New Zealand's Real Connection to the Khumbu: Sir Edmund Hillary and Namche Bazaar
New Zealand's relationship with the Khumbu region of Nepal, the same region ShilNepal sources its shilajit from, is genuine, well documented, and older than most people realise. This is regional and historical context, not a claim about ShilNepal itself. No part of this article suggests any connection between Sir Edmund Hillary, the Himalayan Trust, and ShilNepal as a business.
In this article
Key takeaways
- Edmund Hillary, a New Zealander, and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to summit Mount Everest on 29 May 1953.
- Hillary founded the Himalayan Trust in 1960, which built roughly 26 to 27 schools, two hospitals and around 12 clinics across the Solukhumbu district, including in Namche Bazaar itself.
- The airstrip the Trust built at Lukla in 1964 remains the standard gateway for anyone travelling into the Khumbu, including Namche Bazaar, on foot today.
29 May 1953: the summit
On 29 May 1953, at approximately 11:30am, Edmund Hillary of New Zealand and Tenzing Norgay became the first climbers confirmed to reach the summit of Mount Everest, as part of the British Everest Expedition led by John Hunt. The achievement made Hillary a household name in New Zealand and internationally, and it marked the beginning of a much longer relationship between Hillary and the Khumbu region he had climbed through to get there.
The Himalayan Trust: schools, a hospital, and an airstrip
Hillary founded the Himalayan Trust in 1960, returning to the Khumbu not as a climber but to help build infrastructure for the Sherpa communities who lived there. The first school, built from prefabricated aluminium sections flown in, opened in Khumjung in 1961. Further schools followed at Pangboche and Thami in 1963, and a school in Namche Bazaar itself in 1964, the same region ShilNepal sources its shilajit from today. A hospital at Khunde, initially staffed by volunteer doctors from New Zealand and Canada, opened in 1966. Over roughly three decades, the Trust built around 26 to 27 schools, two hospitals and about 12 clinics across Nepal's Solukhumbu district, along with foot bridges connecting mountain villages.
Lukla: the gateway to the Khumbu
Before 1964, reaching the Khumbu from Kathmandu meant a walk of around three weeks. The Himalayan Trust built an airstrip at Lukla that year specifically to move construction materials for the schools and hospital project, dramatically shortening that journey. The airport was later rebuilt and paved, and in 2008 was renamed Tenzing-Hillary Airport by the Nepalese government in honour of both men. It remains the standard entry point for trekkers heading into the Khumbu today, including anyone walking to Namche Bazaar.
Why this matters to a New Zealand reader
This history is worth knowing on its own terms. It is a genuine, well documented example of a New Zealander building a decades-long relationship with a specific Himalayan community, not a generic gesture toward Nepal broadly. Namche Bazaar, where one of the Trust's schools was built in 1964, is the same town ShilNepal's shilajit is sourced near today. We are telling you this as regional and historical context because it is true and verifiable, not because ShilNepal had any part in it.
Lab-tested, see batch #1093
History is context, a lab report is evidence
The history above says nothing about what is in a tin. A batch report does. Batch #1093 was independently tested by Eurofins Food Australia, including heavy metals and fulvic and humic acid content, and the full report is public.
Read the batch #1093 reportA lab report describes one batch. It does not show that a product treats or prevents any condition, and it does not certify geographic origin by itself.
FAQ
Is ShilNepal connected to Sir Edmund Hillary or the Himalayan Trust?
No. This article covers genuine New Zealand and Nepal history relevant to the Khumbu region. It is not a claim about ShilNepal's own history or operations.
Does the Himalayan Trust still operate?
Yes, in some form, through both a New Zealand-based organisation and a Nepal-based sister organisation. We have not independently verified its current, present-day programmes for this article.
Where is Lukla in relation to Namche Bazaar?
Lukla is the usual starting point for the trek into the Khumbu on foot, with Namche Bazaar reached after roughly two days' walking from there.
References
- NZHistory, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Everest.
- Himalayan Trust. About Sir Edmund Hillary, and organisational history.
- Himalayan Trust Nepal. Tenzing-Hillary Airport, Lukla, project history.
These are well documented, mainstream historical facts, cross-checked across the Himalayan Trust's own published history and independent sources. We did not find, and did not look for, any link between this history and ShilNepal itself.