New Delhi: The Mount Everest climbing twins, Tashi and Nungshi Malik, are representing India at the ongoing Women Peak Challenge in Switzerland.
The Malik sisters are among the over 400 women taking part in the worldwide challenge.
Switzerland Tourism had announced the challenge on International Women’s Day 2021 to encourage international women-only team climbers to ascend all 48 peaks of the Swiss Alps.
The twins have already scaled two peaks, namely Mount Breithorn (13,662 ft) and Mount Allalinhorn (13,212 ft) in the Swiss Alps and covered 4,000 meters. They even tried other sports like canyon-swinging and para-gliding for the first time.
About mountaineering as a gender-neutral sport, the sisters said, “Traditionally, people viewed it as a male preserve. Now with women setting trends in many countries, there has been a surge in the number of female mountaineers, but many people still cannot fathom it.”
Talking about their overall experience, they said, “Climbing with an all-women crew is a unique feeling. While we took part only to represent our nation instead of competing, the energy we felt on this trip was unmatched. Everybody here is fit and seems to have this genetic advantage of being exceptional climbers. It was a crazy experience!”
(Avya Mathur)