Mountaineer: 'Tenzing biopic made me wonder what he would think if he could return to the mountain today'

Seventy-three years ago, Tenzing Norgay stood atop Everest, revered as Chomolungma, translating to 'Goddess Mother of the World' in Tibetan. A new biopic encapsulates his humility and connection with the mountains. As a mountaineer and glaciologist, I am drawn to wild, open landscapes. The film prompted me to ponder what Norgay might think if he returned today.

The EBC has transformed from a solitary expedition to a bustling camp of tents and trash. The Khumbu Glacier, crucial for access, is losing ice at a rate of 0.8 meters per year – double the rate in the 1970s. Recent data reveals even faster thinning since 2016. As ice melts, lakes form, accelerating further loss. Glacial decline is evident in analog photos from 1953.

The recent Nepal–Tibet flood was linked to rising temperatures, melting glaciers, and permafrost. Alpine glaciers, like those in the Swiss Alps, are also receding rapidly. Routes like the Eiger's north face are becoming increasingly dangerous due to unstable ice and rockfall. Without significant climate action, glaciers in the Alps, Canada, Scandinavia, and other regions could vanish by 2100, drastically altering mountain ecosystems, tourism, and safety.