $28,000, and the net proceeds from the San Francisco, New York, Washinton and London events exceeded $1 million to build schools, hospitals and more for the people and sherpas of Nepal. Before the festivities concluded, all 67 Everest summiteers in attendance took the stage in a big crush. Sir Ed spoke for at least a half an hour, recounting, in both humble and inspiring terms, some of the key experiences of his life. It was truly a night to remember.
Doug Adair
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