To commemorate the first ascent of Mt Everest on 29 May 1953, the annual Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal 2017 has been awarded to Peruvian engineer César Augusto Portocarrero Rodríguez.
The award is given every year by the Nepal-based group, Mountain Legacy to honour not just Hillary’s climb 63 years ago, but also his work with the people of the Himalaya.
César Portocarrero has directed projects to mitigate the danger of outburst floods from numerous glacial lakes in the Andes, saving thousands of lives and many millions of dollars, and he is now sharing his expertise with members of the High Mountain Adaptation Partnership (HiMAP), including Nepal, Bhutan, and several Central Asian nations. The award will be presented in Kathmandu on December 11, International Mountain Day.
The Sir Edmund Hillary Mountain Legacy Medal is the world’s most prestigious award for mountain advocacy. Mountain Legacy was created in 2003 and authorised by Sir Edmund Hillary to administer the award, which is presented for remarkable service in the conservation of culture and nature in mountainous regions.The award is intended both to honor Sir Edmund’s remarkable record of development assistance and also intended to encourage its emulation.
Mountain Legacy President Dr. Kumar P. Mainali of the Department of Biology, University of Maryland said: “Hillary remained an enthusiastic advocate of adventure as a means of opening the individual’s spirit to unexpected challenges and opportunities. In a time of rapidly escalating challenges, we all need such adventurers, and we are quite fortunate to have César Portocarrero on our side.”
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