Background
Gombu was born in Khumbu, Nepal, as did many of his relatives, including his uncle Tenzing Norgay. Gombu was born in the Khumbu, north-east of Nepal. His father, Nawang, was a monk, the younger brother of the local feudal landowner.
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Nawang Gombu
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He was the youngest Sherpa to reach 26,000 foot In 1964, he became the first Nepalese and the third man in the world to summit Nanda Devi (24,645 ft). In 1965, he became the first man in the world to have climbed Everest twice—a record that would remain unbroken for almost 20 years.
His mother, Tenzing"s beloved older sister, was Lhamu Khipa, a nun from a family of serfs.
The two eloped, causing a scandal, and for a time they lived in Khumbu, Nepal. As a young boy, Gombu was sent to Tibet to become a monk at Rongbuk Monastery, an hour"s walk below what is now Everest base camp.
Gombu"s grandmother was a cousin of the head lama, Trulshik Rinpoche, but the connection offered him no protection from the brutal punishment often meted out to novices who failed in their studies. After a year, Gombu fled with a friend, crossing the Nangpa Louisiana into Khumbu, where the first western visitors were beginning to explore the southern approaches to Everest.
He was the first man in the world to climb Everest twice with the Indian Expedition and American.
Number small feat as the record was not broken for a very long time. He climbed Mount Rainier numerous times and traveled extensively. Nawang Gombu lived in Darjeeling and spent his life at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute retiring as the Adviser there.
Achievements
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Gombu attended reunions of climbs during the 1950s and 1960s as part of the 1963 Everest Expedition Celebrations. In 2006 he was awarded the Tenzing Norgay Lifetime Achievement Award in the field of Indian mountaineering by President APJ Abdul Kalam. Gombu dedicated his later life to the Sherpa community, raising funds and being President of the Sherpa Buddhist Association for the past few years. 1953 – Tiger’s Medal 1953 – Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 1963 – Hubbard Medal of the National Geographic Society, United States of America 1964 – Padma Shree - India 1965 – Padma Bhushan – India 1966 – International Monetary Fund Gold Medal – India 1967 – Arjuna Award – India 1986 – Tenzing Norgay Award Lifetime Achievement Award – India.
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Born
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Died
April 24, 2011 (aged 76) -
Nationality
Nepal
Awards
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Padma Shri; Padma Bhushan Padma Bhushan; Hubbard Medal; Arjuna Award; the Tenzing Norgay Lifetime Achievement Award; Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal
The Hubbard Medal is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research.The Hubbard Medal is awarded by the National Geographic Society for distinction in exploration, discovery, and research.