Hillary kin vows to follow Everest hero's footsteps

It's been more than half a century since Sir Edmund Hillary climbed Mount Everest and now one of his granddaughters is keen to follow in his footsteps and his Nepalese charity work too.

Hillary, a New Zealander, and his Nepali climbing mate Tenzing Norgay Sherpa first climbed the 8,850-metre-high Mount Everest on May 29, 1953 -- a feat that helped launch Nepal as an adventure tourism destination.

Hillary, who died in January at the age of 88, continued to return to Nepal after his historic climb and opened up schools and hospitals in the remote Solukhumbhu district for Sherpa children close to the mountain.

Hillary's 18-year-old granddaughter, Amelia, left for Solukhumbhu on Tuesday with her father Peter, who has climbed Mount Everest twice. There she will participate in the "Everest Day" celebrations on May 29 and see some Hillary projects.

"It is walking down memory lane," Amelia told Reuters. "It is also remembering his great climb that created friendship between New Zealand and Nepal."

Amelia, who studies international politics and history in a college in Australia, has already done some climbing with her father in the Alps in Europe. She sees Everest as a challenge.