The South Ridge on Aoraki Mt Cook has been re-named Hillary Ridge. This is to honour Sir Edmund Hillary who was in the group of four climbers who were first to climb along that ridge to the top the mountain in 1948. It took them 7 hours. Aoraki Mt Cook is 3,754m high. It was first climbed in 1894 by three climbers using the North Ridge. Hillary is famous because he and Sherpa Tenzing were the first to climb Mt Everest in 1953.
When the New Zealand Geographic Board was thinking about naming the ridge after Sir Edmund Hillary, the Board asked the public for their opinions. 109 people replied. 57 thought it was a good idea and 52 did not. Many people thought the ridge should be named Ayres Ridge because Harry Ayres was the leader of that group of four in 1948. Ayres was a great climber. The Geographic Board now plans to call another ridge Ayres Ridge.
Sir Edmund Hillary, who died in 2008, is one of our most famous New Zealanders. His picture is on the $5 note. He is famous not only for climbing Mt Everest but also for the work he did for the people of Nepal, building schools and hospitals.
Vocabulary
Aoraki is the Maori name for Mt Cook
To honour someone is to remember them with respect
To name the ridge after Sir Edmund Hillary means to give the ridge his name. You can also say that a child is named after a relative e.g. Mary was named after her grandmother Mary.
A mountain ridge is long and narrow. Climbers can look down on two sides.
The New Zealand Geographic Board names places in NZ or changes names.