Two separate reports today show the love and respect that the country of Nepal holds for Sir Edmund Hillary, who passed away last week, and his Everest first ascent partner Tenzing Norgay.
First up, we have this report from The Himalayan Times that the Nepalese Government plans to create an award named in the honor of the first two men to summit Everest. The award will be given out annually to the International climber who displays "special competence in mountaineering." A $25,000 cash prize will go along with the honor, which will called the Tenzing-Hillary International Award.
In other news, it was also announced that the airport in Lukla, Nepal will also be renamed in honor of the two men. The airport, and the city of Lukla itself, are considered the "gateway to Everest" due to the amount of traffic that moves through the region as trekkers and mountaineers head to the mountain as well as several others in that area of the Himalaya. The airport will soon be dubbed the Tenzing-Hillary airport.
There has been a great deal of sadness and mourning in Nepal and New Zealand since Hillary passed away last week. His impact on Nepal has been lasting and profound, and will no doubt continue long past his death thanks to the Himalayan Trust that he founded. In his home country of New Zealand a state funeral is being planned to pay tribute to their local hero, with a number of proposals in place to rename several monuments or mountains in his honor.
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