Latest news with #Angmo
NDTV
24-05-2025
- NDTV
Visually Impaired Himachali Woman Becomes 1st Indian To Scale Mount Everest
Shimla: Chhonzin Angmo, a tribal woman from a remote village in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, suffers from total blindness but she has never let her visual impairment stand in the way of her dreams. Angmo, who idolises Hellen Keller, believes deeply in her words of wisdom -- "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." On Monday, she scripted history by becoming the first visually-impaired woman from India and the fifth such person in the world to scale Mt Everest, planting the Tricolour on Earth's highest mountain. Born in the remote Chango village along the India-Tibet border, Angmo lost her sight when she was eight years old. She still went on to earn her graduation and masters degrees from Miranda House under the University of Delhi. At present, she works with the Union Bank of India as a customer service associate in Delhi. Her father Amar Chand told PTI on Friday, "My daughter has made me proud and we all are very happy about her achievement. However, we do not know the exact details yet and are waiting for her return." The news of Angmo scaling the world's highest peak also brought cheer among locals of her village. Yamchin, her relative, said Angmo was bold and determined since childhood. Her feat has brought happiness to the entire village, she said. Angmo's journey may have been full of challenges but she turned every challenge into an opportunity. "My story has just begun, my blindness is not my weakness but my strength," she had earlier told PTI. "Climbing mountain peaks has been my childhood dream but financial constraints were a big challenge. Now I will embark on scaling all the left-out peaks," she had said. In October 2024, Angmo became the first visually-impaired Indian woman to complete a trek to the Everest base camp, located at an altitude of 5,364 metres. She has scaled Mt Kang Yatsae 2 (6,250 metres) in Ladakh and was also a member of the Divyang expedition team that scaled an unnamed peak at an altitude of about 6,000 metres in the Union Territory. Her feats even found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mann ki Baat" radio broadcast as he recognised and praised her team. With a passion for sports, Angmo won a gold medal in swimming at the state level and participated in a national-level judo championship. She has two bronze medals from national-level marathon events and participated in the Delhi Marathon three times, as well as the Pink Marathon and the Delhi Vedanta Marathon. She also played football at the zonal and the national levels. In order to achieve her dream of scaling mountain peaks, Angmo completed a basic mountaineering course from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in 2016 and was adjudged the best trainee. An adventurer by heart, she cycled from Manali to Khardung La, one of the world's highest motorable roads at an altitude of 18,000 feet (about 5486 metres), in 10 days, braving extreme temperatures, in 2018; embarked on a cycling expedition through the Nilgiris region across three states in just six days in 2019; and completed the seven-day cycling expedition from Manali to Kalpa across the Spiti Valley and Kinnaur last July. She was also the only woman mountaineer of the team of people with disabilities that scaled the Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield, in 2021 under Operation Blue Freedom and set a New World Record. She received the Sarvshresth Divyangjan National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities last year from President Droupadi Murmu. She is also a recipient of the NAB Madhu Sharma Young Achiever Award, International Day of Persons with Disabilities Award from the National Association for the Blind in Delhi, and the Cavinkare Ability Mastery Awards.
