Foreword by Jamling Tenzing Norgay
When my father, Tenzing Norgay, reached the summit of Everest with Edmund Hillary in 1953, the world was transfixed. It was not simply a climb, it was a breakthrough moment that spoke to humanity’s desire to push beyond what is known, to step into the unknown places where the outcome is uncertain, and to see ourselves differently because of it. That ascent was a symbol of courage, yes, but also of some- thing deeper.
I grew up in awe of that story, and in time I made my own journey to the summit of Everest. Standing at that height, I felt both immense pride and profound humility. I had carried my father’s legacy with me, and in telling my story through the IMAX film and later in my book Touching My Father’s Soul, I came to understand that the true essence of exploration is not conquest, but connection. It is a reminder that we are a part of the natural world, not separate from it. Every mountain, every frozen sea, every wilderness we enter gives us the opportunity to recognize our place within the larger whole.
The polar regions embody this truth. Antarctica and the Arctic stand as vast mirrors of our human nature. They are places of overwhelming beauty and silence, where the walls of ice can seem eternal. Yet they are also places that reveal our contradictions. We go there to learn, to marvel, and to seek knowledge. At the same time, we compete for resources, influence, and strategic ground. The Arctic in particular has become a theatre of overlapping ambitions, with nations competing for mineral deposits, fossil fuels, and military positioning. These impulses are as old as humanity itself, but in such fragile ecosystems the consequences are magnified.
In the Arctic, life has always been intertwined with the environment in ways that outsiders struggle to grasp. Indigenous populations, through centuries of adaptation, have learned how to live with the land rather than against it. Their traditions embody a kind of stewardship the rest of the world urgently needs to learn from. These communities remind us that survival in the harshest climates depends not on domination but on balance. Their wisdom and leadership are vital in shaping how the Arctic can withstand the pressures of climate change and global interest.
Antarctica presents another kind of lesson. No people have ever lived there permanently, and yet it has been preserved through one of the rarest achievements in human history: the Antarctic Treaty. Signed in 1959, it declared the continent a place for peace and science, setting aside territorial claims and military ambitions. In a time marked by conflicts and geopolitical rivalries, this agreement stands as a remarkable act of shared responsibility. It shows that humanity, when it chooses, can transcend its base instincts and create frameworks that prioritize knowledge and cooperation over control. In today’s fractured world, the Antarctic Treaty is a living example of what we can achieve when we put aside short- term gain for the sake of collective survival.
Read the entierty of Jamling Tenzing Norgay's foreword in Joseph Seif's Midnight Sun.
Jamling Tenzing Norgay
Jamling Tenzing Norgay is an Indian-Nepali Sherpa mountaineer, guide, author, and motivational speaker. The son of Tenzing Norgay, who with Sir Edmund Hillary made the first ascent of Mount Everest in 1953, Jamling retraced his father’s path to the summit in 1996. His climb was featured in David Breashears’ landmark IMAX documentary Everest, which captured the grandeur of the mountain and the courage of climbers facing life-threatening challenges.
Joseph Seif
Joseph Seif is a California-based photographer, filmmaker, and composer whose work explores the intersection of art, science, and environmental storytelling. His previous fine art photobook, ONWARD, features images created over twelve years across multiple countries, tracing his photographic journey and the evolution of his visual style. With a background in both commercial and fine art photography, his career has taken him from major brand campaigns to personal projects in remote corners of the world.
