Nawang Gombu, Mountaineer
Mountaineer

Nawang Gombu

Born 16 November 1936 · Outside India — Died 24 April 2011

First person to climb Mount Everest twice, achieving this feat in 1963 and 1965.

Nawang Gombu was a Sherpa mountaineer who was the first man in the world to have climbed Mount Everest twice.

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A detail that
surprised us

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In 1963, after summiting Everest with Jim Whittaker, Gombu and his team were gifted a Cadillac to tour America, where they famously avoided speeding tickets by revealing their Sherpa identity.

The Story

1
In 1953, at age 17, Nawang Gombu fled monastic life at Rongbuk Monastery and crossed the Nangpa La pass into Nepal, just as Western climbers were exploring Everest's southern routes, setting the stage for his mountaineering career.
2
🌄 In 1963, Gombu summited Mount Everest with the American expedition, becoming the eleventh man worldwide and second Sherpa to do so; he famously met President John F. Kennedy shortly after, who squeezed his heavily muscled thigh as a mark of admiration.
3In 1964, Gombu became the first Indian to conquer Nanda Devi (7,816 m), then the highest peak climbed, reaching 24,645 feet alongside the Indian Himalayan expedition.
4🏔️ By 1965, Gombu had climbed Everest a second time with the Indian Everest Expedition, becoming the first person globally to summit Everest twice, a record unbroken for 15 years.

🏅 Awards & Honours

—
Padma Bhushan

🔍 One thing most people don't know

“

At age 9, Gombu fled the Rongbuk Monastery, where he endured harsh punishments for academic failures, crossing a dangerous Himalayan pass into Nepal on foot.

🖼️

Through the Years

1 photograph from the archives
Nawang Gombu at the 1963 reunion of the 1953 Everest climbing expedition with team members and guests (2006).
Nawang Gombu at the 1963 reunion of the 1953 Everest climbing expedition with team members and guests (2006).
2006

🗓️ A Life in Moments

🕊️
Birth
Born in Kharta Region, Tibet
Nawang Gombu was born in the Kharta region northeast of Mount Everest into a Sherpa family with complex social ties.
1936
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Career
Joined Everest Expedition at 17
At age 17, Gombu became the youngest Sherpa on the 1953 Everest expedition led by John Hunt, organized by his uncle Tenzing Norgay.
1953
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Career
Summited Everest with American Team
Gombu summited Everest as the 11th person ever and second Sherpa during the American expedition alongside Jim Whittaker.
1963
⚡
Career
First Indian to Summit Nanda Devi
He reached the peak of Nanda Devi (24,645 ft) with an Indian expedition, becoming the first Indian to do so.
1964
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Career
Second Everest Summit
Gombu became the first person to summit Everest twice during the Indian Everest Expedition, marking the 17th overall ascent of Everest.
1965
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Career
Guide on Mount Rainier, USA
Hired by Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., Gombu worked as a seasonal guide on Mount Rainier, pioneering Sherpa guiding in the U.S.
1970
🏅
Award
Tenzing Norgay Lifetime Achievement Award
Awarded by President APJ Abdul Kalam for his lifetime contributions to Indian mountaineering.
2006
🕊️
Death
Passed Away in Darjeeling
Nawang Gombu died in Darjeeling at age 75, leaving a legacy in Himalayan mountaineering.
2011
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🗝️Discoveries

Swipe to uncover hidden stories
01 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

In 1963, Gombu was the first Sherpa hired as a mountain guide in the United States, working multiple seasons on Mount Rainier in Washington State.

02 / 05
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Gombu's 1965 Everest summit was the seventeenth overall ascent, showing how rare successful climbs were at the time compared to today’s thousands.

03 / 05
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

During the 1963 American expedition, Gombu was one of four Sherpas invited to the White House and awarded the National Geographic Society's Hubbard Medal by President Kennedy.

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"But officer, don't you know who we are?" (recounted by Jim Whittaker about a speeding incident in the U.S. after the 1963 Everest climb)

— Nawang Gombu

🌱 What changed because of them

Nawang Gombu’s double Everest ascents spotlighted Sherpa climbers as skilled mountaineers, not just support staff, elevating their status worldwide. His long tenure at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute helped professionalize Indian climbing, training many future leaders of the sport. His pioneering guiding work in the U.S. opened international doors for Sherpa mountaineers.

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