In a historic achievement for Indian mountaineering, Bharath Thammineni has become the first person from India to successfully climb nine of the world's highest peaks above 8,000 meters. The 36-year-old mountaineer completed this extraordinary feat by summiting Cho Oyu, the sixth highest mountain in the world, in October 2025.
The Challenging Ascent of Cho Oyu
Thammineni's journey to the summit of Cho Oyu (8,201 meters) in Tibet was anything but straightforward. Early October weather conditions had created treacherous climbing circumstances, with heavy snowfall burying essential ropes and making slopes dangerously unstable. The situation appeared so dire that Thammineni had actually packed his bags to return home, convinced the climb was impossible.
"We had missed out on a good weather window," Thammineni recalled. "There was at least a meter of snow that would have certainly buried all the ropes. We didn't have enough manpower to fix new lines either."
The stakes were particularly high for this expedition. Securing the climbing permit from the China Tibet Mountaineering Association had taken eight long months of effort and preparation. Abandoning the climb would mean wasting this hard-won opportunity and delaying his record-breaking achievement.
The Final Push to Victory
When weather conditions finally stabilized on October 7, the remaining climbers at base camp convened to discuss their options. With limited resources and manpower, they made the bold decision to attempt one final summit push. Thammineni chose to climb without guided support, adding to the challenge.
On October 12, the summit bid began with just eight climbers working together. "We had to break trail all over again and dig out the rope on challenging sections," Thammineni explained. "We were just eight climbers, so we had to distribute the work among us."
The final ascent began at 1:30 AM on October 14 from Camp 2 at 7,200 meters. Thammineni strategically slowed his pace to ensure he wouldn't reach the summit in darkness. At 9:15 AM, he finally stood atop Cho Oyu, making history as the first Indian to conquer nine of the world's highest peaks.
From Genetic Engineering to Mountaineering
Thammineni's path to mountaineering excellence began unexpectedly during his genetic engineering studies in Ooty, where he first developed an appreciation for mountains. After graduation, he traveled across India while working as a student mentor on engineering projects.
His serious mountaineering journey started in 2014 with basic climbing courses at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. His first major expedition attempt on Everest in 2015 was thwarted by the devastating earthquake that year. Despite financial setbacks, he persisted and successfully summited Everest two years later in 2017.
"It made me realise that I wanted to pursue mountaineering further," Thammineni said. However, funding his expeditions proved challenging. To support his passion, he founded his own outdoors company, Boots and Crampons, in 2017, offering treks and climbs worldwide.
Conquering the World's Highest Peaks
After Everest, Thammineni's 8,000-meter conquests included Manaslu in 2018 and Lhotse in 2019. "I had never considered climbing the other 8,000ers," he admitted. "But meeting people handed me a lot of exposure and changed my mindset."
His mountaineering career includes several near-death experiences that tested his resilience and determination. In 2022, he achieved a remarkable double climb of Annapurna and Kangchenjunga within weeks. On Annapurna, he faced extreme danger when his oxygen pipe blocked and his team lost their descent route.
"I spent about 28 hours in the Death Zone," Thammineni recalled. "At one point, I thought it would be our last day."
His most challenging climb came earlier this year on Dhaulagiri, where he developed fever and breathing difficulties during the summit push. The descent that should have taken 2-3 hours stretched to nearly 12 hours, during which he experienced severe hallucinations.
"I experienced hallucinations—though I was all alone, I felt like someone was walking alongside me at all times," he described. "I could have turned back on multiple occasions. But with so many climbs under my belt, I became overconfident. The mountain taught me a lesson, a really humbling experience."
Future Aspirations and Guiding Others
With the nine 8,000-meter peaks of Nepal now conquered (the remaining five are in Pakistan and inaccessible to Indian climbers), Thammineni plans to focus on more technically challenging climbs. His future goals include attempting several 7,000-meter mountains in the Pamirs of Central Asia, such as Korzhenevskaya, Khan Tengri, Communism Peak, and Pobeda Peak.
Beyond his personal achievements, Thammineni finds fulfillment in guiding others to their own mountaineering successes through his company. "There's a sense of satisfaction in helping others achieve their goals," he said. "And climb my own mountains along the way."
Despite his record-breaking accomplishments, Thammineni maintains a humble perspective. "I've never really believed in chasing records because I know that history can never be erased," he reflected. "Then again, it is only after climbing Cho Oyu that I'm in the news. A lot of my family members and neighbours didn't know I've been climbing these big mountains for so many years."
