Mingkeng Osik

ITANAGAR : January Tali of Upper Siang district and Hachu Lombo of Dibang Valley district have become the first women from Arunachal Pradesh to successfully summit 7,077-metre Mt Kun in the Zanskar region of Ladakh.

The two mountaineers reached the summit at around 6 am on July 27 after an 11-day expedition organised by Cho Expedition. The team had set out from Leh for the Zanskar region on July 16.

Mt Kun, one of the highest peaks in the Zanskar range of the Indian Himalayas, is regarded as one of India’s most demanding high-altitude climbs due to its steep snow slopes, glaciers, harsh weather and the technical skills and endurance required to reach the summit.

The expedition comprised nine climbers, including two women and seven men, excluding Sherpas. Of the nine participants, only four successfully reached the summit, while the others had to abandon their attempt because of the extreme conditions, highlighting the difficulty of the climb.

For January Tali, the feat adds another milestone to an already distinguished mountaineering career. She had earlier become the first Arunachali woman to summit six Himalayan peaks within two weeks, including UT Kangri (6,080 metres), which she climbed twice, and Mentok Kangri-I (6,268 metres), Mentok Kangri-II (6,218 metres) and Mentok Kangri-III (6,126 metres), with double summits on UT Kangri and Mentok Kangri-III.

Both Tali and Lombo are expected to receive official summit certificates from the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) in recognition of their successful ascent.

Their achievement has been hailed as a proud moment for Arunachal Pradesh and is expected to inspire more young people, particularly women, to take up adventure sports and high-altitude mountaineering. The historic climb also marks a significant milestone for the state’s growing presence in Indian mountaineering.