Hindustan Times
23-05-2025
- Hindustan Times
Himachali tribal woman becomes first Indian to scale Mt Everest with no vision
Chhonzin Angmo, a tribal woman from a remote village in Himachal Pradesh's Kinnaur district, suffers from total blindness but she has never let her visual impairment stand in the way of her dreams. Angmo, who idolises Hellen Keller, believes deeply in her words of wisdom -- "The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision." On Monday, she scripted history by becoming the first visually-impaired woman from India and the fifth such person in the world to scale Mt Everest, planting the Tricolour on Earth's highest mountain. Also read | Everest, everywhere, all at once: What the peak is teaching us about attitudes and altitudes Born in the remote Chango village along the India-Tibet border, Angmo lost her sight when she was eight years old. She still went on to earn her graduation and masters degrees from Miranda House under the University of Delhi. At present, she works with the Union Bank of India as a customer service associate in Delhi. Her father Amar Chand told PTI on Friday, "My daughter has made me proud and we all are very happy about her achievement. However, we do not know the exact details yet and are waiting for her return." The news of Angmo scaling the world's highest peak also brought cheer among locals of her village. Also read | Geeta Samota becomes first CISF personnel to conquer Mt Everest Yamchin, her relative, said Angmo was bold and determined since childhood. Her feat has brought happiness to the entire village, she said. Angmo's journey may have been full of challenges but she turned every challenge into an opportunity. "My story has just begun, my blindness is not my weakness but my strength," she had earlier told PTI. "Climbing mountain peaks has been my childhood dream but financial constraints were a big challenge. Now I will embark on scaling all the left-out peaks," she had said. In October 2024, Angmo became the first visually-impaired Indian woman to complete a trek to the Everest base camp, located at an altitude of 5,364 metres. Also read | Indian man, 45, dies on Mount Everest: 'He refused to descend' She has scaled Mt Kang Yatsae 2 (6,250 metres) in Ladakh and was also a member of the Divyang expedition team that scaled an unnamed peak at an altitude of about 6,000 metres in the Union Territory. Her feats even found mention in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "Mann ki Baat" radio broadcast as he recognised and praised her team. With a passion for sports, Angmo won a gold medal in swimming at the state level and participated in a national-level judo championship. She has two bronze medals from national-level marathon events and participated in the Delhi Marathon three times, as well as the Pink Marathon and the Delhi Vedanta Marathon. She also played football at the zonal and the national levels. In order to achieve her dream of scaling mountain peaks, Angmo completed a basic mountaineering course from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports in 2016 and was adjudged the best trainee. An adventurer by heart, she cycled from Manali to Khardung La, one of the world's highest motorable roads at an altitude of 18,000 feet (about 5486 metres), in 10 days, braving extreme temperatures, in 2018; embarked on a cycling expedition through the Nilgiris region across three states in just six days in 2019; and completed the seven-day cycling expedition from Manali to Kalpa across the Spiti Valley and Kinnaur last July. She was also the only woman mountaineer of the team of people with disabilities that scaled the Siachen Glacier, the world's highest battlefield, in 2021 under Operation Blue Freedom and set a New World Record. She received the Sarvshresth Divyangjan National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities last year from President Droupadi Murmu. She is also a recipient of the NAB Madhu Sharma Young Achiever Award, International Day of Persons with Disabilities Award from the National Association for the Blind in Delhi, and the Cavinkare Ability Mastery Awards.
Business Standard
23-05-2025
- Business
- Business Standard
Union Bank of India Empowers Dreams: Chhonzin Angmo Becomes First Visually Impaired Woman to Conquer Mount Everest
PRNewswire Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], May 23: Chhonzin Angmo has etched her name in history by becoming the first visually impaired female to stand atop the world's highest peak. Her quest to the pinnacles of glory was supported by Union Bank of India. With unwavering determination, Angmo reached Mount Everest, inspiring millions with her achievement. Having lost her sight at eight due to a reaction to medication, Angmo's journey is a testament to her resilience and courage. Despite her disability, the 29-year-old employee of Union Bank of India has already climbed several peaks such as Siachen Kumar post (15632 ft), unnamed peak (19717ft) Ladakh, before embarking on her Everest journey. She received a National Award from Hon'ble President of India for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2024 under the 'Sarvshresth Divyangjan' category. Her successful ascent showcases her perseverance, trust in her team, and unrelenting spirit. Angmo's achievement is a shining example of how courage, resilience, and determination can overcome adversity. Union Bank of India celebrates Angmo's achievement as an inspiration to humanity, embodying the spirit of empowerment and inclusivity that the Bank strives to promote. Angmo's story encourages both the underprivileged and privileged to push beyond perceived limitations.
Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Sport
- Indian Express
Meet the first visually impaired Indian woman to scale Everest, from a village in Himachal Pradesh
Amar Chand began his week as he has for decades — overseeing the green peas and apple plantations at his one-acre farm in a village deep inside the Hangrang Valley in Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh. But a video clip he received turned the mundane Monday morning memorable. It was of his daughter, Chhonzin Angmo, 29, hoisting the Tricolour atop Mt Everest. She was flanked by her sherpas, Dandu Sherpa and Om Gurung, and Army veteran Lt Col Romil Barthwal (retired), the expedition team leader. What made Angmo's feat even more special was that she became the first visually impaired person from India – and only the fifth such mountaineer in the world — to conquer Everest. Before her, there was Erik Weihenmayer from the United States — the first visually impaired person who scaled Everest in 2001 — Austrian Andy Holzer (from North Col route in Tibet) in 2017, Chinese Zhang Hong in 2021 and American Lonnie Bedwell (2023). Angmo, however, is the first visually impaired woman summiteer. 'Stepping on the summit of Mt Everest, my first thought was how each step counts in our journey, whether one is abled or specially-abled. This is only a step in my dream to instill willpower in every specially-abled person. If we have the willpower, nothing can stop us and my next target will be the highest peaks in each continent,' Angmo told The Indian Express. 'My role model is Helen Keller, whose books and biography I read as a student. My father, too, is a role model… There were times when people would taunt me for being visually impaired. But my father and my family supported me in this journey. If I, or they, would have been disheartened, we could not have taken a step forward in life,' she said. 'Our village, Chango, is like an oasis in the cold desert; the only green patch amidst yellow mountains of the Valley, fed by two glacier streams and the Spiti river. Our daughter is like the oasis in our world, and to see her climbing Mt Everest was a special moment for the whole village,' Chand, 76, said. Angmo's younger sister Kesang Yangchen, who lives in Mohali, was quick to add: 'The yellow hills above our village are called Moonland by the tourists and locals, too. To see Angmo atop Mt Everest is like her reaching the moon for all of us.' The second youngest among five siblings, Angmo was in Class 3 when her vision got severely impaired following a 'medicine allergy', according to her family. Chand's brother, Gopal, said the family only got to know when her school teacher brought it to their attention after noticing that Angmo was struggling to write. 'The next day, we rushed to a hospital 210 kilometres away, at Rampur Bushahr, which referred us to another hospital in Shimla,' Gopal recalled. But there was no relief. As the years passed, Angmo lost vision in both her eyes completely. 'We visited Chandigarh, Dehradun and other cities to find a cure but Angmo slowly lost her vision. There were financial struggles, too, but the family did whatever it could to support Angmo,' Gopal said. In 2005-06, Chand and his wife Sonam Chhomo got Angmo enrolled at Leh's Mahabodhi School and Hostel for Visually-Impaired Children, run by the Mahabodhi International Meditation Centre. She later completed her graduation from Miranda House in Delhi. In 2016, Angmo completed a basic climbing course from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, Manali, where she climbed the 5,289-metres Friendship Peak. She followed this up by climbing multiple peaks in Ladakh and went on to become a part of Operation Blue Freedom, an expedition of specially-abled persons to Siachen Glacier, led by an Armed Forces veterans' group, Team Claw, in 2021. With every climb, Angmo's passion increased. It was a meeting with Skalzang Rigzin, who became the first Indian civilian mountaineer to scale Mt Everest without supplemental oxygen, that she began dreaming of conquering higher peaks. Rigzin, who met Angmo in Leh through her schoolmate and mountain guide Tsewang Norbu, was impressed with her 'willpower and willingness'. 'Through Norbu, Angmo showed me pictures of her Siachen trip and I could sense that she had the willpower to conquer higher mountains. Tagda chalti thi (She walked with a strong gait). That's my first memory of seeing her climb in Ladakh,' Rigzin, 43, said. 