1954 - Interview with Tenzing Norgay | A True Mountaineer

Tenzing Norgay

The Sherpas to being a pathfinder as well as mountain guide, Instructor, advisor, companion of visitors in eastern Himalayan peaks and other mountain region

Those indispensable friends of all who dare to scale the peaks.

Sherpas have been around from long before the British started adventure activities in the Himalayas in 1921. They were accompanying survey missions and intelligence teams from before 1830, when survey officials had their first close up encounter with the Himalayas. Like the mountains themselves, which provide us with fresh water and harbour a rich boi-diversity, Sherpas have lent their experience for common good since ages. The word Sherpas (from Shar-Pa) means easterner. The Sherpas were originally residents of eastern Tibet, hailing from the districts of Solu and Khumbu deep in the Nepal-Tibet border region. Their villages are still located at very high altitudes and the only profession they follow is that of mountain guides. Being born in the lap of the Himalayas as it were the Sherpas have an instinctive ability and deep understanding of the mountains. Scaling the sheer cliffs and slippery snow is second nature to them. Over time they have naturally dominated this sphere of activity. Initially they worked only as High Altitude Porters because of their compatibility with the higher reaches of the mountain slopes. They climbed unknown peaks, difficult passes, but were quite unrecognized for their work. Between the two World Wars a large number of these people came and settled in Darjeeling, which was then a road head for British climbing expeditions to Everest through Sikkim. That was how Tenzing Norgaygot to accompany Hillary and set foot on Mount Everest on 29^th May 1953 thus introducing Sherpas to the world as the amazing natural mountain climbers of the Himalayas. In Darjeeling another very well known sherpa is Ang Tsering who had taken part in the tragic 1924 expedition to Everest in which two mountaineers Mallory and Irvine disappeared a few hundred meters from the top. Ang Tsering’s superhuman feet on Nanga Parbat known as “the Killer mountain” gave him fame in the world mountaineering fraternity and won him the medal of German Red Cross and various other awards. Stories of his amazing fight for survival eating only snow for nine days on Nanga Parbat got him the nickname “Tiger of the snows”. of Tenzing Norgay, what more remains to be said? Darjeeling and all of India is proud of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, happy that he chose to reside in Darjeeling since1953. He has inspired many other sherpas who also have many first ascents to their names. Nowang Gombu, nephew of Tenzing Norgay, is the first person in the world to climb Mt Everest twice, in 1963 with an American expedition and in 1965 with the Indian Mt Everest expedition. Dawa Thondup an old sherpa was in the Nanga Parbat storm, which spelt tragedy to Willy Merkl’s 1934 expedition. He had to his credit various expeditions including Swiss Everest expedition1952. Some of other sherpas who have climbed and made a record on mountaineering history such as Phu Dorji, Dawa Tenzing, Wangdi Sherpa, Ang Kami, Ang Norbu, ND Sherpa and others. Many have climbed the Everest like Dorjee Lahatoo,Nima Norbu, Jamling Tenzing Norgay (Son of Tenzing Norgay) and others. Kushang Sherpa holds the world record for having climbed the Everest from all three sides viz. North Ridge, SE Ridge and challenging Khangshung Face, he also is the only Indian to have climbed Everest five times.

At 11.30 AM on 29^th May 1953 history was made. Two mountaineers named Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay to reach the highest point on the earth for fifteen minutes. They did what all climbers do when they have reached their goal: shook hands, took pictures, looked at the view, and started down again for the world below. The world, however, was to be very different from the one they had left. For Tenzing , in particular, it was a world he never made and never known. He went up the mountain as a simple Sherpa, but he came down a hero & a legend. The expedition was organized by British and lead by John Hunt. The success of Everest expedition was hailed throughout the world as one of the most outstanding feats of human endeavor.

To commemorate his achievements, in the year 1954 India’s great men, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, Dr. Bidhan Chandra Roy and others conceived the idea of a national training centre for mountaineering with the aim of initiating and teaching the youth of India the sport of mountaineering. The Himalayan Mountaineering Institute was created in Darjeeling and Tenzing was the first Director of Field Training. He held this post until he retired in  May 1976, then he was appointed as the Advisor of the Institute till his death in May 1986.

Born in the year of Rabbit (according to the Tebetan Calender). He was eleventh of the thirteenth children of his parents, Gang-La Mingma and Kinzom. He was first  called Namgyal  Wandgi, and his present name was given to him on the insistence of a lama who hadfound from the holy books that he was the reincarnation of a rich man of Solu Khumbu who had recently died. Tenzing Norgay was not that rich man’s name, but the Lama though that a name that meant wealthy- fortune follower of religion would be best for one for whom he predicted great things.  

Tenzing’s early days were spent looking after the yaks in the high pastures where he would go with them to the height of the above 18,00ft. There the grass ended and the rocks and glaciers began.  And there it was that the dream  or ambition, call it what you like – took shape that the drove him eventually through many adventures to the top of Everest and afterwards to many parts of the civilized world. For around him in the pastures of the Himalaya stood the great mountains, Makalu, Lhotse, Cho Oyu, Nuptse, Pumori, Ama Dablam and yes mount Everst itself, which the Sherpas endearingly called “Chomolungma” . Even as a boy he hadheard tales of the men who had tried to climb Mount Everest from the otherside. Others, older Sherpas had been with them and had brought the story back. Already he wanted to see it all for himself. So, when he was eighteen years old that is in 1932 he left home and went to Darjeeling, where many Sherpas have always gone to seek a living with the main intention of trying to join an expedition. Since then he had lived Darjeeling continuously, for it has been necessary for his work as a mountaineer. His climbing exploits began in 1935, when he joined Eric Shipton’s reconnaissance party to Mount Everest. It was indeed the seeds snow by fate in this expedition.

