Keynote Speaker Profile - Tashi Tenzing

Tashi was born in Darjeeling, India on 30 Nov, 1965 - youngest son of Pem Pem who is Tenzing Norgay's eldest daughter. Tenzing, with Sir Edmund Hillary, made the first ascent of Everest on 29th May 1953.

Tashi's mother is also a climber. She was a member of the 1959 International Women's Expedition to Cho Oyu, in Nepal - the 6th highest mountain in the world - an expedition which ended tragically in the death of two climbers.

Tashi spent his childhood in Darjeeling, the famed British hill station and tea growing area. He attended St Paul's School - a private boarding school in the strict British tradition. He made himself quite a name in the outdoor education field, excelling at distance and sprint running, soccer, cricket, gymnastics, karate, hockey and horse-riding as well as in more artistic pursuits such as oil painting and batik.

Tashi then went on to the University of New Delhi to gain a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology. But his first love has always been the outdoors and, especially climbing. He was solely responsible for establishing the Delhi University Climbing Club and excelled at all the climbing and outdoor adventure course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. This Institute was established by his grandfather, Tenzing Norgay, after Everest to offer professional climbing instruction to all Indian people. It now has a great tradition and a successful history of expeditions to the great Himalayan peaks. Tashi graduated from HMI as an instructor and still sometimes takes courses there as a guest Instructor.

But since leaving University Tashi has been almost solely employed in leading trekking and climbing trips in the Nepal, Tibet, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Indian Himalaya. He has trekked widely in Nepal - especially the Everest area of course ! - in Kashmir and Ladakh and in the eastern Himalaya of Bhutan and Sikkim. Since his childhood he has emulated his grandfather's love of mountain exploration and he has managed to maintain this quest by researching and leading many new treks and expeditions. However the desire to climb Everest has always been in Tashi’s heart and his passion for this never waned. He knew one day his time would come. His elder brother, Sonam - a lawyer in Sydney - and elder sister, Yangzen – a teacher in Darjeeling - have not inherited Tenzing's love of climbing but they fully supported their younger brother's aspirations and had full confidence in his ability to maintain the family tradition.

In 1993 Tashi led the 40th Anniversary Everest Expedition to mark the 40^th anniversary of the first successful expedition of his grandfather, Tenzing Norgay Sherpa. At last his dream seemed in reach but it was also important to him for the sake of his Sherpa people who supported him to the fullest in this bid. His team were successful, getting two members to the summit on May 10th. Sadly Tashi's uncle and climbing partner, Lobsang Tshering, fell to his death on the descent from the summit. Tashi missed the summit by just 400m having to turn back with snow blindness.

However on May 23rd 1997 Tashi at last succeeded in reaching the summit of Everest  - his life's dream fulfilled and the road now clear to take on new adventures. In 1998/99 he spent 9 months working for the Australian Antarctic Division at Mawson Station in the Antarctic and now also guides adventure groups in this icy wilderness.

In August 2001 Tashi and Judy published their first book – Tenzing and the Sherpas of Everest – which pays tribute to the immense contribution the Sherpas, including his grandfather Tenzing, have made to Himalayan exploration and mountaineering. The book is published worldwide in 9 different languages.

The past four years February 2000 to 2004 saw Tashi again  guiding alpine ascents on climbing trips for Aurora Expeditions, including two successfull crossing of South Georgia. He also worked on a filming a project in 2002/3, spendinga month in Scott Base and two months in the Antarctica Peninsula for Kennedy Millier Productions and Warner Bro making of the “HAPPY FEET”.

On May 16^th, 2002 Tashi made his second ascent of Everest with the Swiss Rolex 50^th Anniversary team – to commemorate the gallant attempts made in both spring and autumn 1952 by Tenzing Norgay and his dear friend, Raymond Lambert. Tashi reached the summit with Apa Sherpa who has climbed Everest 13 times and Yves Lambert, son of the Swiss climbing legend. The dream of a father and grandfather are now fulfilled

On May 09 th 2006 Tashi made his first ascent of Cho Oyu (the six highest mountain in the world)  fulfilling his mother’s dream .

Tashi now lives in Kathmandu with his wife Bandi Nima Tenzing and runs a adventure Travel company called TENZING ASIAN HOLIDAYS .  We organize 8000m expeditions and private  trekking and touring activities in the Nepal Himalaya, Tibet , Bhutan , India and Antarctica.