Seven peaks in running to honour Sir Ed

Aoraki/Mount Cook, South Island. Photo / Doug Sherring

Seven locations have become the final group of landmarks in the running to bear the name of New Zealand's greatest mountaineer.

Ten proposals for the naming of peaks after Sir Edmund Hillary have been put forward to the New Zealand Geographic Board, which will likely present a favoured option for public comment in coming months, before a decision late this year or early 2011.

Three possibilities have been declined or withdrawn from contention.

Sir Ed's family has welcomed having a mountain or range named after him, but his daughter says the landmark chosen must be one that has public approval.

Sarah Hillary told the Weekend Herald it would be an "incredible honour" for her father's name to be put on a piece of the country's landscape.

"If people feel that that is a good idea, then of course we would be very pleased about that as well. But it's not something we could make a decision about - it would be whether people felt strongly about it."

It would be silly to rename a feature that had a name for a good reason, she said.

"It has to be important to a number of New Zealanders to make it worthwhile, otherwise it's just going to be another name."

Sarah Hillary backed the views of friend and climber Mike Gill, who suggested three of the proposed suggestions that would be most fitting:

* "Hillary Ridge" for the South Ridge of Aoraki-Mt Cook, where Sir Ed and Harry Ayres made the first ascent on February 5, 1948.

"A modification would be to name it the Hillary-Ayres Ridge. I think Ed would like this. He was very fond of Harry who taught him his icecraft and launched him into his big New Zealand climbs," Mr Gill said.

* Renaming Magellan, in the main divide near Mount Tasman, as "Hillary", where Sir Ed made the first ascent in 1955 (or thereabouts).

"It's a worthy peak to bear his name," Mr Gill said.

* Renaming Mitre Peak in the Inland Kaikoura Range as "Hillary Peak".

"Ed always had an affection for the Inland Kaikouras because he used to climb its peaks out of the Air Force Training Camp in Marlborough."

The board may go to Sir Ed's family before seeking the public's views, secretary Wendy Shaw said.

Of the 10 proposals received, two have been declined - Mount Aspiring/Tititea and Southern Alps/Ka Tiritiri o te Moana - because these names were part of the Ngai Tahu settlement legislation.

The other had been withdrawn by the proposer for Mount Tapuaenuku/Hillary, she said.

RANGE OF OPTIONS

* Mount Ed Hillary: Two Thumb Range, MacKenzie Country, currently not named
* Hillary Peak: The Remarkables, Otago, currently not named
* Hillary Hill: Hauraki Plains, currently not named
* Hillary: Main Divide near Mount Tasman, currently Magellan
* Hillary Ridge: Aoraki/Mount Cook, currently South Ridge
* Tapuaenuku-Mount Edmund Hillary: Inland Kaikoura Range, currently Tapuae-o-Uenuku
* Hillary Peak: Inland Kaikoura Range, currently Mitre Peak.