34-year-old becomes first from Punjab to scale Mt Annapurna I
Thirty-four-year-old mountaineer from the city Gursimrann Singh Janjua has created a history by becoming the first person from the state to summit Mount Annapurna I in Gandaki Province of north-central Nepal — the world’s 10th highest mountain, standing at a staggering height of 8,091 metres.
He reached the summit on April 7 at 11:05 am, scaling one of the world’s most dangerous and technically demanding climbs. He was part of an 11-member international team comprising climbers from India, Vietnam, the US, Japan, the UK and South Africa. Of the entire group, only four climbers made it to the summit. Apart from Gursimrann, two were from Haryana and one from South Africa.
A man of many talents, Gursimrann is not only a trained mountaineer and first-aid responder but also a certified paraglider and paramotor pilot, having completed advanced training at National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) (Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh) and Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi. He currently works as an IT Project Manager with Ernst & Young (EY) and is a vocal advocate for sustainable travel and environmentally responsible climbing practices.
His previous accomplishments include leading an international expedition to the technical peak Mt Ama Dablam (6,814 metres) in Nepal and scaling peaks such as KY1 and KY2 in Ladakh, as well as DKD 2 in the Gangotri region.
Gursimrann revealed that it took him three years to gather funds for the Annapurna expedition, as there was no sponsorship or government support. He contrasted this with foreign climbers in his team, who had strong financial backing and corporate sponsorships. Notably, while the Haryana Government announced a Rs 5 lakh award and official recognition for its two climbers — with public appreciation already extended by the Chief Minister — the Punjab Government has not made any such announcement.
He expressed a hope to meet Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and urge him to formulate supportive policies for mountaineers. Gursimrann also appealed to corporate sponsors to invest in India’s adventure sports and mountaineering potential.
Sharing his experience of the expedition, Gursimrann spoke about facing severe weather, freezing temperatures, limited vegetarian food and a very tight summit window. Yet, he viewed these challenges as intrinsic to the mountaineering experience. “Every expedition comes with its share of hurdles. What truly matters is believing in yourself and trusting the divine energy,” he said.
Gursimrann dedicated his feat to the first ascent of Mount Annapurna I, achieved by Maurice Herzog, Louis Lachenal and the French team in June 1950. “In India, mountains are often seen as holiday destinations, but they are also arenas for resilience, discipline and adventure. With the right support, we can tap into immense potential for both sports and disaster response,” he concluded.
Punjab