Tenzing Norgay
May 9, 19863
Early years and first expeditions
At the age of twelve he migrated to Darjeeling in India, where many expeditions selected Sherpa guides and porters.4
Because of his friend Ang Tharkay, Tenzing Norgay got his first engagement as a Sherpa guide on the 1935 British Everest expedition. It was Shipton's first as leader and the first for Tenzing Norgay.5,12
Norgay later said he knew Denman had little chance of succeeding but joined because the pull of Everest was stronger for him than any force on earth.6
The 1953 summit
Hunt named two summit teams: Tom Bourdillon and Charles Evans, and Hillary and Tenzing. Hunt then directed Hillary and Tenzing to attempt the summit.7,16
Norgay and Hillary pitched a tent at 27,900 feet on 28 May while their support group returned down the mountain.8
The final obstacle was a 40-foot rock face later called the Hillary Step. They reached the 29,028 ft summit at 11:30 am.17,18
Tenzing left chocolates at the summit as an offering, and Hillary left a cross given to him by John Hunt. The first person they met on the descent was Lowe.9,19
Later life
Tenzing Norgay became the first Director of Field Training of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling when it was set up in 1954.11
Ullman was the ghost writer for his 1955 autobiography Man of Everest, originally published as Tiger of the Snows.20
Norgay died of a cerebral hemorrhage in Darjeeling on 9 May 1986, aged 71.3