Ball was a
New Zealand Antarctic Division field guide and instructor in survival training at
Scott Base in 1976–77 and a field guide in northern
Victoria Land for the
GANOVEX expedition in 1979–80. In 1990 Gary Ball summited Mount Everest with
Peter Hillary and
Rob Hall. They made a call from the summit to a New Zealand television station for an on-air talk during
prime time. On return to New Zealand they appeared in parades and gained corporate sponsorships for additional climbs. Together, Ball and Hall founded
Adventure Consultants in 1991, and were among the pioneers of guided tours of Mount Everest. In 1990, Ball was awarded the
New Zealand 1990 Commemoration Medal. In 1992, Ball also attempted
K2 but was struck down by a pulmonary embolism. He was rescued from 8300 metres altitude over the course of several days initially by
Rob Hall and later by a team including
Dan Mazur,
Scott Fischer,
Ed Viesturs,
Neal Beidleman and Jon Pratt. ==Death==