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Younger Norgay would rather talk about life than death

For over three months, the documentary Everest has been drawing full houses in about 60 movie houses across America, and has grossed over $ 35 million.

Hollywood insiders believe that it could easily gross $ 50 million, making it an all-time documentary champ. The movie cost less than $ 4 million to produce, and its worldwide box-office could easily reach $100 million, Hollywood experts believe. The well-reviewed, hair-raising movie about the 1996 expedition to Everest which resulted in a singular tragedy, is also getting a lot of publicity by one of its team members.

Jamling Tenzing Norgay, 33, the son of the late Tenzing Norgay, one of the members of the first expedition to reach the summit of Mt Everest, has been travelling around America for many weeks, giving radio talks, and organizing slide shows.

The junior Norgay, whose adventure on Mount Everest is a key part of the IMAX film Everest, says he chooses not to focus on the deaths on the world's tallest peak.

Norgay's team ended up rescuing a group of mountain climbers during the expedition. Eight others died during a two-day blizzard. Several books have appeared about the tragedy; one of them, Into Thin Air has been on the bestseller list for over two years.

"We all hear about the deaths, but this is about triumph and achieving,'' said Jamling Tenzing Norgay, the deputy leader of the 1996 expedition that reached the summit during the production of the movie.

The popularity of the movie has led to the reissuing of several books about Mount Everest, including Mountain Without Mercy,which Norgay autographs after the slide presentation.

"The response has been tremendous,'' Norgay said. ``All the shows have been full.''

Norgay is the 10th member of his family to climb the mountain. His father, the late Tenzing Norgay, made the first successful ascent with Sir Edmund Hillary on May 29, 1953. The younger Norgay said he began climbing at age 6.

"I always knew I would make it one day,'' he said. ``I just didn't know when.''

Norgay tried to join several expeditions, but he said he couldn't afford it. Making the trek costs about $ 65,000 per person.

Then David Breashers, the mountain climber who directed the film Everest, approached Norgay about being a member of the team for the movie.

It was the chance he had to retrace his father's steps.

"I had always looked up to him as the greatest role model,'' Norgay said.

When Norgay reached the 29,028-foot high summit, he placed photographs of his father, who died in 1986, his family and the Dalai Lama on the summit. He also placed one of his daughter's dolls. Fortythree years earlier, his father had placed a doll given to him by his daughter, Jamling's sister.

Norgay is expected to appear in at least 50 cities in America. His trip is sponsored by the producers of the movie, Everest. In big cities, he has drawn over 120 people for his slide presentation and talk.

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