Peter Hillary is a powerful and dynamic speaker. Like his adventures, his presentations are inspiring, exciting and full of lessons for business today. 

Like his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, Peter has climbed Mt Everest and has reached the South Pole overland; widely recognised as two of the most significant accomplishments in the world of adventuring and exploration.   Peter first climbed Mount Everest in 1990, at which time he and Sir Edmund became the first father and son to have accomplished this pinnacle of adventuring achievement. They are also the first two generations of one family to have reached the South Pole overland from the Antarctic Coast – both of them establishing new routes to the South Pole. 

In May 2002, Peter climbed Mt Everest for a second time in commemoration of his father’s 50th Mt Everest ascent and more recently, he made a successful ascent of Mt McKinley, the highest mountain in North America and the final in his “Seven Summits” series.  He dedicated the climb to his father who died in January 2008 as a tribute to him.  The Seven Summits are the highest peaks on each of the seven Continents and to complete them is a goal of many top mountaineers.   

Despite the high-risk nature of his expeditions, Peter’s survival is testament to one of his greatest strengths - his sound judgement. In his presentations he talks about developing skills of use in any field; of seeing excitement in uncertainty; of balancing risk with caution; and of achieving extraordinary goals through preparation and perseverance. 

His considerable achievements, and his eloquent, natural speaking style, have led to an appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman, and an interview with Diane Sawyer on Good Morning America via satellite live from Antarctica.  His articles have been published in the New York Times, The Sydney Morning Herald; Melbourne’s The Age, and other high profile dailies. He is the author of six books.  Now, in 2005, Peter is featured in two films:  “Surviving Everest” by National Geographic, and “Fearless, Peter Hillary” by the Outdoor Life Network.

• Over 38 mountaineering expeditions including Everest West Ridge, Makalu West Pillar, Mt Vinson, Aconcagua, Lhotse, Amadablam and Carstenz Pyramid.
• Surviving the storm on K2: In 1995 Peter Hillary turned his back on a climb of the world’s second highest mountain, the notorious K2. He was just a few hundred metres from the summit. He survived, but the storm claimed the lives of seven others he’d been climbing with.
• Landing small aircraft at the North Pole with Sir Edmund and astronaut Neil Armstrong.
• The first ski descent of Mt Aspiring: the Matterhorn of the Southern Hemisphere.
• The first high-altitude traverse of the Himalayan Range, 1981: a 3000 mile/5000 kms route from Mt Kanchenjunga in Sikkim through Nepal and India to K2 in Pakistan.
• From the ‘Ocean to the Sky’: jetboating up the sacred Ganges river with his father in 1977, from the Sundarbunds in the Bay of Bengal to high in the Himalayas near Badrinath, where they made first ascents of Mount Nar Parbat and Mount Akash Parbat.
• Shark frenzies in the Coral Sea: feeding and filming sharks with Ron and Valerie Taylor at the Osprey Reef 200 kms off the north Queensland coast.

BUSINESS:

Peter is an adventure travel operator & guide specialising in the Himalayas & Antarctica. He guided Qantas CEO James Strong on Mt Vinson in Antarctica and entrepreneur Dick Smith up Carstenz Pyramid in Irian Jaya. He holds a commercial pilot’s license for fixed wing aircraft. He also works as a professional public speaker & writer. He is the author of four mountaineering books & one children’s book with a sixth book due for publication in New York in late 2003; he writes magazine articles, works on outdoor equipment design and marketing for Fairydown Adventure, the same company that equipped his father and Tenzing in 1953.

MEDIA:

Peter has featured extensively on television,  including two interviews on Good Morning America, The Late Show with David Letterman, countless major radio programs, and print media such as the New York Times and Parade Magazine.  He has appeared in numerous documentaries, including the recent National Geographic feature, “Surviving Everest”, in 2003.

PHILANTHROPY:

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 1000 teenagers to assist with construction work on some of the Himalayan Trust hospitals and schools and other community projects.

BOOKS & PUBLICATIONS:

In the Ghost Country   - Simon & Schuster (released January 2004)

A Sunny day in the Himalayas - Hodder & Stoughton

First Across The Roof Of The World - Hodder & Stoughton

Two Generations (with Sir Edmund Hillary)  - Hodder & Stoughton

Rimo: Mountain on the Silk Road - Hodder & Stoughton

Bridgit Was Bored [children's story] - Hodder & Stoughton

In the Name of the Father - Qantas Inflight Magazine, 1995

Everest Is Mighty, We Are Fragile - New York Times, 25 May, 1996

Outdoor equipment involvement

(includes design, field-testing and promotion)

• Arthur Ellis & Co., Christchurch, New Zealand
• American Recreation Products, St Louis, Missouri, USA