In a remarkable feat of endurance and determination, Bharath Thammineni, a 36-year-old mountaineer from Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh, has become the first Indian to summit nine of the world’s 14 highest peaks, all towering above 8,000 metres.
Thammineni achieved the milestone on Tuesday after successfully scaling Mt Cho Oyu (8,188 metres), the sixth-highest mountain in the world, located on the China–Nepal border.
The climb marks a significant chapter in Indian mountaineering history, his team confirmed.
Before this latest expedition, Thammineni had already conquered some of the world’s most formidable summits — Everest (2017), Manaslu (2018), Lhotse (2019), Annapurna (2022), Kanchenjunga (2022), Makalu (2023), Shishapangma (2024) and Dhaulagiri (2025) — all of which stand above the 8,000-metre mark.
Five of the remaining 8,000-metre peaks — K2, Nanga Parbat, Gasherbrum I, Gasherbrum II and Broad Peak — are located in Pakistan and remain inaccessible to Indian climbers due to diplomatic restrictions.
Thammineni began his Cho Oyu expedition on September 30, reaching the base camp amid harsh weather conditions and heavy snowfall that forced him to delay his ascent.
“We waited until October 12 and then made a rapid push. I reached the summit at 6:55 am China time (8:55 am IST),” he informed friends monitoring his progress from India.
What made the climb even more exceptional was that he summited without Sherpa support, relying solely on his experience and physical resilience.
A professional mountaineer and founder of Boots & Crampons, Thammineni is regarded as one of India’s most accomplished high-altitude climbers.
Over the past decade, he has led expeditions across six continents, inspiring a generation of young Indian mountaineers.
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“Under his leadership, the Everest 2025 expedition created history when Chhonzin Angmo from Himachal Pradesh became the world’s first blind woman to scale Everest, and Vishwanath Karthikey, then 16, became the youngest Indian to complete the Seven Summits challenge,” said Dipanjan Das, a close friend and long-time associate.
In a message from the Cho Oyu summit camp, Thammineni dedicated his achievement to the country’s young adventurers.
“This is not just my personal success — it’s proof of the incredible potential within Indian adventure sports,” he said.
“The mountains teach us humility, perseverance, and patience. Standing atop Cho Oyu, I feel immense gratitude and hope my journey inspires a new generation of Indian climbers to chase their own summits,” he added.
