Union Minister Kiren Rijiju congratulated Tashi Yangjom on Saturday for successfully scaling Mt Everest and becoming the first Indian woman climber to summit the world's highest peak this year.
From Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh, she was trained at the National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS) in the village. The ninth climber from the institute to scale Mt Everest, the 37-year-old reached the peak on May 11, showing the world what human determination can achieve even during a pandemic. The minister also shared a photographs of Ms Yangjom at the Everest peak with the Indian flag, and at the base camp.
In a congratulatory message, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu said regular training at the Dirang institute has made her “a strong mountaineer with blitzkrieg speed”. And the official Twitter handle of the government of Arunachal Pradesh said Ms Yangjom is the ninth instructor from NIMAS to scale the peak in three years.
Several others, including NIMAS, also send their congratulations to the mountaineer.
Spread over a 52-acre campus (currently being built) in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, NIMAS describes itself as India's first adventure institute in the field of land, air and aqua. It provides specialized training in mountain rescue, mountaineering and adventure sports.
Mount Everest, the Earth's highest mountain above sea level, has an elevation of 8,849 metres and breathing is difficult at high altitudes. Tashi Yangjom's tremendous feat has come nearly two weeks after reports said that the COVID-19 infection has reached the Mt Everest base camp in Nepal and multiple climbers have tested positive for the virus. The process to evacuate hundreds of climbers, including foreigners, camped there has been ok.
More than 400 expedition permits were issued for Mount Everest this year after the 2020 climbing season was cancelled due to the pandemic.
