Tenzing Norgay

Tenzing Norgay (born May 15, 1914?, Khumbu region, Nepal?—died May 9, 1986, Darjeeling [now Darjiling], West Bengal, India) was a Nepali-Indian Sherpa mountaineer who in 1953 became, with Edmund Hillary of New Zealand, the first person to set foot on the summit of Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak (approximately 29,032 feet [8,849 meters]; see Researcher’s Note: Height of Mount Everest).

Early life

There is uncertainty about Tenzing Norgay’s early life. He claimed to have been born in the Khumbu region of Nepal (near Everest), an area that is home to the Sherpas. Some sources, however, state that his birthplace was Tshechu, Tibet (now Tibet Autonomous Region, China). It is known that his parents were Tibetan, and he likely grew up in the Khumbu village of Thame. His original name was Namgyal Wangdi, and at some point he took the name Tenzing Norgay, which means “Wealthy-Fortunate Follower of Religion.” He worked for several years for an affluent family in Khumjung, and, as a teen, he ran away from difficult conditions and settled in Darjeeling (now Darjiling), West Bengal, India.

Becoming an expert climber

In 1935 he was chosen as a porter for his first expedition, accompanying Eric Shipton’s reconnaissance expedition of Everest. In the next few years Tenzing took part in more Everest expeditions than any other climber and also participated in numerous climbs in other parts of the Himalayas. After a pause during World War II Tenzing became a sirdar, or organizer of porters, and in this capacity accompanied a number of additional expeditions. In 1952 the Swiss made two attempts on the southern route up Everest, on both of which Tenzing was sirdar. On the first attempt, in April, Norgay and Swiss climber Raymond Lambert set a new altitude record of 28,200 feet (8,600 meters), about 900 feet (275 meters) below the summit.

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Reaching the summit with Hillary

Norgay was appointed sirdar of the British Everest expedition of 1953. By that time he had taken part in six previous climbs on Everest and was recognized as an expert mountaineer. Several days after two climbers in the expedition had to turn back about 300 feet (90 meters) short of the summit because of an equipment malfunction, he and Hillary formed the second pair to make an attempt. From a tent at 27,900 feet (8,500 meters) on the Southeast Ridge, they reached the summit at 11:30 am on May 29. Norgay spent 15 minutes there “taking photographs and eating mint cake,” and, as a devout Buddhist, he left an offering of food.

Later life

After climbing Everest Norgay was regarded as a hero by many Nepalese and Indians and others around the world. In 1954 he became the director of field training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, which the Indian government established that year to support the growth of mountaineering in the region. He remained in that post until 1976, after which he served as an adviser. In 1978 he founded Tenzing Norgay Adventures, a trekking company that leads climbing trips.

Honors and media

Norgay’s many honors include Britain’s George Medal, the Star of Nepal (Nepal Tara), and India’s Padma Bhushan. Man of Everest (1955; also published as Tiger of the Snows), written in collaboration with James Ramsey Ullman, is an autobiography. After Everest (1978), as told to Malcolm Barnes, tells of his travels after the Everest ascent and his directorship. Tenzing: Hero of Everest (2003), a biography of Tenzing Norgay by mountaineer and journalist Ed Douglas, is a sensitive appreciation of his life, achievements, and disappointments. In 2026 the biographical feature film Tenzing was released.