Two-Time Everest Summiteer, Seven Summits Mountaineer & Polar Explorer

Peter Hillary is one of the world's foremost adventurers — a two-time Everest summiteer, Seven Summits climber and polar explorer who carries the legacy of his father, Sir Edmund Hillary, into a new generation of audiences. His keynotes blend extraordinary stories with practical insights on leadership, risk and the human capacity to keep going.

Who is Peter Hillary?

Born in Auckland on Boxing Day 1954, Peter is the eldest child of Sir Edmund Hillary and Lady Louise Hillary. He started climbing at 14 and has spent his life on the world's most demanding peaks, in Antarctica and across the Arctic — while quietly carrying on his father's humanitarian work through the Himalayan Trust.

Career Highlights

• Two-time summiteer of Mount Everest (1990 and 2002)

• First father-and-son duo to summit Everest (with Sir Edmund as the patriarch)

• Completed the Seven Summits on 19 June 2008 with Denali

• Skied 84 days across Antarctica to the South Pole

• Survived the deadly 1995 K2 expedition that claimed seven lives

• Guided astronaut Neil Armstrong's small-aircraft landing at the North Pole

• Author of multiple books including In the Ghost Country: A Lifetime on the Edge

• Long-time supporter of the Himalayan Trust in Nepal

Key Speaking Themes

• Leadership and decision-making in high-stakes environments

• Resilience, risk and survival

• Living in your own shadow — and your father's

• Exploration in the modern world

• Conservation, philanthropy and giving back

What Your Audience Will Gain

Peter is a gifted storyteller as well as an elite climber. His sessions take audiences from the summit of Everest to the deck of a polar expedition ship, and back to the practical question of how teams make good decisions when the cost of getting it wrong is the highest possible. Calm, articulate and humble — exactly the tone you'd hope for.

Ideal For

• Leadership and high-performance conferences

• Resilience, wellbeing and culture events

• Conservation, philanthropy and ESG audiences

• Adventure, travel and exploration evenings

• After-dinner keynotes and gala events

Frequently Asked Questions about Peter Hillary

What does Peter Hillary speak about? Adventure, leadership, resilience, decision-making under pressure, exploration and conservation.

What is Peter Hillary best known for? Being the son of Sir Edmund Hillary, summiting Mount Everest twice, and completing the Seven Summits.

Has Peter Hillary climbed all seven summits? Yes. He completed the Seven Summits — the highest mountain on each continent — on 19 June 2008, when he summited Denali in Alaska.

What happened to Peter Hillary on K2? He was on the mountain in August 1995 when seven climbers died. Peter turned back below the summit, trusting his instincts — and survived.

Did Peter Hillary climb Everest with his father? No, but they were the first father-and-son to have both summited Everest.

Is Peter Hillary available for keynotes in NZ and overseas? Yes. Peter speaks internationally for corporate, conservation and adventure-travel audiences.