Sir Edmund Hillary on Wednesday said he 'badly misses' his partner Tenzing Norgay with whom he climbed Mount Everest on May 29, 1953.

Sir Edmund, who is in Delhi to take part in the 50^th anniversary celebrations of the climb, told rediff.com that more youngsters should take up mountaineering.

"Climbing Everest is a challenge. When Tenzing died a few years back, I was present for his funeral. There were people who shed tears on the death of the great climber. There were others who laughed because they felt that the spirit of Tenzing would remain alive," he said.

"No matter what kind of technology modern-day mountaineers adopt," he added, "they still have to climb the mountain on the basis of their skills."

He praised Major H P S Ahluwalia for having the 'courage and determination' to establish the Indian Spinal Injuries Centre. Major Ahluwalia was paralysed by a bullet injury sustained during the 1965 war with Pakistan -- four months after he climbed Everest on May 29, 1965.