'The way she would rope up with the guide and use her senses to judge things was commendable. She scaled Kang Yatse 2 (6,250 metres) in less time than a normal mountaineer,' he said. Rigzin, also the president of the Ladakh Mountain Guide Association, said that Angmo used the fixed rope route, a tried-and-tested method when climbers attempt to scale 8,000 metres-plus peaks. 'I would tell her about the Jumar technique while ascending on a fixed rope line using coordination of body, hands and ascender to climb the rope… Before Mt Everest, she called me asking, 'yeh equipment theek hai (is this equipment right)?' I wished her luck, she inspires people like us through her willpower,' Rigzin said. Last year, Angmo, who is employed with the Union Bank of India, received the National Award for Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities. In April this year, after the Union Bank of India decided to sponsor her expedition, her preparations to conquer Everest got underway with mountaineering firm Boots & Crampons, based in Delhi-Hyderabad, along with Pioneer Adventures of Nepal. Boots and Crampons CEO Romil Barthwal and founder Bharath Thammineni met Angmo in April and, for the four weeks that followed, she first scaled Mt Lobuche (6,119 metres), before starting the acclimatisation cycles from Camp 1 (6,065 metres) to Camp 2 (6,400 metres) at Mt Everest and back. She later progressed to Camp 3 (7,200 metres) and Camp 4 (7,920 metres). 'When Rigzin told us about Angmo, we were excited. When we met her in the first week of April, the first thing that impressed us was how she knew the basics of mountaineering like an expert,' Thammineni, who has scaled five 8,000 metres-plus peaks including Everest, said. 'Of course, she required the assistance of the sherpa and me or Romil, but then she had to do the climb herself. Sometimes, she would judge from the tension in the rope and the step impressions in the ice or rocks,' Thammineni said. With challenges like the Khumbu Icefall and multiple ladder crossings over crevasses during the climb, the team devised some in-house signages for Angmo. 'The ladder crossings are done by a single climber… We would guide her using trek poles to tell her where to put her feet,' Thammineni said. As she mounted her final assault, Angmo's elder brother, Lama Karma Yeshey, a monk at the Sherabling Monastery at Baijnath in Himachal Pradesh, immersed himself in prayers. 'Whenever she goes for a summit, she takes prayer flags with her and tells me to pray for her too,' Yeshey said. Upon her return, a simple — yet special — treat awaits Angmo. 'She will ask our mother to get her the best apples from our small orchard,' Yeshey said.
Business Upturn
22-05-2025
- Business
- Business Upturn
Union Bank of India Empowers Dreams: Chhonzin Angmo Becomes First Visually Impaired Woman to Conquer Mount Everest
By PR Newswire Published on May 22, 2025, 19:01 IST MUMBAI, India , May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Chhonzin Angmo has etched her name in history by becoming the first visually impaired female to stand atop the world's highest peak. Her quest to the pinnacles of glory was supported by Union Bank of India . With unwavering determination, Angmo reached Mount Everest, inspiring millions with her achievement. Having lost her sight at eight due to a reaction to medication, Angmo's journey is a testament to her resilience and courage. Despite her disability, the 29-year-old employee of Union Bank of India has already climbed several peaks such as Siachen Kumar post (15632 ft), unnamed peak (19717ft) Ladakh, before embarking on her Everest journey. She received a National Award from Hon'ble President of India for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities 2024 under the 'Sarvshresth Divyangjan' category. Her successful ascent showcases her perseverance, trust in her team, and unrelenting spirit. Angmo's achievement is a shining example of how courage, resilience, and determination can overcome adversity. Union Bank of India celebrates Angmo's achievement as an inspiration to humanity, embodying the spirit of empowerment and inclusivity that the Bank strives to promote. Angmo's story encourages both the underprivileged and privileged to push beyond perceived limitations. View original content: Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PR Newswire. Business Upturn takes no editorial responsibility for the same. PR Newswire is a distributor of press releases headquartered in New York City.
