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The northeast, which has over the years produced many talents, has added another feather to its cap through Ningthoujam Vidyapati, who has become the first woman mountaineer from the state.
30-year-old Ningthoujam Vidyapati, who hails from Mongjam Maning Leikai in Manipur, is one of the mountaineers from the Northeast to successfully climb Mt. Everest.
She comes from a poor family but was determined to pursue her passion for mountaineering. A member of the National Cadet Corps (NCC), she joined Manipur Mountaineering and Trekking Association to fulfill her dream of scaling Mt. Everest.
"Since childhood I wanted to be a mountaineer and when I was in class VIII I heard about Mt. Everest. It was then that I decided to climb Mt. Everest one day," she said.
Before climbing Mt. Everest, Vidyapati went through different courses like rock climbing, winter training, Search and Rescue, Alpine and Method of Instruction course.
And now she wants to climb Mount Kanchenjunga.
"When I reached Mt. Everest I felt so happy that I cried out in joy, and when I reached the top I felt that my dream had come true and all the hardships that I faced while climbing, just went away," she added.
The successful scaling of Mt. Everest will be listed in the history of the region as it was the first expedition comprising exclusively of mountaineers from the northeast.
Vidyapati today is a source of inspiration for upcoming mountaineers in the region.
