Customer Reviews

Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Journey to the Top of Everest

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Touching My Father's Soul traces Jamling Norgay's two journeys: (i) to the top of Everest with the 1996 IMAX expedition, and (ii) his inner search for spirituality and how to grapple with his father's legacy. It is this latter journey that makes this book a welcome addition to the many books already written about the 1996 Everest disaster and, more generally, about climbing Everest, as his perspective as a Buddhist Sherpa has not been articulated before.

Although Jamling Norgay's story provided the emotional backbone of the IMAX movie, the movie didn't really provide a full portrait of the man, or the way in which he had to grapple with his father's legacy. The book really helps flesh out his character and his spiritual reawakening. Although it's not as gripping as Into Thin Air, for example, the book is reasonably well written and is a page turner in its own right.

I wouldn't buy this book solely to try to find a lot of additional information about the 1996 Everest disaster or much "behind the scenes" information about the Everest IMAX movie, as it really doesn't add much new. Instead, it is a heart-felt story of one man's journey and perspective on Everest.

As a final note - if you have the opportunity to see Jamling Norgay's book tour in support of Touching My Father's Soul, I would highly recommend it. I attended the book signing in Washington, and he has a very interesting 40 minute slide show.

You may think that there is no new mileage in another story concerning the everest disaster of 1996. That particular chapter in the mountains history has been chronicled many times, most notably by jon Krakauer in into thin air and David Breashears in high exposure. However, Jamling Norgay has taken a slightly different perspective in this book, choosing to concentrate on the inter relationships between himself, his father, the IMAX climbing team, the victims of the tragedy, his wife, family and last but not least, his faith. The buddhism aspect of this book is by far the most interesting tenet of touching my fathers soul. The divinations received by Jamling from his respected lamas showing an uneering premonition for the immediate future. Although the IMAX climb is central to the book, it becomes secondary to Jamlings obvious soul searching. If you want to read about the IMAX climb, buy high exposure. If you want to know about the 1996 disaster, buy into thin air. If you wish for elements of both of these and a more spiritual interpretation of everest, buy this. It Makes you think

There's a reason the Dalai Lama wrote the foreward to Jamling Norgay's book. This is a story that delves deeper than the typical adventure tale. It is a journey to the core of a man and his relationship to his family, his "people," nature, Buddhism, and himself. It is inspiring, filled with true examples of courage, bravery, and fortitude. For all those enthralled with Everest, Norgay's book provides a view of the mountain from both a historical and cultural aspect. It's fascinating to read how the Sherpas view the mountain and how cultures collide when the peak gets closer. The book is well researched, filled with interesting stories, and a fast, fun read. It is one of those rare books that stays with you long after you've turned the final page.

Among all the books that have come out since the 1996 Everest debacle, Jon Krakauer's stands out and now Jamling Norgay's new entry has touched my soul as it will yours. From an inner peace that represents a sherpa's life meaning, "Touching My Father's Soul" is a poignant look not only at climbing but the sherpa culture that few Americans will ever see.

Jamling Norgay, whilst having become a popular figure in the climbing world, exceeds efforts by other Everest authors, way past Beck Weathers' dreadful book and shows that climbing comes from within. He looks at it from a spiritual sense rather than a mechanical task. He and Krakauer are close in style and certainly in heart.

I strongly recommend this book and hope that it touches your soul and your mind.

Perspective - that's the real key this book gives one with respect to the disaster of Everest '96. Many books have been written, from the bigger than life action thriller angle of "Into Thin Air", the defensive shield of "The Climb", the horrific cringe of "Left for Dead" on through the somewhat egotistical air of Lene Gammellgard's book. But to me, "Touching My Father's Soul" is the best of the lot.

This book is not fast moving, nor impressively dramatic but it is exceedingly real. Having been born a Sherpa, raised in India and schooled in America, Jamling brings us a unique perspective on the events. I've read countless books written by westerners that attempt to describe the culture of the Sherpa, but none compare with this book.

