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Tenzing Norgay’s youngest son recalls childhood memories with father: ‘He didn’t want us to climb mountains’
In an Instagram video, Dhamey spoke about what it was like to have Tenzing Norgay as a father.
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Tenzing Norgay’s youngest son, Dhamey, has recalled growing up with the legendary mountaineer, sharing memories of family trips to the mountains and a humorous encounter involving a visitor who failed to recognise the Everest climber himself.
In a video shared on Instagram by his son, Khenrab Norgay, Dhamey spoke about what it was like to have Tenzing Norgay as a father, offering a glimpse into the personal side of the man widely known for his historic mountaineering achievements.
When asked about his favourite childhood memories with his father, Dhamey recalled the trips they took together. “Some of my favourite memories were going on trips with him. He’d take us to the mountains quite a bit, but very interestingly, he didn’t want us to climb mountains,” he said.
“He wanted to expose us to nature, to get out, to get to know the mountains, but he didn’t want us to climb them,” Dhamey added.
Speaking about growing up with the celebrated mountaineer, he said the experience was different from how the rest of the world knew his father. “Very interesting, because most of the world knew him as a mountaineer and especially for Everest, but I was very fortunate to know him as my dad, a different type of experience and a different type of Tenzing that I got to grow up with,” he said.
Dhamey also shared a humorous incident from his father’s life. He recalled that Tenzing Norgay was gardening one day when a visitor approached him and asked whether it was Tenzing Norgay’s home and whether he was there. “My dad looked at him and said, ‘Oh, Tenzing is not over here. He’s in the office,’” Dhamey recounted.
Khenrab then pointed out the irony of the encounter, saying that the visitor did not realise he was speaking to Tenzing Norgay himself.
(Also Read: Tenzing Norgay and the many variants of man’s relationship with nature)
Who was Tenzing Norgay?
Tenzing Norgay (1914–1986) became the first person to reach the summit of Mount Everest alongside Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. Their achievement marked a defining moment in the history of mountaineering.
Born into a Sherpa family in the Himalayan region, Norgay grew up close to the mountains that would shape his life. Accounts of his early years differ over whether he was born in Nepal or Tibet, but he eventually moved to Darjeeling, India, which served as an important base for Himalayan expeditions.
According to a report by The National News, Norgay began participating in Everest expeditions in 1935, initially working as a porter before establishing himself as an accomplished climber. Over the years, he developed extensive experience navigating the mountain’s challenging terrain and working at extreme altitudes.
By the time he joined the British expedition in 1953, Norgay had already attempted to reach Everest’s summit six times. In 1952, he came close during a Swiss expedition with Raymond Lambert, reaching approximately 8,600 metres before turning back. His seventh attempt, alongside Hillary, finally took him to the summit of the world’s highest mountain.
The extraordinary journey of Norgay and Hillary is the subject of Tenzing, an Apple TV film released on October 16.
