There are conflicting accounts of Tenzing's early life. In his autobiography, he wrote that he was aSherpa born and raised inTengboche,Khumbu, in northeasternNepal.[6] In a 1985 interview with All India Radio, he said his parents came from Tibet, but that he was born in Nepal.[need quotation to verify][7] According to many later accounts, including a book co-written by his sonJamling Tenzin Norgay, he was born inTibet,[8][9] at Tse Chu in theKama Valley, and grew up inThame.[10] He spent his early childhood inKharta, near the north of the country. Norgay went to Nepal as a child to work for a Sherpa family in Khumbu.[3][11][12][13][14][15]
Khumbu lies nearMount Everest, which the Tibetans and Sherpas callChomolungma; inStandard Tibetan, that name means "Holy Mother", or the goddess of the summit.[16] Buddhism is the traditional religion of the Sherpas and Tibetans, and Norgay was Buddhist.[6]
Although his exact date of birth is unknown, he knew it was in late May by the weather and the crops. After his ascent of Everest on 29 May 1953, he decided to celebrate his birthday on that day thereafter. His year of birth, according to theTibetan calendar, was theYear of the Rabbit, making it likely that he was born in 1914.[6] This agrees withHunt's statement that he was 39 in 1953, and had "established himself (as) not only the foremost climber of his race but as a mountaineer of world standing".[17]
Tenzing was originally called "Namgyal Wangdi", but as a child his name was changed on the advice of the headlama and founder ofRongbuk Monastery, Ngawang Tenzin Norbu.[18] "Tenzing Norgay" translates as "wealthy-fortunate-follower-of-religion". His father, a Tibetanyak herder, was Ghang La Mingma (d. 1949), and his mother, who was Tibetan, was Dokmo Kinzom. She lived to see him climb Everest. Tenzing was the 11th of 13 children, several of whom died young.[6]
Tenzing ran away from home twice in his teens, first toKathmandu and later toDarjeeling, India (which at that time was the starting point for most expeditions in the eastern Himalayas), and eventually acquired Indian citizenship.[19] He was once sent toTengboche Monastery to become a monk, but he decided that was not for him and left.[20] At the age of 19 he settled in the Sherpa community in the Too Song Busti district of Darjeeling.[6]
Norgay participated as a high-altitude porter in three official British attempts to climb Everest from the northernTibetan side in the 1930s.[6] On the1936 expedition, he worked withJohn Morris. He also took part in other climbs in various parts of the Indian subcontinent. For a time in the early 1940s, Norgay lived in theprincely state ofChitral (then in India, later a part ofPakistan) asbatman to a Major Chapman. Norgay's first wife died and was buried there during his sojourn in the state. He returned to Darjeeling with his two daughters during theIndian partition of 1947, and managed to cross India by train without a ticket and without being challenged by wearing one of Major Chapman's old uniforms.[6]
In 1947, Norgay participated in an unsuccessful summit attempt of Everest. The Canadian-born mountaineerEarl Denman, Ange Dawa Sherpa, and Norgay entered Tibet illegally to attempt the climb, an attempt which ended when a strong storm hit at 22,000 feet (6,700 m). Denman admitted defeat, and all three turned around, returning safely.[6] In 1947, Norgay became asirdar of a Swiss expedition for the first time after having helped to rescue Sirdar Wangdi Norbu, who had fallen and been seriously injured. The expedition reached the main summit ofKedarnath at 22,769 feet (6,940 m) in the westernGarhwalHimalaya with Norgay among the summit party.[22] In 1951 he joined the1951 British Mount Everest reconnaissance expedition.[23]
In 1952, he took part in the twoSwiss expeditions led byEdouard Wyss-Dunant (spring) and Gabriel Chevalley (autumn), the first serious attempts to climb Everest from the southern (Nepalese) side, after two previous US and British reconnaissance expeditions in 1950 and 1951. Raymond Lambert and Tenzing Norgay were able to reach a height of about 8,595 metres (28,199 ft) on the southeast ridge, setting a new climbing altitude record.[24] The expedition opened up a new route on Everest that was successfully climbed the next year. Norgay andRaymond Lambert reached on 28 May the then-record height of 8,600 metres (28,215 ft),[25][failed verification] and this expedition, during which Norgay was for the first time considered a full expedition member ("the greatest honour that had ever been paid me")[6] forged a lasting friendship between Norgay and his Swiss friends, in particular Raymond Lambert. During the autumn expedition, the team was stopped by bad weather after reaching an altitude of 8,100 metres (26,575 ft).[6]
In 1953, Tenzing Norgay took part inJohn Hunt's expedition; Tenzing had previously been to Everest six times (and Hunt three).[26] A member of the team wasEdmund Hillary, who fell into acrevasse but was saved from hitting the bottom by Norgay's prompt action in securing the rope using his ice axe, which led Hillary to consider him the climbing partner of choice for any future summit attempt.[27]
At the time, newspaper reports variously referred to him as Tensing, Tenzing, Tenzing Bhotia, Tenzing Norgay, Tensing Norkey, Tenzing Sherpa or Dan Shin, as one Indian academic suggested.[28]
The Hunt expedition totalled over 400 people, including 362porters, 20Sherpa guides and 10,000 pounds (4,500 kg) of baggage,[29] and like many such expeditions, was a team effort.
