Mingkeng Osik
ITANAGAR/LADAKH, SEP 14:
Arunachal Pradesh mountaineer January Tali has achieved a landmark feat by summiting Mount Nun, the 7,135-metre peak in Ladakh, on September 8, just 43 days after scaling Mount Kun (7,077 metres) on July 27.
With the back-to-back ascents, Tali has become the first Indian woman to summit both Mount Kun and Mount Nun in the same climbing season, marking a significant milestone in Indian women’s mountaineering.
Tali reached the summit of Mount Nun at around 8.15 am on September 8 as part of an international expedition comprising climbers from India, Germany, France and Norway. The expedition was conducted with the approval of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF).
The climbing team included German climber Christian Winfried Ranke, French climbers Claire Bernier and Timote Roche, Norwegian climber Ingvill Ytreland and Tali.
Describing the climb, Tali said, “Mt Nun was tough. The upper portion after Camp 3 was very technical.” The ascent involved steep snow and ice sections, glaciers and challenging high-altitude terrain, requiring physical endurance, technical skills, acclimatisation and careful decision-making.
Tali’s historic 2026 season began with Mount Kun, where she and fellow Arunachal mountaineer Hachu Lombo reached the 7,077-metre summit on July 27. Their achievement made them the first women from Arunachal Pradesh to summit Mount Kun. Tali had previously climbed Mentok Kangri and UT Kangri.
The two summits, achieved within 43 days, underline the scale of Tali’s accomplishment, with Mount Nun being the higher and technically demanding peak of the Nun-Kun massif.
The expedition was supported by an experienced Ri-Guides and Sherpa team led by Tsewang Namgyal, Vice-President of the Ladakh Mountain Guide Association. The Sherpa team comprised Stanzin Norboo Shangpa, Dawa Sherpa, Sunny Sharma, Subash Tamang, Mingma Temba Sherpa and Skarma Namgyal.
The guides and Sherpas played a crucial role in supporting the climbers through difficult sections, high-altitude camps and the summit push.
Tali’s latest achievement further strengthens the growing presence of Arunachal Pradesh mountaineers in high-altitude expeditions. She has also expressed her ambition to scale an 8,000-metre peak in the future, with her Kun-Nun double ascent potentially serving as a stepping stone towards that goal.
Her achievement is also expected to inspire young women across Arunachal Pradesh and the Northeast to pursue mountaineering and other adventure disciplines.
The claim that Tali is the first Indian woman to summit both Kun and Nun in the same season is based on the information supplied in the draft; I found independent reporting confirming her July 27 Mount Kun ascent with Hachu Lombo, but not yet an independent source confirming the September 8 Mount Nun ascent or the “first Indian woman” double-ascent claim.
