Srinagar, JAMMU & KASHMIR :

Kashmiri Everest climber Nahida Manzoor

Nahida Manzoor, Kashmir’s first woman to scale Mountain Everest at the age of 23, says that she does not see many women in India interesting in mountaineering and she wants to change that.

Speaking to Awaz-the voice, Srinagar-based Nahida, says that women don’t have to necessarily scale major peaks like Everest. “Mountaineering is meant to give one the experience, test one’s mental and physical stamina and discover their own capabilities.”

Nahida taking a troop on a trek 

“Adventure is not primarily about profit”, Nahida said.

“I believe India needs more trained mountaineers who are take encouraging people to experience the mountains as a personal responsibility. I regularly lead expeditions and longer treks involving groups of varying experience levels. Such trips can be challenging because participants differ considerably in speed, endurance and confidence”, Nahida shared.

Nahida heads Pampori and Daughters Adventure, a company through which she organises trekking, expeditions and outdoor activities.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Mahadev

“My approach is simple: nobody gets left behind”, Nahida believes. While leading a trek, she deliberately stays at the back of the group so that she can keep an eye on the slowest participants.

For her, the people accompanying her are her responsibility, and safety takes precedence over speed or reaching a destination quickly.

For Nahida Manzoor, mountains are not merely destinations to be conquered. They are spaces where courage is tested, limits are pushed and possibilities are expanded. A trained mountaineer from Srinagar, Nahida has transformed her childhood fascination with the hills into a career dedicated to adventure, trekking and encouraging more young people, particularly women, to enter mountaineering.

Her own journey demonstrates what becomes possible when training, family support and determination come together. From trekking around her Srinagar neighbourhood as a child to becoming the first Kashmiri woman to stand on Mount Everest, Nahida has often entered spaces where women remain underrepresented.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Sunset Peak

Her work has also extended to promoting adventure tourism in Kashmir. In 2024, she launched a paragliding venture in Barsoo village in Pulwama’s

Awantipora area, with the stated aim of creating employment opportunities for local residents.

Recently, she has climbed Sunset Peak, (4,745 metres), Shyn Mann Peak (4,300 metres) and Mount Harmukh, one of Kashmir’s most prominent mountains.

Nahida Mazoor at Mt. Sheen Myean Peak

In October 2025, Nahida recorded a scaled Mount Harmukh. A mountaineering summit registry records her ascent on October 17, 2025, at an elevation of about 5,142 metres.

Then came Mount Everest. In 2019, Nahida became the first woman from the Kashmir

Valley to summit Mount Everest. She reached the 8,848-metre peak with Sherpa guide Nima Kancha during her maiden Everest attempt. The expedition was not simply a physical challenge. Funding the climb itself was a major obstacle.

With the expedition estimated to cost around Rs 30 lakh, Nahida launched an online crowdfunding campaign after struggling to find sufficient sponsorship. Contributions from several supporters, government officials and organisations eventually helped make the expedition possible.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Friendship Peak

Her Everest achievement turned her into a symbol of determination for young women in Kashmir. But Nahida did not regard the summit as the end of her journey. Instead, it became the beginning of a larger mission.

Before it, she had already climbed peaks including Mount Deo Tibba in Himachal Pradesh, Friendship Peak, Mount Mahadev and Tatakooti Peak in Jammu and Kashmir.

Nahida’s journey as a mountaineer began when she joined the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi, Uttarakhans to get trained in mountain climbing. She completed an advanced training, along with courses in skiing and rock climbing.

Her training taught her that climbing is as much about mental endurance and discipline as physical strength. This way Nahida, the girls amid Kashmir’s mountains turned her fascination for peaks into a profession.

Nahida Manzoor at Mt. Harmukh (5070 Mts.)

In an earlier interview, Nahida recalled deliberately carrying heavier loads during training to build stamina. The demanding preparation eventually helped her take on some of the most challenging mountains in the region and beyond.

Nahida’s latest expedition was Mt. Koh-e-Noor (South-West) which is 5146 mts. “This expedition was not only challenging but also meaningful and unforgetable for all of us. I am deeply honoured to become the first female climber to sucessfully summit Mt. Koh-e-Noor (SW) an add my name to the history of this mountain”, Nahida shared. 

Nahida Mazoor at Mt. Koh-e-Noor

Her relationship with the mountains began early. Nahida started trekking when she was around 10 years old, exploring the hills around her home. During her school years, she was an all-rounder and participated in several sports, including badminton, volleyball and table tennis.

She was even selected for a national-level table tennis championship but could not participate. Eventually, it was mountaineering that captured her imagination completely.

The second of three daughters, Nahida grew up in Zewan on the outskirts of Srinagar.

Her belief that “there’s nothing that a girl cannot do” was strengthened by a family that encouraged all three sisters to participate in sports and pursue their ambitions. Her father, Manzoor Ahmad Pampori, played an important role in supporting her sporting interests. Nahida has often credited her parents for giving her the freedom to chase unconventional dreams.

source: http://www.awazthevoice.in / Awaz, The Voice / Home> Stories / by Vidushi Gaur, New Delhi / September 22nd, 2026