States » EastPosted at: Jun 12 2025 5:31PM


Celebrated mountaineer Rita Gombu Marwah dies at age of 67

Kolkata, June 12 (UNI) Arjun awardee and celebrated mountaineer Rita Gombu (Marwah), the first Indian woman who reached just below the 200 ft of Mount Everest in 1984, died in New Delhi in Thursday (June 12).
Rita, the elder daughter of Nawang Gombu, the first human to climb world's tallest peak 8848 mts, had a terminal disease and breathed her last at age 67.
"A pioneer of Indian mountaineering, Rita Gombu Marwah was a proud member of the historic 1984 expedition, " Indian Mountaineering Foundation president Col Vijay Singh said while condoling the demise of the daughter of a legend.
"Her journey is marked by quiet strength and resilience , a source of inspiration for many. Though she came within touching distance of the summit, it was her spirit that truly soared. Her name will always be remembered and her legacy will continue to endure in the hearts of the mountaineering community," the IMF president said.
Mountaineer Manik Banerjee, who climbed with Rita Gombu during the pre-Everest expedition at Kabru Dome in Sikkim, said she was a distinguished women mountaineer by her own credit.
"She was the first Indian woman mountaineer to reach almost to the South Summit during 1984 Indian Everest Expedition but had to return from there because of bad weather conditions and unforeseen situation at the death zone" Banerje said
Arjun Awardee Rita's untimely demise has left a void in the mountaineering fraternity of the country, Banerjee added.
Rita was the deputy leader of the Indo-Nepalese successful Everest expedition in 1993.
Rita Gombu Marwah hailed from the first family of Indian mountaineering. Her great-uncle, Tenzing Norgay, made history when he recorded the first documented ascent of Mount Everest along with Sir Edmund Hillary in May 1953.
Rita’s father, Nawang Gombu Sherpa, was the first man to summit the world’s tallest peak twice. Driven by her heritage to love the mountains, Rita trained rigorously and was thrilled when she was named part of the 1984 expedition to Everest, a team of six Indian women and eleven men to attempt the ascent in which Bachendri Pal became first Indian woman to scale the Everest.
As a member of Bachendri's team and a remarkable climber in her own right, Rita came agonisingly close to the summit before being thwarted by harsh weather conditions. Her attempt to reach the summit was cut short by only 200 meters due to adverse weather.
UNI PC PRS
Tags: #Celebrated mountaineer Rita Gombu Marwah dies at age of 67
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