The expedition set upbase camp in March 1953. Hillary wrote in 1975 about first meeting Norgay in Kathmandu on 5 March 1953:[30]
I was eager to meet Tenzing Norgay. His reputation had been most impressive even before his two great efforts with the Swiss expedition ... Tenzing really looked the part – larger than most Sherpas, he was very strong and active; his flashing smile was irresistible; and he was incredibly patient with all our questions and requests. His success in the past had given him great physical confidence – I think that even then he expected to be a member of the final assault party ... One message came through however in very positive fashion – Tenzing had substantially greater personal ambition than any Sherpa I had met.
Working slowly, the expedition set up their penultimate camp at theSouth Col, at 25,900 feet (7,900 m). On 26 May,Tom Bourdillon andCharles Evans attempted the climb, but turned back when Evans' oxygen system failed. The pair had reached theSouth Summit, coming within 300 vertical feet (91 m) of the summit.[31] Hunt then directed Norgay and Hillary to go for the summit.
Snow and wind held the pair up at the South Col for two days. They set out on 28 May with a support trio comprising Ang Nyima,Alfred Gregory andGeorge Lowe. Norgay and Hillary pitched a tent at 27,900 feet (8,500 m) on 28 May while their support group returned down the mountain. On the following morning, Hillary discovered that his boots had frozen solid outside the tent. He spent two hours warming them before he and Tenzing attempted the final ascent, wearing 30-pound (14 kg) packs.[32] The last part of the ascent comprised a 40-foot (12 m) rock face later named the "Hillary Step". Hillary saw a means to wedge his way up a crack in the face between the rock wall and the ice, and Norgay followed.[33]
From there, the following effort was relatively simple. They reached Everest's 29,028-foot (8,848 m) summit, the highest point on Earth, at 11:30 a.m.[34] As Hillary put it, "A few more whacks of the ice axe in the firm snow, and we stood on top."[35]
They spent only about 15 minutes at the summit. Hillary took the famous photo of Norgay posing with his ice-axe, but since Norgay had never used a camera[citation needed], Hillary's ascent went unrecorded. However, according to Norgay's autobiographyMan of Everest,[6] when Norgay offered to take Hillary's photograph Hillary declined—"I motioned to Hillary that I would now take his picture. But for some reason he shook his head; he did not want it."[36][37] Additional photos were taken looking down the mountain, in order to re-assure that they had made it to the top and to document that the ascent was not faked.[38] The two had to take care on the descent after discovering that drifting snow had covered their tracks, complicating the task of retracing their steps. The first person they met was Lowe, who had climbed up to meet them with hot soup.
Afterwards, Norgay was met with great adulation in Nepal and India. Hillary and Hunt wereknighted by QueenElizabeth II,[39] while Norgay received theGeorge Medal for his efforts on the expedition.[18][40] It has been suggested that Indian prime ministerJawaharlal Nehru refused permission for Norgay to be knighted.[18]
It has been a long road ... From a mountaincoolie, a bearer of loads, to a wearer of a coat with rows of medals who is carried about in planes and worries about income tax.
"Hillary was knighted for being the first known person to climb to the top of Mount Everest. But Tenzing, who simultaneously reached its summit, only received an honorary medal. In the years since there's been growing disquiet at the lack of official recognition."
Norgay and Hillary were the first people to conclusively set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, but journalists were persistently repeating the question: "Which of the two men had the right to the glory of being the first one, and who was merely the second, the follower?" Colonel Hunt, the expedition leader, declared, "They reached it together, as a team."[42]
Norgay eventually ended the speculation by revealing that Hillary was first in his 1955 autobiography. It was ghost-written by American writerJames Ramsay Ullman as Tenzing could speak several languages but could not read or write. They were roped six feet apart, with most of the 30 foot rope in loops in his hand:[43][44]
A little below the summit Hillary and I stopped. ... I was not thinking of 'first' and 'second'. I did not say to myself, there is a golden apple up there. I will push Hillary aside and run for it. We went on slowly, steadily. And then we were there. Hillary stepped on top first. And I stepped up after him ... Now the truth is told. And I am ready to be judged by it.
