34-year-old from Kullu first state woman to scale Mt Kilimanjaro

Abhinav Vashisht

Kullu, February 11

Rama Thakur (34) of Shuru village in Manali subdivision has brought laurels to the country by scaling 5,685-m Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa. Rama has become the first woman from the state to conquer Mount Kilimanjaro on February 5.

Avid mountaineer Rama said this challenging expedition tested her courage, patience and endurance. Rama is working as a leadership trainer at the Indus School of Leadership, Bengaluru, from where her expedition started.

She said they had set out on this expedition through the Marangu route and it lasted for 11 days. “Nine students of the school and Uttarakhand’s associate mountaineer Praveen Rana were also successful in conquering the peak,” Rama added.

She further said she had earlier conquered Mount Dosti, Mount Unam and Mount Deo Tibba. She is also the vice-president of the Himalayan Women’s Adventure Association of Manali. Rama

said her aim was to encourage woman mountaineers to work in the adventure field to earn a livelihood and to bring a change in the stereotypical thinking of society.

The mountaineer said now, she aims to conquer Mount Everest in 2024, for which she was looking for sponsorship.

Manali MLA Bhuvneshwar Gaur, along with locals, congratulated Rama on this achievement. Her father, Dile Ram, was proud of her daughter and wished her all success in future endeavours.