Sikkim: Shanti Rai Received Indian Mountaineering Foundation Gold Medal

The Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) Gold Medal has honored Shanti Rai, a resident of Chemchey in the Namchi district of Sikkim, for her outstanding contribution to the field of mountaineering, inspiring countless adventurers across the country.

According to a press release, Rai received the award during the IMF's Annual General Body Meeting in New Delhi on November 23.

Rai said, “Since 2011, I have been into mountaineering and actively participating in adventure sports. The prestigious award will inspire me to go further.” Rai is the first Sikkimese to get the award.

The 39-year-old summited Mt. Ama Dablam (6,812 meters) in Nepal in January 2021. She led an all-women climbathon at the Bara Shigri Glacier in Himachal Pradesh earlier this year, in August.

Rai has also participated in various mountain biking events. She participated in the 3,500 km-long mountain cycling in the Western Ghats, organized by the Women Adventure Network in 2012.

“I also led an 11-member team that scaled the 7,077m-high Kun Peak in Kargil. The expedition was organized by the Chhattisgarh government in collaboration with the IMF in August 2022,” the climber said.

Established in 1957, the IMF introduced the gold medal for mountaineers in 1961. Many stalwarts, including Tenzing Norgey, Dorjee Lhatto, Nawang Gombu, and Bachendri Pal, are the recipients of the medal.

Rai is currently an instructor at the Centre for Adventure & Eco-Tourism in Chemchey.

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