In January 1975, with permission of the King ofBhutan,Jigme Singye Wangchuck, Norgay served assirdar (guide) for the first American tourist party allowed into the country.[45][46] Brought together by a company then called Mountain Travel (now called Mountain Travel-Sobek), the group first met Norgay in India before beginning the trek. The official trek began inParo, northernBhutan and included a visit toTiger's Nest (Paro Taktsang), the ancient Buddhist monastery, before returning to India via Nepal andSikkim. Norgay even introduced his group to theKing of Sikkim (the last king of Sikkim, as Sikkim is now a part of India) and also brought them to his home in India for a farewell celebration.[46]
In 1978 Norgay founded Tenzing Norgay Adventures,[47] a company providingtrekking adventures in theHimalayas. As of 2021, the company was run by his sonJamling Tenzing Norgay, who himself reached the summit of Everest in 1996.[48]
On 10 May 1984 Tenzing Norgay, together with Grp Capt A. J. S. Grewal, Principal of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, attended the 10th-anniversary celebrations of The School of Adventure,Mysore, Karnataka held at the MysoreInstitution of Engineers' auditorium.[citation needed]
Honours
In 1938, after Norgay's thirdEverest expedition as a porter, the Himalayan Club awarded him itsTiger Medal for high-altitude work.[18]
On 7 June 1953, it was announced that the newly crowned QueenElizabeth II wished to recognize Norgay's achievements.10 Downing Street announced on 1 July that, following consultation with the governments of India and Nepal, the Queen had approved awarding Norgay theGeorge Medal.[49][50] He also received, along with the rest of the Everest party, theQueen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.[citation needed] In May 2013, Norgay's grandson,Tashi Tenzing, said he believed his grandfather should have been knighted, not just given "a bloody medal".[51][52]
In September 2013, the Government of Nepal proposed naming a 7,916-metre (25,971 ft) mountain in NepalTenzing Peak in Norgay's honour.[57] Both Tenzing Peak and Hillary Peak are points on the long Ridge from Cho Oyu to Gyuchung Kang with Tenzing Peak nearer to Cho Oyu.
In July 2015, the highest-known, 3.4-kilometre-high (11,000 ft) mountain range on the dwarf planetPluto was namedTenzing Montes.[58]
Personal life and death
The house inDarjeeling where Norgay spent his last years
Norgay was married three times. His first wife, Dawa Phuti, died young in 1944. They had a son, Nima Dorje, who died at the age of four, and two daughters: Pem Pem, whose son,Tashi Tenzing, climbed Everest, and Nima, who married a Filipino graphic designer, Noli Galang.[6][59]
Norgay's second wife was Ang Lahmu, a cousin of his first wife. They had no biological children, but she was adoptive mother to their daughters from his earlier marriage with her cousin.[6]
His third wife was Dakku, whom he married while his second wife was still alive, as allowed by Sherpa custom (seepolygyny). They had three sons (Norbu,Jamling and Dhamey), and one daughter, Deki, who married American lawyer Clark Trainor. Jamling would joinPeter Hillary, Edmund Hillary's son, in climbing Everest in 2003 on the 50th anniversary of their fathers' climb.[59]
Other relatives include Norgay's nephews,Nawang Gombu and Topgay, who took part in the 1953 Everest expedition; and his grandsons, Tashi Tenzing, who lives inSydney, Australia, and the Trainor grandsons: Tenzing, Kalden, and Yonden.[6][59]Tenzing Trainor is an actor who appeared on theDisney Channel comedyLiv and Maddie.[60]
In 2003, commemorating the golden jubilee of Norgay's summit of Everest, the Indian government renamed its highest adventure sports award, theTenzing Norgay National Adventure Award after him.[65]
Art, entertainment and media
Literature
In 2011, Indian comic publisherAmar Chitra Katha released a children's comic book about Tenzing Norgay.[66]
^Krakauer, Jon (2002). Introduction.Touching My Father's Soul: a Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest. By Norgay, Jamling Tenzing; Coburn, Broughton. San Francisco, California: HarperSanFrancisco. p. XV.ISBN0062516876.OCLC943113647.Born in Tibet, raised in Nepal, and a resident of India since the age of 19, he had become a symbol of hope and inspiration for millions of caste-bound Indians, poverty-stricken Nepalese, and politically oppressed Tibetans – all of whom regard him as a countryman.
^Coburn, Broughton (1997).Everest : Mountain Without Mercy. Washington, DC: National Geographic Society. p. 112.ISBN0792270142.OCLC36675993.Jamling pulled out the string of flags he intended to display on the summit: Nepal, India, Tibet, U.S.A. and the United Nations. 'My parents are from Tibet, but lived for long periods in Nepal and India, where I was raised.'
^"Leadership". Thames Sherpa Fund. 1 March 2016.Archived from the original on 22 September 2022. Retrieved17 May 2014.
^Hillary, Edmund & Peter (1986).Ascent: Two Lives Explored – The Autobiographies of Sir Edmund and Peter Hillary. New York: Doubleday.ISBN978-0-385-19831-8.
^Vallely, Paul (10 May 1986). "Man of the mountains Tenzing dies".The Times.
^"Sherpas and the ethics of Everest". NGS. 8 April 2018.Archived from the original on 17 May 2019. Retrieved17 May 2019.Often overlooked and rarely adequately rewarded, Nepal's 'people of the east' have been helping adventurers up Mount Everest for a century, but at what cost?
^Krakauer, Jon (2002). Introduction.Touching My Father's Soul: a Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest. By Norgay, Jamling Tenzing; Coburn, Broughton. San Francisco, California: HarperSanFrancisco. p. XVI.ISBN0062516876.OCLC943113647.On May 9, 1986, while Jamling was still enrolled at Northland, he received word that his father had abruptly collapsed and died.
.jpg)
