‘Axe’ picks his way to top of world after earlier failure
NEW Zealander Grant ‘‘Axe’’ Rawlinson was on top of the world yesterday. Quite literally.
The climber from Taranaki has just followed in the footsteps of Sir Ed Hillary and summitted the world highest mountain, Mt Everest.
In an online posting late last night he wrote: ‘‘Just climbed Everest! The phone packed up at the summit; so I could not make a call from the top. Everyone is safe. It’s been about two hours since my descent.’’
Friends who spoke to the 37-year-old as he began to make his descent said he sounded ‘‘tired but very very calm’’.
The final climb to the summit has taunted him in the past – last year he got within 500 metres, but had to turn back.
Determined, he did not give up and knocked it off yesterday.
Speaking earlier in the week, Rawlinson said his biggest fear was failing.
‘‘Failure hurts. Not because of what I think I look like in front of other people, but internally within myself.’’
He said when he announced he was going back to Everest, a friend had asked what would happen if he failed. ‘‘I told him truthfully that if I fail, it will be very hard.
‘‘But my desire to climb the ridge is stronger than my fear of failing to climb it. I cannot live my life failing to attempt.’’
Rawlinson said he had a great team of Sherpas who had worked extremely hard to make sure everything was in place for the final ascent.
‘‘What a wonderful bunch of men, epitomising the qualities that make people great. Tough, hardworking, friendly, extreme athletes at altitude, yet so down-to-earth, honest and humble.’’