[ Mingkeng Osik ]
ITANAGAR/LADAKH, 14 Sep: Arunachal Pradesh mountaineer January Tali has achieved a remarkable high-altitude feat by summiting Mount Nun (7,135 metres) in Ladakh on 8 September, just 43 days after she successfully climbed Mount Kun (7,077 metres) on 27 July.
The back-to-back ascents of the two major peaks of the Nun-Kun massif have made 2026 an exceptional year in Tali's mountaineering career. With the achievement, Tali has become the first Indian woman to summit both Mt Kun and Mt Nun in the same climbing season, marking a significant milestone in Indian women's mountaineering.
Mount Nun, the higher of the two peaks, rises to 7,135 metres and is regarded as a technically demanding high-altitude climb, involving steep snow and ice sections, glaciers and challenging terrain. Tali reached the summit at around 8:15 am on 8 September, as part of an international expedition involving climbers from India, Germany, France and Norway.
The expedition was conducted with the approval of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF). The international climbing team included German climber Christian Winfried Ranke, French climbers Claire Bernier and Timote Roche, Norwegian climber Ingvill Ytrel, and and Indian climber January Tali.
Reflecting on the demanding climb, Tali said, "Mt Nun was tough. The upper portion after Camp 3 was very technical."
The successful ascent required considerable physical endurance, technical climbing skills, acclimatisation, and careful decision-making in extreme conditions.
Tali's remarkable 2026 journey began with Mount Kun, where she and fellow Arunachal mountaineer Hachu Lombo reached the 7,077-metre summit on 27 July. Their achievement made them the first women from Arunachal Pradesh to summit Mount Kun.
Just six weeks later, Tali returned to the high mountains and conquered the more demanding Mount Nun. The two summits - 7,077 metres on Mt Kun and 7,135 metres on Mt Nun - within one season underline the scale of her achievement.
The expedition was supported by an experienced Ri-Guides and a Sherpa team, with Tsewang Namgyal serving as the Ri-Guides team leader. The Sherpa team comprised Stanzin Norboo Shangpa, Dawa Sherpa, Sunny Sharma, Subash Tamang, Mingma Temba Sherpa and Skarma Namgyal.
The contribution of the guides and Sherpas was crucial in supporting the climbers through difficult sections, high-altitude camps and the summit push. Tsewang Namgyal is an experienced Ladakh mountain guide and serves as vice president of the Ladakh Mountain Guide Association.
Before her historic Mount Kun ascent, Tali had already built experience on peaks including Mentok Kangri and UT Kangri. Her Mount Kun success in July further established her among the emerging women mountaineers from Arunachal.
Tali's latest accomplishment adds to a growing list of achievements by Arunachal's mountaineers and further places the state on India's high-altitude mountaineering map.
Looking ahead, Tali has expressed an even bigger ambition to carry the name of Arunachal to the summit of an 8,000-metre peak. Her double ascent of Kun and Nun in 2026 could therefore be another important step towards that larger goal.
From the mountains of Arunachal to the high-altitude world of Ladakh, January Tali's 2026 season has become a story of courage, preparation and ambition, and a powerful message to young women across the Northeast that the highest summits can also be within reach.