Jamling Tenzing Norgay is many things. He is a husband, father, climber, Buddhist, featured star of the IMAX film Everest and last, and by no means least, son of the Tenzing Norgay, the Sherpa who in 1953 summated Everest with Sir Edmund Hillary. His book, Touching My Father's Soul: A Sherpa's Guide to the Top of Everest (told with Broughton Coburn), is his successful attempt to relate and reconcile these identities.

Throughout this is a very personal account in every sense. It is a tale of his life, his father's life, his climb to the top of Everest, his father's climb to the top of Everest and his attempts to address his feelings about his upbringing, family and flagging religious beliefs. Added to this mix is the literal and emotional climate of the Everest summit attempt during the tragic spring of 1996.

He relates his story in a manner which makes for a very interesting, inspirational and insightful read. He moves fluidly from his climb to his father's, from his life to his family's, from his spiritual issues to the material world, from the tragedy to his personal investment in being a climbing Sherpa, without losing the overarching narrative.

The famous and fateful climb of the IMAX and other teams in 1996 during and after the tragic events of that climbing year are well known, but Jamling gives us some further insight and perspective into those events.

Four audio tapes read by Norbu Tenzing (Jamling's older brother) energize this inspiring tale of a son's search for his father's spirit. Norbu, an experienced film narrator, brings a smooth, authentic Darjeeling Sherpa accent to Broughton Coburn's beautifully written text.

We learn that Tenzing was 51 when Jamling was born in 1965. Although Tenzing's six living children enjoyed a good education and family closeness, Father Tenzing was distant. When Tenzing died at age 72 in 1986, Jamling was a college student with many unanswered questions about his father's life and values. Jamling became a capable mountaineer & a father himself. He struggled to overcome doubt in his parents' profound Nyingmapa Buddhist values while retaining his own educated worldview.

That struggle ended during the disasterous 1996 Everest season. After many setbacks, while climbing through fierce winds past the dead bodies of failed climbers, Jamling's heart opened to his father's protectress: Miyolangsangma, goddess of Chomolangma. Jamling not only summitted Everest, his father's mountain; he also entered the inner heart of his father's Buddhist reality. Listeners who love the Himalaya. Buddhism, and Sherpa Culture will thrill this compelling interior and exterior adventure. (...)

This book is a poignant look at one man's search for his heritage, who his father was and what his father stood for. In doing so, Jamling seems to learn who he is as a man. The book is amazing as it weaves the son's story with that of his father's almost fifty years ago. It is refreshing to see that something as pure as a man's relationship to his father and our relationship to nature and faith still exists in at least one culture in a remote corner of the world. I am humbled by Jamling's deference to his father, heritage, and faith. My children will read this book when they are old enough to understand. I can only hope to leave half the legacy and example that Jamling's father has left and that Jamling will leave to his children.

I have seen Jamling's public presentations and wonder how he wrote this book. No reviews recognise that Broughton Coburn actually wrote it and that he is an already acclaimed writer and Himalayan expert. It seems to me that this is HIS book - not Jamlings. The thoughts/feelings expressed are obviously not from the mouth of Jamling. Be aware of this when you read this book - this is not a true Sherpa story - this is a western (overspiritualised) version of a Sherpas story. It is good reading but pretty much rehashes what Tenzing Norgay's "Man of Everest" and Krakauer's "Into Thin Air " did. Not a lot new.
Jamling himself does not seem to have a great deal to say personally. I had hoped to hear the real story of the Sherpas.

This newly published book is a marvelous feat as told by the son of Tenzing Norgay Sherpa, the Sherpa who accompanied Sir Edmund Hillary on the first ascent of Mt. Everest. By weaving together the story of his own effort with a number of little-known stories from his father's Everest ascent, this book brings the spirituality of the Himalayas to the forefront. While the world celebrated Hillary and Tenzing for their achievement, Jamling was inexorably drawn to attempt Everest in his own time. According to the book, both men reached their goals through remarkably similar experiences which shows, as probably few other people can, that climbing Everest is still a personal journey that is remarkably unchanged over the last 40 years even though both the culture and equipment have changed considerably. Although there is not much that is new in this book about the well-documented troubles on Everest (see Krakauer's Into Thin Air) in 1996, this book does break new ground by telling the story from the perspective of the native Sherpas.