Tenzing Norgay’s Son Warns Climate Change Is Making the Himalayas More Dangerous

As a new biographical film celebrates the life and achievements of legendary mountaineer Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, his son is warning that climate change is rapidly transforming the Himalayas and creating new dangers for mountain communities and climbers alike.

Released on Friday, “Tenzing”, an Apple TV biopic, tells the story of the first confirmed ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, focusing on the journey through the eyes of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, who famously reached the summit alongside Sir Edmund Hillary.

More than 70 years after that historic achievement, the Himalayas are facing growing environmental challenges linked to global warming, including glacial retreat, unstable mountain terrain, and devastating floods.

Jamling Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, 61, said recent disasters in Nepal demonstrate the increasing threat posed by climate change.

These disasters are a warning for us,” he said.

He noted that Nepal is particularly vulnerable because much of the country is mountainous and heavily dependent on glacier-fed river systems.

“Nepal is very vulnerable to this because half our country is covered with mountains,” he said.

“That’s going to affect the people living lower down below the valley along the river.”

The issue became personal for Jamling two years ago when Thame, the village where his father was born, was devastated by a flood triggered by a glacial lake outburst. Located at an elevation of around 3,800 metres (12,460 feet), the village suffered significant destruction when waters burst through natural barriers created by melting glaciers.

According to Jamling, such events are becoming increasingly likely as glaciers continue to shrink.

“It’s a big threat. The moment glaciers recede, the lakes are going to rise and then one day, it’s going to breach and break. And that’s exactly what is happening,” he said.

“It happened in Thame, half of the village was wiped off the map.”

Jamling followed his father’s footsteps onto Mount Everest in 1996, fulfilling a lifelong ambition inspired by one of mountaineering’s most iconic figures.

“I looked up to him as my greatest role model. He was my hero, and I wanted to become just like him,” he said.

However, he says the mountain his father climbed in 1953 is changing rapidly due to rising temperatures.

One of the clearest signs of climate change, according to Sherpa, is the increasing presence of meltwater at high elevations on Everest. Guides have reported finding water around Camp 2, situated approximately 6,400 metres (21,000 feet) above sea level, an area traditionally dominated by snow and ice.

by snow and ice.

Scientists and mountaineers have warned that warming temperatures are accelerating glacier melt throughout the Himalayas, increasing the risk of avalanches, landslides, unstable ice formations, and glacial lake floods.

The concerns come as Nepal continues to assess the impact of recent extreme weather events and flooding, which have drawn attention to the broader environmental challenges facing mountain regions.

While the new film celebrates Tenzing Norgay’s historic achievement, his son hopes it will also remind people of the urgent need to protect the fragile mountain environments that made such feats possible.