In celebration of his late father's historic first ascent of Mt. Everest in 1953, Peter Hillary climbed to the summit of the world's highest mountain for his second time on the 25th of May 2002 as part of a National Geographic documentary. When Peter first summitted Mt. Everest in 1990, he and his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, became the first father and son to accomplish this pinnacle of adventuring achievement. In January 1999, 42 years after Sir Edmund's epic Antarctic journey, they did it again; this time becoming the first father and son to have reached the South Pole overland from the coast and both of them establishing new routes to the South Pole. These are but two highlights in what has been a lifetime of high adventure and undertaking colossal and often frightening challenges.
Some of Peter's mountaineering expeditions include Everest West Ridge, Makalu West Pillar, Mt. Vinson, Aconcagua, Lhotse, Amadablam and Carstenz Pyramid. In all, Peter Hillary has been on 38 expeditions and alpine seasons.
Peter is an adventure travel operator and guide specialising in the Himalayas and Antarctica. He guided Qantas CEO James Strong on Mt. Vinson in Antarctica and entrepreneur Dick Smith up Carstenz Pyramid in Irian Jaya. He also works as a speaker and writer and is the author of five mountaineering books and one children's book. He has worked on numerous television documentaries including two for National Geographic and one for Outdoor Life Network in 2005.
Additionally, Peter has worked extensively with television including interviews on Good Morning America, The Late Show with David Letterman, the Charlie Rose Show in New York and A Current Affair with Ray Martin, numerous major radio programmes and print media such as The New York Times, The Times of London and The Sydney Morning Herald.
Peter is a member of the Himalayan Trust, an organisation founded by his father to assist the local people of the Mount Everest region, where they have built and run 42 schools, hospitals and medical clinics. Since 1992, Peter has taken over 1,000 teenagers to assist with construction work on some of the Himalayan community projects. He works with the American Himalayan Foundation in San Francisco, the Sir Edmund Hillary Foundation of Canada in Toronto and is a director of the Australian Himalayan Foundation in Sydney.
Peter was born in 1954 in New Zealand and educated at King's College, Auckland, and Auckland University. He is the son of the late Sir Edmund and Lady Louise Hillary; he is married to Yvonne Oomen and he has four children Amelia, George, Alexander & Lily Louise. He resides in Auckland and Melbourne.
Peter Hillary, adventurer, is available through IMG Speakers Bureau for speaking engagements. Peter Hillary is also available for corporate meetings and events, panel discussions, business seminars and much more. Please contact IMG Speakers at 212-774-6735 or speakers@imgworld.com for more information on booking Peter Hillary.
