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.
🔔 Add birthday reminderNawang Gombu was a Sherpa mountaineer who was the first man in the world to have climbed Mount Everest twice.
✨ A detail that surprised us
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.
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.
3. In 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.
5. In the 1970s through 1990s, Gombu was employed as the first Sherpa guide in the United States, assisting climbers on Mount Rainier under Rainier Mountaineering, Inc., breaking new ground for Sherpa mountaineers abroad.
6. He spent decades at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, transitioning from climber to trainer and adviser, influencing generations of Indian mountaineers.
7. 🎖️ Gombu was honored with the Arjuna Award, Padma Bhushan, and in 2006 received the Tenzing Norgay Lifetime Achievement Award from President APJ Abdul Kalam, recognizing his enduring impact on Indian mountaineering.
8. ❓ How did Gombu’s early experiences as a monk and refugee shape his resilience and approach to mountaineering challenges in the Himalayas?
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
📅 The Journey
🗝️ Discoveries
"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
🎥 Speeches & Recordings
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📖 Curated Sources
🌱 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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