Tenzing married his first wife in 1937 who gave him two daughters Pem Pem and Nima. During the years of the war, between 1939 and 1945 he was in the employment of Colonel White of the Chitral Militia and had traveled and climbed extensively in the Hindu Kush. It was during these years that his first wife died and he married the second time.

In the year 1949, he came to stay in Yatung, when the trade routes coming over the Nathu La and the Jelep la, were still open for trade between Tibet and India. He was accompanying the famous Tibetologist , Professor Joseph  Tucci, of the Italian Institute of Oriental Art & Literature. Tezing had the same trim, wiry figure and the broad, radiant smile which lasted until his last days.

After his ascent of Mount Everest, the Sherpas looked up to him as he had looked upto the supreme peak. He emerged as the leader and an ambassador of the sherpas and contributed greatly to bring recognition and fame to his people. Thus the noble partrons of the community by enrolling a set of Sherpas as the Instructors of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute since its inception. This policy is still maintained as a tradition.

Tenzing  was a many-splendoured genius. But he was made to see his infinite varieties. Nineteenth century had produced three great Himalayan teachers to whome modalities of mountaineering are pure philosophy. They were Eric Shipton, Frank Smythe and Bill Tillman. Tenzing’s active and close association with  these three great Himalayan giants had enhanced his skill, acumen and high grade climbing code a capital quality in a mountaineer as  also opened up a sunny, sweet and mystic mental window through which one can see the colour and grandeur of innate reflection that mountaineering stands for  the freedom of the Hills. That climbing is a process of mental upliftment was amply obvious to him in 1952 when Tenzing along with Lambert had almost made it to the top of Mount Everest. He confessed that he would have been much happier if he could make it with Lambert, a person so dear to his heart. And as  a token of friendship and solid bond between them tensing carried to the top of the world the high altitude gears presented to him by Raymond Lambert. He did not forget to return those items to Raymond assuring him he felt Lambert’s presence all the time. This is one of the movements which one possible terms climbing higher than Mount Everest. Tensing was a class above the rest because no other Sherpa had that innate understanding of climbing – a philosophy, a compact life-style.

Tenzing appreciated the achievements of the mountaineers who had to perform against various odds. He was full of praise about George Mallory whom he had not seen. Mallory was associated with the first three recognized British Mount Everest expedition in 1921, 1922 and 1924 when he disappeared with his climbing partner Andrew Irvine. Tenzing had paid a warm tribute to these great mountaineers in his second autobiographical book, after Mount Everest, published in 1977.  

The following is a brief record of Tenzing’s well- known climbing exploits as -

1935 – Accompanied Eric Shiption’s reconnaissance party to Everest.

1936 – Wenywith huge Ruttledge’s expedition to Mount Everest and reached the North Col.

1938 – Accompanied H.W. Tilman’s expedition to Mount Everest and reached camp vi ( 8322m/27,330 ft).

1939 – Went with a party to Tirchimir in the Hindu- Kush range and reached 7012m/23,000ft.

1946 – Carried out exploration in the Kanchenjunga region.

1947 – Accompanied a Swiss expedition to the Kumaon Himalayan and climbed four virgin peaks.

1949 – Carried out exploration in Nepal with Tilman.

1950 – Was with a Doon School party in the Kumaon Himalaya.

1951 – Went with a French expedition to Nanda Devi and reached the East summit ( 7621m/25,000ft.)

1952 – Accompanied two Swiss expeditions to Everest, reaching the heights of 8600m/28,211ft. and 8097m/26,560ft respectively without oxygen, with Raymond Lambert.

1953 – Went with British Everest Expedition led by Col. John Hunt and climbed the summit along with Edmund Hillary on 29 May.

Tenzing’s decorations and awards include Padma Bhushan, President’s Gold Medal, Nepal Tara, Nepal Pratap Vardak, Iran Shah Medal, George Medal, Coronation Medal of Queen Elkizabeth II Tiger Medal of Himalayan Club, Hubbard Medal of the National Geographical Society, USSR Sports Special Medical, Frech Sports Special Medal Italian Sports Special Medal, Doctor of Law Northland College, Wisconsin ( USA ) and IMF Gold Medal.

 Tenzing was died on 9^th May, 1986 at his home in Darjeeling at the age of 72 years old. He was the walking museum and living monument on mountaineering. His death marks the end of an era but work and Endeavour does not finish with his mortal passing away. The fine tradition and legacy left behind him goes on thorough the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. Also the Institute follows   the tradition the Tiger of the snows used to stand for the class, quality and source of knowledge.

On his 100 years birth anniversary, the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute is celebrating at his resting place, where he was cremated.  The Institute also has cancelled some of the programmes planned for the birth centenary celebration of Tenzing Norgay as a mark of respect to the 16 Sherpas killed in an avalanche on the Everest on April 18.

By

Chandranath Das, AMA, London

Curator

Himalayan Mountaineering Institute

Darjeeling – 734101, WB, India

Mobile :- 9434233958 / 9674684958

Email- daschandranath@gmail.com