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Journalism of Courage
On May 29, 1953, mountaineers Edmund Hillary and Sherpa Tenzin Norgay might have become overnight heroes after they made the mountain’s first ascent as part of the British Mount Everest expedition led by Colonel John Hunt, but Tenzin’s son Jamling Norgay notes it is important not to forget that it was a team effort. “Several people were working together to ensure the success of the ascent. We forget about the 25 sherpas and the 14 team members supporting them. Unlike today, everyone in the 1953 team — British members and sherpas alike — carried the same load and equally helped out in setting camps and other activities,” said Jamling at the “Celebrating Everest 70” talk organised by the Himalayan Environment Trust (HET) on June 6 at the India Habitat Centre in Delhi.
Seventy years after the historic feat, the talk explored the lives of people associated with the expedition and the aftermath of mountaineering in the Himalayas. The other speakers included Peter Hillary, son of Sir Edmund, mountaineer and photographer Sujoy Das, and Managing Trustee of HET Maninder Kohli. The talk detailed the lives of Edmund and Tenzing through anecdotes and presentations provided by the speakers and short documentaries.
“On May 28, 1953, at 28,500 feet on Mouth Everest, two tall slender people were sleeping in a small tent on a small ledge while the winds were hauling night, with temperatures as low as -30 and -40 celsius. The rest of the world had no idea what was going on there,” said Jamling, adding, ”My father did not speak a lot of English and Edmund did not know much Nepali or Sherpa, but Hunt thought that these people were the right fit to climb Everest. This goes to show that no matter what ethnic background or geographical location you come from, if you work together as a team, you can accomplish anything.”
Following the successful ascent of Everest, Edmund worked to improve the health, education and general well-being of people living in Solukhumbu district in eastern Nepal through the non-profit Himalayan Trust, which he led till his demise in 2008. “While the initial work was to improve education, we also worked to provide better healthcare to the Sherpa community,” said Peter.
The sherpa community is considered vulnerable and susceptible to risky livelihood due to the nature of their work. Jamling highlighted the need for better policies and facilities to protect the lives of sherpas and said, “My father provided me with good life and education. He told me after climbing Everest that he climbs so that I don’t have to. This is the same thing that sherpas say to their children even today. Even recently, three sherpas died after falling into a deep crevasse on a dangerous section of Mount Everest.”
Urging more people to take up mountaineering, Peter said, “My family wanted me to become an engineer but I was drawn to what my father did… We are so focused on the mountains and the challenge to climb them. But it is really about the people and cooperation as a team and the humour and the good times you share. That is why I would like as many people to go to the mountains. I think this becomes more important now because we are all becoming urban creatures.”
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