21/10/2025
Sonam Gyatso’s 1965 Everest summit is a story of unmatched courage. At 42, he became the first person from Sikkim to scale Everest and set a world record by spending 50 minutes at the summit without supplemental oxygen, a feat that demanded extraordinary strength and endurance. Despite severe frostbite and exhaustion, he persevered, inspiring India and the Himalayan region. His climb marked a pivotal moment in India’s mountaineering history, earning him the Padma Bhushan and Padma Shri. Today, his legacy lives on through the Sonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute in Gangtok.