Challenging Adversities: Meet Chhonzin Angmo, First Visually Impaired Woman Who Climbed Everest

“The only thing worse than being blind is having sight but no vision,” the famous quote said by Helen Keller, a blind American Author, is the favourite quote of Chhonzin Angmo as she shared while speaking with the OnlyMyHealth team. On May 18, 2025, Angmo made history by becoming the first visually impaired woman in the world to summit Mount Everest, the highest peak on Earth.

After losing vision, many struggle to perform even daily life tasks, but Angmo decided to conquer the world. Before her, there were only four such persons with this extraordinary feat: Erik Weihenmayer in 2001, Austrian Andy Holzerin 2017, Chinese Zhang Hong in 2021, and American Lonnie Bedwell in 2023.

In 2024, she was also honoured with the Sarvshresth Divyangjan National Award for the Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities by President Droupadi Murmu.

With this extraordinary achievement, Angmo not only climbed the world’s highest peak but also redefined limitations, broke societal barriers, and proved that mental strength and determination are the most required tools for any achievement.

Journey from A Remote Himachali Village to The Roof of The World

The 29-year-old mountaineer from Himachal Pradesh’s Hangrang Valley lost her vision in class third (8) due to a severe medication reaction. But this never led her to stop dreaming.

Angmo was born in Changmo, a remote village near the Indo-Tibetan border in Kinnaur District, where basic connectivity and opportunities often arrive much later than the rest of the nation. When she hoisted the Tricolour Sagarmatha (the Nepali name for Mt Everest), along with expedition leader Lt. Col. (Retd.) Romil Barthwal and Dandu Sherpa, and Om Gurung, her small village too became part of the glory that comes with her courage and determination.

“She did not just summit the peak, she did it like a professional mountaineer, like she knew the routes, the terrain, and the surrounding peaks as if she had seen them herself,” said Lt. Col. (Retd.) Romit Barthwal, expedition leader from the treks and expedition company Boots and Crampons.

During the conversation, Angmo recalled that her schooling was going on at a local school in her village, but losing her sight changed everything. Later, her family found a school in Ladakh where children with any disability or background can come and study. She joined the Mahabodhi residential school in Leh and completed the rest of her schooling there. Later, she graduated and did her master's degree in Political Science and History from Miranda House, Delhi University.

She credits her schooling for making her self-reliant. “I live alone in Delhi. I cook, travel to work by myself, and earn a living. People are surprised to find out that I can’t see things and still live so independently,” Angmo stated. She currently works as a Customer Service Associate at the Union Bank of India, Delhi.

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Angmo’s Mountainerring Journey

“When I was on the final stretch of the Everest summit, I felt exhausted. But I took a breath to remind myself how far I had come. At each step, no one believed I could make it," Angmo Recalled.

Angmo Shared that initially she planned to prepare for the UPSC examination until, in 2015, she heard about Erik Weihenmayer, the first blind person to summit Mount Everest and the only one to climb all seven highest peaks across the continents. That moment changed the way her life was.

“Almost every mountaineering institute and trek company rejected me. But eventually, I managed to secure a seat in the Basic Mountaineering course (BMC) of Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABHIMAS) in Manali in 2016.” She told Onlymyhealth. She further added that during her final week of BMC, she successfully summited Friendship Peak (17,352 feet) with the other teammates. “That moment gave me the confidence to go ahead with my dream of mountaineering.”

In 2021, Angmo joined Operation Blue Freedom, the Siachin Expedition, for a multi-disabled group. Since then, she has climbed several high-altitude peaks in Ladakh and Spiti Valley, completed a cycling expedition from Manali to Khadung La Pass, including Russia’s highest mountain, Mt Elbrus. Angmo engaged herself in several sports activities, such as swimming and football, to prepare herself.

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Vision Blindness: A Non-Reversible Condition

To understand the vision blindness, we spoke to Dr Bhavya Reddy, Ophthalmologist at Aster Whitefield Hospital, Bengaluru. She explained, “Visual impairment refers to a loss of sight that cannot be fully reversed even with the best possible glasses, medications, or surgery.”

Dr Reddy further stated, “Most of the time, visual impairment in children is the outcome of such diseases as congenital cataracts or optic nerve damage; however, it has also been reported that certain medications can damage the optic nerve or retina, leading to irreversible vision loss. However, this is a care case.”

‘People Do Not Trust Us’

For Angmo, the greatest challenge was not the climb itself but securing the funds to make it happen. “My father is a farmer, and we come from a modest background. Mountaineering is said to be a test of mental and physical strength, but for me, that included financial struggle,” she said.

She reached out to numerous companies, sponsors, and organisations through social media and personal visits, but most turned her away. “People do not trust us. They can’t imagine a person with no sight doing what even the able-bodied find impossible. Many said, ‘People with vision can’t do it, so how will you?’”

Eventually, her persistence paid off when her bank manager and the Union Bank of India came forward to fully sponsor her expedition.

‘Angmo Is An Exceptional Case'

“We were privileged to witness history in the making,” said Lt. Col. (Retd.) Barthwal. “It was a first for Boots and Crampons to take a visually impaired climber to Everest, and Angmo made it look effortless. She was often the first to reach all the base camps.”

He added, “She would hold onto the guide’s backpack from behind to sense the pace, the terrain, uphill and downhill. Using her trekking pole, she gauged crevices, gradients, and jumps. She never liked being treated differently; she preferred independence.”

Commenting on inclusivity in adventure sports, Barthwal said, “Participation of differently-abled individuals in mountaineering must be assessed on a case-by-case basis. It depends heavily on their training, preparation, and mental resilience. Angmo was an exceptional case; her other senses compensate fully for her lack of sight.”

Way Ahead

Angmo’s journey is far from over. “I’m now preparing myself to climb the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent. Even after making a world record, I am still struggling to find funding, but I’m willing to do it,” she shared with a smile.