Sir Edmund Hillary, the first to conquer Mt Everest with Sherpa Tenzing, has died at the age of 88 in his beloved New Zealand.

Sir Edmund has not been well since a fall last year, but has still been out and about - this photo was taken in 2007.

Jicky, sometimes when a famous person dies you just wish they hadn't because they're so much a part of something you've known all your life and respected. Such is my feeling about Sir Edmund Hillary. He was a living legend. May he rest in peace.

I saw an interview with him on TV last night. He was very modest and dignified. Godspeed, Sir Edmund Hillary.

Yeah, I saw that. My boyfriend wants to attempt Everest. Ugh. He's already done Mt McKinley in Alaska..so....but he's 47 so maybe not this lifetime...

I was saddened to hear this. There was a short story in my reader in elementary school called "Because it is There". It was about Sir Edmund's quest to reach the top of Everest. I read it over and over and was fascinated by it. I've never literally climbed a mountain, but those words have helped me achieve several personal goals. He was truly inspiring.

-Noelle

Forty-seven isn't old as long as you are in good shape. I think Everest would creep me out because it's littered with the dead bodies of previous climbers, many there for decades. It's too dangerous to bring them down and some have been half eaten or eroded away.

After I read excerpts of "Into Thin Air" (the story of the Everest 1996 disaster), my fear of heights was completely cemented. Any place that requires me to wear an oxygen mask to breath is either too high or too low for me!

I found it a bit scary the first time I went to a little village high up in the Swiss Alps. I could barely catch my breath. I remember thinking, Is this what it's like to have asthma? Which leads to the next question - can asthmatics go to higher elevations?