Why Mount Everest today would have made my father Tenzing Norgay sad
"...life is full of accidents. And among them are many accidental heroes - small and ordinary men who happened to be in the right place at the right time and whom circumstance has spotlighted on the world’s stage. But the Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, is not one of them… it was no accident that it was he, rather than someone else, who achieved what he did. It was William Blake, long ago, who wrote of his tiger, tiger, burning bright; but his imagined king of the forest burned no more brightly than does this later-day, flesh-and-blood tiger of the snows. There is a flame in Tenzing, a marvellously strong and pure flame that no storm of man or nature can extinguish. It is compounded of dream and desire, will and struggle, pride and humility; and in the end, with the deed done, the victory gained, it is the man’s humility that stands out above all his other qualities. In his moment of triumph what he felt in his heart was gratitude to Everest. His prayer for his future life is that it may be worthy of Everest.”
— James Ramsey Ullman, Tiger of the Snows
Sixty-four years ago, on May 29, 1953, my father Tenzing Norgay Sherpa and Sir Edmund Hillary stood atop Mount Everest. The day would go on to be called Everest Day. The two ordinary men accomplished a feat that no human thought was until then attainable, testing the limits of human endurance by conquering the last frontier of human terrestrial exploration – Mount Everest.
Not many know that Tenzing Norgay was one of the most experienced members of the 1953 expedition, having participated in no less than six previous attempts to Mt Everest, a record in itself. Twice before he had come agonisingly close to the summit; in 1938 with the great British explorer HW Tillman and again in 1952, with his close friend, the Swiss mountaineer Raymond Lambert.
Even before gaining worldwide fame, with the conquest of Mt Everest in 1953, Tenzing Norgay was recognised in Himalayan exploration circles as a mountaineering pioneer. Besides his numerous surveys and attempts of Mt Everest, he was known for his stellar ascents of Nanda Devi East, Kedarnath and exploration on Kanchenjunga. These exploits in the 1930s and 40s ensured that the Sherpa community spread across Nepal and Darjeeling came to be recognised as the greatest mountaineers in the world.
To me, the man behind the mask atop Everest was my pala, the Sherpa and Tibetan word for father. I am the youngest son of Tenzing and was born much after his Everest ascent.
In many ways I feel fortunate to be have been born after "Everest". I got to know another side of Tenzing, a fantastic regular dad – funny at times, humble and one who provided us his complete affection.
No, he did not have us sit around the fire and talk about his Everest and various other expeditions, but instead, taught us the valuable lessons in life from his countless experiences. A good part of it did involve us heading to the foothills of Sikkim and Nepal. And yes, as kids we did complain a lot.
However, those moments together trekking in Sikkim and Nepal are some of my fondest memories with my pala. Many people asked Tenzing if he wanted his children to climb and follow in his footsteps. My father's views on this subject was very clear. He would say, “I climbed Everest so that my children don’t have to."
For my father, the priority was for us was receive a good education, and pursue other opportunities. While I love the mountains and have trekked extensively in the Himalayas, I know my limitations when it comes to mountaineering. However, my elder brother Jamling Tenzing, had a childhood passion for mountaineering and after finishing his education, decided to fulfil his life-long dream and summited Mt Everest in 1996, a historic year on Everest documented in the book, Into Thin Air.
Overall, till date, about 20 close family members have scaled Everest, many of them on historic expeditions.
Tenzing’s image on the summit of Mt Everest was chosen by Life magazine as one of the images that changed the world. In 1999, more than 45 years after standing atop Mount Everest, Tenzing, along with Sir Edmund Hillary, was recognised as one of the top 20 heroes and icons of the of the 20th century by Time magazine.
While there were many other worthy legends of sports, the achievements of Tenzing and Hillary resonated to a wide international audience, not just sportsmen, but to people from all walks of life – their humble background, extraordinary achievement and humility in success, won the hearts of people all over the world and continues to inspire many today.
Talking about humility, not many people know that Hillary did not take a photo of himself on the summit of Everest. The iconic image atop Everest is that of Tenzing, taken by Hillary – unimaginable in today's “selfie” world.
Last year, two climbers who did not even reach the summit of Everest managed to release a photo of themselves atop Everest – only to be proved later that they had photoshopped their images on the summit – a first, among many other Everest firsts.
Many heroes are known for a single feat, but much like his partner Sir Edmund, Tenzing Norgay did not let his laurels or his global fame get to him. Tenzing’s life after Everest was as rich in contribution to the community and the cause of the nation.
India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru was very keen to create a lasting legacy to mark this stupendous feat. So, when Tenzing asked the prime minister, "What can I do for the nation", Nehru replied, “Create a thousand Tenzings”.
This led to the creation of the reputed Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling under Tenzing Norgay Sherpa's leadership.
Since its inception, the HMI has trained and produced many world-class mountaineers and inspired thousands more not just in the field of adventure, but leadership.
Looking at Everest today, however, I am sure that my father would have been saddened. The crowds, the commercialisation, the selfish attitude of some climbers and mostly the ill-treatment to Sherpas.
While Sherpas continue to be the backbone of almost every Everest expedition, they carry the heaviest loads, are not fairly compensated and continue to be exposed to the highest risk.
They are tasked with making the route through the perilous Khumbu Icefall, and when climbers are stranded high on the mountain, Sherpas are the first to be called to action. Take for example the story that occurred less than a month back of Alpine Sange Sherpa, whose grisly frostbitten hand and close call with death is the price he paid to rescue his stubborn and ill-prepared client.
While I wish Sange Sherpa a full and speedy recovery, his heroic efforts may cost him his fingers and the chance to provide for his family – over 51 Sherpa children who lost their fathers - the sole provider of their families. Of the 280 deaths on Everest, over 113 are Sherpas.
This year was particularly sad. The mountaineering community lost one of its greatest climbers, Ueli Steck, who died pursuing a pioneering and challenging route to Everest and Lhotse.
While some deaths were unavoidable due to avalanches, storms and accidents, many were attributed to inexperience and poor judgement.
Each pursuit of Everest, no matter how noble or pure, must be matched against the inherent risk the Everest poses. Future climbers must honestly conduct an assessment of one's skills and preparedness to meet the deadly environment on Everest.
Sixty-four years since my father stood atop Everest, his words stand true to those who wish to challenge themselves and pursue their dreams, on a mountain, or anywhere else.
“You cannot be a good mountaineer, however great your ability, unless you are cheerful and have the spirit of comradeship. Friends are as important as achievement. ...teamwork is the one key to success and that selfishness only makes a man small. No man, on a mountain or elsewhere, gets more out of anything than he puts into it. Be great, make others great.”
— Tenzing Norgay, Tiger of the Snows.