Sir Edmund and Mister Kodas

Sir Edmund Hillary has died at 88 . He and Sherpa Tenzing Norgay were the first two men to stand at the top of this planet, and reported back to a fellow climber upon his descent, “Well, George, we’ve knocked the bastard off.” Gotta love that “quintessential Kiwi” sense of style.

My friend Michael Kodas is about to publish High Crimes: The Fate of Everest in an Age of Greed, which looks at Everest’s fate in an age of greed. Michael joined a pair of Everest expeditions to write about how egos and large amounts of cash are affecting the race to the summit, and also impacting the Himalayan people. His book will be out in a month, but to read a detailed piece on a 2004 expedition of Connecticut residents to Everest click here .

I have not read the book, as Michael’s signed copy has not yet arrived for the Zielenbach archives, but I am sure it will be a fascinating read. Michael is a passionate soul who is an incredibly determined and dogged reporter, and when he digs into a project, the results are worth your time. The book will be released on 5 February. Buy some books… Michael needs to add another climbing wall in his home.