By IANS
New Delhi : President Pratibha Devisingh Patil Friday expressed her condolence over the passing away of Everest pioneer Sir Edmund Hillary, saying the world has lost one of 20th century’s greatest adventurers.
Hillary, who was the first man to climb the world’s highest peak with Tenzing Norgay in 1953, died in a hospital in Auckland Friday. He was 88.
In her condolence message, Patil said: “Hillary represented the positive approach to life which was described by him after his conquest of Mount Everest.”
Conquering Everest showed his “ability to overcome challenges and problems”, she said.
“Apart from being a keen mountaineer, he was also sensitive to the needs of the people of the Himalayan region as he showed by devoting his time and energy to their welfare,” the president said.
She hailed Hillary for raising funds to construct hospitals and health clinics for the Sherpas in the region.
“He was also a conservationist who was acutely aware of the need to keep the environment around the Himalayan region clean,” the president noted in her condolence message.