An all-women mountaineering team of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) has successfully scaled Mount Nun in Ladakh, standing at a height of 7,135 metres. The 14-member team, led by 56-year-old Assistant Commandant Bhanita, achieved the feat on August 14, 2025, after a challenging 15-day expedition. Their success has set the stage for their next and much bigger goal—conquering Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak at 8,848 metres.
The climbers faced multiple obstacles during their ascent, including extreme cold, altitude sickness, treacherous ice walls, crevasse-filled terrain, and unpredictable weather conditions. The climb demanded technical mountaineering skills, with the use of specialised gear such as ice axes, crampons, and fixed ropes proving essential to their success.
ITBP Director General Rahul Rasgotra hailed the achievement and announced that, under directions from the Ministry of Home Affairs, ITBP will attempt Mount Everest expeditions every year for the next three years, with this team becoming the first all-women unit to take up the challenge.
Assistant Commandant Bhanita explained that the team was formed from women personnel who had completed advanced mountaineering training. The final selection of climbers, aged between 18 and 35, was carried out in Leh and Kargil. “I was told by my Headquarters to take an all-women team. We carefully chose women who had undergone advanced training. I am proud I could complete this task with them,” she said.
Looking ahead to Everest, Bhanita expressed confidence in her team’s abilities. She noted that while record-holding climbers in both men’s and women’s categories are in their seventies and eighties, her team consists of young and fit women. “We will focus more on training, so I am confident we will be able to complete the task,” she added.
With Mount Nun behind them, the ITBP’s all-women team now turns its attention towards their ultimate test—the climb to the summit of Mount Everest.
