Conrad Anker And Norbu Tenzing Norgay On Today's Mt. Everest Mess

Forbes

10 hours ago

Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay approaching 28,000 feet, Camp IX, Nepal, 28th May 1953. Mount Everest Expedition 1953. (Photo by George Lowe/Royal Geographical Society via Getty Images)
In Part 1 of this interview series with Norbu Tenzing Norgay, son of the great climber Tenzing Norgay, and Conrad Anker, renowned mountaineer, we covered the state of Mt. Everest today as they see it, and USAID cuts to the American Himalayan Foundation. Here, in Part 2, we continue on with the commercialization of the Everest. Following are more edited excerpts from our conversation at The Explorers Club on Everest Day, May 29.
Jim Clash: At the end of the 20th Century, you found the remains of climber George Mallory on the north side of Everest. Tell us about that.
Conrad Anker: Our research expedition to find Mallory and [Sandy] Irvine was sponsored in 1999. I was wandering around on a plateau May 1, because going uphill without supplemental oxygen is tougher [laughs]. The expedition leader says, "Hey, what are you doing over there?" When the clouds came over, there it was. It was a dry, windy year, which had taken the snow off of where Mallory had come to rest. It was a very humbling moment. What Mallory had done showed what real exploration is. It's been 101 years now since he disappeared.
George Leigh Mallory (1886-1824) was a team member of both the 1922 and 1924 Mount Everest Expeditions. He was selected by Colonel E.F. Norton, leader of the 1924 expedition, along with Sandy Irvine to attempt to reach the summit. Neither climber returned from the summit challenge, creating one of the most well-known 'mysteries' in climbing history (Photo by B. Stone/Royal Geographical Society via Getty Images)
Clash: You've been to Everest many times over the years. How has it changed?
Anker: The advent of commercial climbing was around 1990. I looked up to the mountain, aspired to climb it. The early climbers were my heroes. But now, the people up there don't understand what we climb for, the basic meaningfulness of the experience. It's become the opposite of what pure climbing is. Then there's the ridiculous Guinness Records, say the first person to the top carrying a toilet bowl [laughs].
Clash: You often climb without supplemental oxygen. Tourists on Everest use it, these days bottles and bottles of it. What's the difference between climbing with and without it?
Anker: The difference is how much you are willing to suffer [laughs]. The downside is that I've lost brain cells up there [without O's]. It takes six months to recover. We're not meant to be up there that high. We're on borrowed time to get through it. I guess I was just stubborn, had to prove to myself that I could do it.
Norbu Tenzing Norgay at The Explorers Club, New York, NY, May 29, 2025.
Clash: Norbu, you mentioned your father earlier, how he would be appalled if he were still alive to witness the current mess on Everest. Anything less serious you can share about him?
Norbu Tenzing Norgay: A lot of Indians worshipped my father. Our street would be packed with tourists who wanted to pay respects to him. He was an avid gardener, and would be outside taking care of plants with his back to the street. The people would be yelling, "Hey, gardener, gardener, is Mr. Tenzing home?" He'd just turn his head around and say, "No, no, he's gone to his office." Then they'd all go running to the office [laughs].