Twenty unclimbed peaks. Twenty-three days. One team from a small town in Arunachal Pradesh. Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Pema Khandu on Friday, 25 September 2026, took to X to congratulate Team Dirang NIMAS on what he called an 'incredible achievement' — scaling 20 previously unclimbed peaks above 6,000 metres in Ladakh in just over three weeks.

What Team Dirang NIMAS just pulled off in Ladakh

The expedition, mounted by the National Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (NIMAS) based in Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh, completed its high-altitude push across the Ladakhi Himalayas in a tight 23-day window. Summiting 20 peaks above 6,000 metres that had never been climbed before is no incremental feat — it demands sustained altitude acclimatisation, technical route-finding on virgin terrain, and the logistical discipline to move fast and light across one of the world's most demanding landscapes.

CM Khandu's congratulatory post captured the pride plainly: 'Very happy to see NIMAS bringing laurel to our State. Keep going and keep reaching new heights!' The energy behind those words is more than ceremonial — NIMAS is Arunachal Pradesh's flagship adventure-sports institution, and every high-profile expedition it lands is a proof-of-concept for the state's investment in mountain training.

NIMAS: Dirang's quiet powerhouse of Himalayan ambition

NIMAS was established in Dirang in the West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh, positioning it at the eastern end of the Himalayan arc. The institute trains mountaineers, trekkers, and adventure-sports enthusiasts, drawing students from across India and from the northeast in particular. Its location — high-altitude, forested, close to the Bhutan border — makes it a natural launchpad for expeditions into the greater Himalayas and Ladakh.

Indian state leaders regularly amplify mountaineering successes to spotlight regional institutions, but NIMAS has earned its recognition through a steady cadence of genuine expedition results. The Ladakh campaign adds a new landmark to that record.

Why 20 virgin summits above 6,000 m matters for Indian mountaineering

India's high-altitude frontier still holds hundreds of unclimbed or rarely climbed peaks, many in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, and the northeastern ranges. A single expedition bagging 20 first ascents in one push represents a meaningful contribution to that cartography of conquest — these peaks, now named and documented, become part of India's mountaineering record. For the young climbers on the NIMAS team, each summit is also a credential that opens doors to future international expeditions.

CM Khandu signed off with a 'Jai Hind', the kind of closing that frames a regional institution's achievement as a national one. That framing is deliberate — and in this case, entirely earned.