Gombu died peacefully at his home after a brief illness, family sources said.
Gombu, the nephew of Tenzing Norgay, was 75.
Gombu is survived by his wife Sita, his sister Doma, daughters, Rita Marwah, Yangdu Goba, Ongmu Gombu, Ang Doma, son Kursung Phinjo Gombu and nine grandchildren.
Born at Minzu in Tibet in 1934, Gombu migrated to Darjeeling in search of job. He was the youngest Sherpa in the 1953 epoch making expedition. He had carried a load twice to the South Col, considered the hardest to the crest of Everest.
Since then he was dreaming to trace his uncle footsteps on the Everest. He also became the Field Director of the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (Darjeeling), a brainchild of Pandit Jawahar Nehru and former West Bengal chief minister Dr B C Roy.
After many successful adventures, Gombu conquered the Everest with the Americans in 1963 and then with the Indians in 1965, and became the first man to reach the summit of Everest twice.
The first US summit under Jim Whittaker in 1963 was possible by the bulk work and experience of Gombu, who was also called the Himalaya tiger.
His American connection also helped the Indian Everest Expedition in 1965 where nine Indians including Gombu unfurled the national tri-colour atop the snow peak. The record of nine Indians on Everest in a single expedition was carried for nearly two decades in the mountaineering history.
Other mountains that Gombu climbed and pioneered routes on in the 1950s and 1960s included Makalu, Sakang Peak, Saser Kangri, Nanda Devi, Cho Oyu, Koktang and Ratong.
For his adventure Gombu was awarded the Padma Bhusan, Padma Shree, the Arjuna Award, the Indian Mountaineering Foundation Gold Medal and the Tenzing Norgay Lifetime Achievement Award.
He was honoured with the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation medal.
Gombu's funeral will be held in Darjeling on April 28.
--UNI
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