Famous names take on Everest

Tenzing and Hillary: Mountaineering's most famous names

Hillary and Tenzing, the first names to conquer the world's highest peak, Mount Everest, are going to try to repeat the feat, but with a difference.

It is nearly 50 years since New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Nepal's Tenzing Norgay reached the summit of Everest.

Now Sir Edmund's son, Peter, and Norgay's grandson, Tashi, hope to meet at the top of Everest next month.

Their climbs will mark the start of a year of celebrations to mark the original scaling of Everest.

Environmental problems

"It's like a birthday party," 47-year-old Peter Hillary said.

Sir Edmund - he wants his son to be careful

"I'm thinking about what dad has done and also New Zealanders in that field."

The Nepalese authorities say about 180 climbers have died trying to climb Everest, which is 8,848 metres (29,028 feet) high.

Peter said his 82-year-old father had warned him to be careful.

Tenzing Norgay died in 1986.

Grandson Tashi will attempt the climb with a Swiss expedition.

Peter Hillary will follow the same route his father took in 1953.

In recent years the popularity of climbing Mount Everest has created environmental problems.

Last year an expedition set off to try to collect the growing amount of rubbish left by climbers, which includes oxygen bottles, ropes, tents and human waste.

The expedition leader, Ken Noguchi, said there were at least 100 tonnes of litter on the higher slopes of Everest, making it the "world's highest garbage site".