I want to inspire young ones, says Tashi Yangjom on scaling Mt Everest

The pandemic could only delay, not dissuade Tashi Yangjom. The 27-year-old saw five years of practice bear fruit as she scaled Mt Everest, becoming the first Indian woman to scale the peak in 2021. She scaled the famed peak by 6am on May 11, completing the mission she had started on April 4.

And accolades poured in for the climber from Lubrang village of West Kameng district in Arunachal Pradesh. Among those who congratulated her were Union sports minister Kiren Rijiju, who tweeted: “I extend my heartiest congratulations to Ms Tashi Yangjom from Arunachal Pradesh for scaling Mt. Everest & becoming the first Indian woman climber to Everest in 2021…”

Ever since Yangjom joined the National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS) in 2016, where she’s now an instructor, she aspired to climb the peak. The target, set for last year, was delayed by the pandemic. “Main bohot khush hun. I always wanted to wave the Indian flag at the top and I’m very thankful for the support and financial aid I received,” says Yangjom, now stuck in Kathmandu where she reached after her climb, due to travel restrictions. “I wanted to set an example and inspire young ones,” she shares.

Yangjom, from the Brokpa, a yak herding tribe, credits her childhood hill treks and persistence of trainers at NIMAS for her feat. Now aiming to create more records, she feels Nepal’s recent appeal to Everest climbers to bring empty oxygen tanks from the peak can be followed depending on the sherpa’s assistance. “Us height pe ek water bottle uthani ki energy bhi nahi bachti hai. Par shayad dono mil ke kar sakte hai,” she adds.