THE HIMALAYAN CLUB TIGERS

A Gathering to Honour the Himalayan Club Tigers

3^rd February 2001

The Himalayan Club, fulfilling its historic role, awarded the “Tiger’s Badge” to those Sherpas who  had achieved outstanding success in mountains. The badge was awarded only to a select few,  judged by many criteria.

At the turn of the new Millennium the Himalayan Club organised a special gathering to honour the last three living recipients of the Himalayan Club Tiger Badge. They were Ang Tsering, Nawang Gombu and Tobgay Sherpa.

HC records of the Sherpas, which were instituted by H.W. Tobin with the founding of the Club in  1928, were maintained as one of the chief occupations of Tobin’s successors as Hon Local Secretary in Darjeeling. When Tobin left in 1934, George Wood-Johnson took over, then J.W. Kydd in 1936-7. Between 1938-40 Mrs H.P.V. Townend, as Secretary of what was then the Eastern section of the HC at Calcutta, did sterling work looking after the interests of the Sherpas and keeping their records up to date. In 1950, when the HC got going again properly, Ludwig Krenek as HLS Darjeeling in 1949-50 compiled a Sherpa Porters Register containing 175 names (including Ang Tsering b. 1910) which, for the first time, was published in the HJ (XVI 1950-1 pp. 121-133).

From 1951-55, Jill Henderson as the Club’s local Secretary, ‘mothered’ the Sherpa community in Darjeeling, and fought tooth and nail to ensure that their interests were protected. But by then a big change was on the way with the opening up of Nepal, the migration of Sherpas to the new centre for expeditions in Kathmandu, and the dissolution of the Club’s activities in Darjeeling as a recruiting agency for Sherpas.

Of course a  few Sherpas never left Darjeeling, such as Tensing, Pasang Dawa, even Angtharkay who stayed until the end of the 1950s; and many others, encouraged by the establishment of the HMI. It would indeed be interesting for the HJ to publish a current review of the size of the Sherpa community who still reside in Darjeeling, providing a picture of their present activities; and whether any of the older men have passed on their profession to their descendants, as many well-known families of Alpine guides have done in Switzerland.

  A special reference must be made to Ms Jill Henderson, the spirited  Himalayan Club local Secretary who was instrumental in looking after the welfare of the Sherpas. 

The Living Tigers

Ang Tsering was on the expedition to Everest in 1924 when Irvine and Mallory were lost near the summit. In fact he is the only surviving participant of that pre-War expedition. He was also on  Nanga Parbat when  Will Merkl died in a storm. He was awarded German Order of Red Cross personally signed by Adolf Hitler.

Nawang Gombu is the most honoured and celebrated Sherpa in India today who has climbed Everest twice, the first person to do so.  He is Honorary member of the Himalayan Club and the Alpine  Club, London. He has also received many National Awards and honours. His association with the Club is long. 

Tobgay Sherpa has been an instructor at mountaineering Institutes, both at   Darjeeling and Uttarkashi. There are many mountaineers who has learnt their early mountain craft from him.

Apart from the three “Tigers” the following well known names from the past are  alive today in Darjeeling; each one  a historic  mountaineering  pillar of the past;  Pasang Phuttar, Nim Phuttar, Nim Tensing, Pemba Thargay, Ang Phuttar and Da Temba.

Of the present generation of the climbing Sherpas  the following are living in Darjeeling , most of them working as instructors in the H M I, Darjeeling : Lhatoo Dorjee, Nima Norbu, Pasang Namgyal,  Pasang Bhutia, Kusang Sherpa,  Lakpa Norbu, Sange Sherpa, Ang Tsering II, Ang Norbu, Chewang Rinzing, Major Ang Phurba.

The special gathering was also held in the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute on 6th January 2000. Many climbing Sherpas of Darjeeling and other guests were invited to be present. A special register was signed by all present. This  will be a historic document in the Club records. 

The Sherpas and Sherpanis, both young and old joined for lunch on a sunny day in clear view of Kangchenjunga. It was day of memories as katas  and other gifts were exchanged. Harish Kapadia and his wife Geeta Kapadia represented the Himalayan Club. 

The Sherpa lunch at Darjeeling was filled with nostalgia of the Himalayan climbs of that ‘Golden era’ of mountaineering history.  It was another historic day in the annals of the Himalayan Club as it entered the new Millennium  by honouring these giants of the past mountaineering traditions.

At a  special function, in Mumbai,  the Governor of Mumbai ,  honoured  these  great names in mountaineering.