A new film about Sherpa Tenzing Norgay is set to release on Apple TV on October 16, aiming to correct the historical record regarding his role in the 1953 Everest expedition. The movie, titled Tenzing, stars Genden Phuntsok and Tom Hiddleston, and traces the climber’s journey from the Khumbu Valley to his recruitment for the British team led by Colonel John Hunt.
The 1953 expedition, which successfully saw Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay reach the summit of Mount Everest, used the Pen-Y-Gwryd hotel in Snowdonia as its base camp. Located at the foot of the Llanberis Pass, the inn served as a training ground where the team tested technical climbing skills and new equipment, including closed-circuit oxygen tanks and high-altitude boots.
Correcting the Historical Record
For decades, Tenzing’s contribution to the historic ascent was often minimized in popular narratives, with the focus frequently placed solely on Hillary. The new film seeks to address this imbalance. Director Jennifer Peedom, who opened the film at the Zurich film festival last month, noted that Tenzing possessed more experience on Everest than any other member of the 1953 team.
“He wasn’t just helping another man achieve his dream. He had his own dream,” Peedom said. The film highlights Tenzing’s earlier attempt in 1952 with Swiss climber Raymond Lambert, where the pair came within 250 meters of the summit before being forced to retreat by a storm.
News of the 1953 summit reached the Pen-Y-Gwryd hotel in the early hours of June 2. The hotel’s owner, Christopher Briggs, woke his guests with champagne after receiving a late-night telephone call confirming the success. The announcement coincided with the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II later that day.
A Time Capsule in Snowdonia
Today, the Pen-Y-Gwryd remains in the hands of the Briggs family, now run by his grandsons Nick and Rupert Pullee. The hotel retains much of its original character, with no televisions or piped music in the guest rooms. The interior features vintage Welsh wool blankets, Victorian roll-top tubs, and walls adorned with photographs and artwork related to the region’s mountaineering history.
Artefacts from the 1953 expedition are displayed in a glass cabinet at the hotel. Items include goggles, an ice axe, a compass, and a ledger containing the fingerprints of Sherpas, as most could not read or write. The hotel also maintains the Snowdon Club tradition, where young climbers who summit Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) are quizzed on mountain knowledge and awarded a silver ice-axe brooch.
Nick Pullee recalls Tenzing’s visits to the hotel, describing him as incredibly kind and a close friend of his grandfather. Tenzing is pictured in the hotel’s Smoke Room drinking tea with George Band, the youngest climber on the 1953 expedition, and on a rocky outcrop of Tryfan with team leader Hunt.
The hotel, built in 1810, is also the starting point for the Pyg track, a popular route to the summit of Snowdon. Guests can access the path directly from the hotel’s door. The property offers 20 rooms, each named after local peaks, with prices ranging from £114 to £172 per night. A three-course dinner costs £49.
Tenzing is available on Apple TV starting October 16.
Source: The Guardian
