What lies beyond the summit for Bangladesh’s female mountaineers

I remember coming across a story in the Bangla literature school textbook (Amar Bangla Boi) on mountaineering in 2008.

In it, I was introduced to mountaineers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay. While the details have faded over time, Edmund's famous quote remains etched in memory, "It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."

Two years later, a Bangladeshi, Musa Ibrahim, would reach the summit of Mount Everest. And, in 2012, Bangladesh's first female mountaineer achieved the same feat. 

Mountaineering remains a niche outdoor sport, primarily for the lack of funding, among other things. For women though, their pursuit to climb mountain tops is generally marred by additional limitations such as family support.  

Yet Bangladeshi mountaineers such as Nishat Mazumder, Wasfia Nazrin, Sadia Sompa, Yasmin Lisa, Arpita Debnath, and others have broken these barriers by daring to enter this entirely different world.

In December 2024, the first-ever all-women's winter expedition from Bangladesh took place, where five women went to Nepal's Himalayan Langtang region.  

So where did their journeys start and how do they continue to pursue a niche sport in the country where a common remark seems to be, " You have already climbed the mountain once, what is the point of doing it again?" 

'Each climb is a reminder of why I keep returning to the mountains'

"My journey in the Himalayas began in 2018 with a trek to Island Peak Base Camp. That first step into the mountains led me to complete the Basic Mountaineering Course at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in India," mountaineer Yasmin Lisa recently told TBS. 

Mountaineering is not an easy feat, it demands both physical and mental fitness. Lisa explained, "It is crucial to keep exercising and doing yoga to stay fit. But for many women, balancing family and work leaves little room for that. And even if they manage to make time, staying active in this city is another challenge. There are hardly any parks, and where they do exist, safety becomes a concern," she said.

Lisa took a break for a few years, mainly because she became busy with family and because of the hefty price tag of the sport. At that time, she travelled and trekked around Bangladesh.

But she crossed borders again and plunged back into mountaineering. "In 2022, I trekked through Tsum Valley, the Manaslu Circuit, and Annapurna Base Camp. By 2024, I had climbed Mount Lobuche and Island Peak, crossing the Three High Passes in October, followed by Yala Peak in December," she continued.

"In [January] 2025, I stood atop Suriya Peak and Gosaikunda Peak, each climb is a reminder of why I keep returning to the mountains." 

Last December, five women Nishat Mazumder, Arpita Debnath, Mousumi Aktar Ap, Tahura Sultana Rekha and Yasmin Lisa went on the first-ever all-female winter expedition for 25 days (from 21 December to 14 January) and reached three peaks — Surya Peak (5145 metres), Gosaikunda Peak (4747 metres), and Yala Peak (5,500 metres). 

For two women, it was their first-ever trek outside Bangladesh. Arpita Debnath, associated with Avijatri (an organisation of mountaineers), recounted her experience. 

"After graduation, I trained under Nishat Mazumder, who mentors female trekkers. She encouraged me to join this expedition, and I did. I had trekked in Bangladesh before, but the Himalayas were an entirely different challenge. Fortunately, I had an incredible team—I consider myself lucky," said Debnath.

While Debnath recalled that she did not struggle with altitude sickness in Bangladesh, it was different in the Himalayas. "The cold got the best of me. I made the mistake of keeping my nose open, and it hit hard. The Himalayas test you in ways you don't expect. At one point, I thought I wouldn't make it to Yala Peak, but Nishat kept pushing me, saying, 'Move, Arpita!' And finally, I reached the summit,' she added.

"I grew up hearing the saying that human beings are bigger than their dreams but I never truly understood it until I trekked in the Himalayas. Out there, I felt more liberated than ever." 

As a member of Avijatri, Debnath maintains consistent training to stay fit for mountaineering. Every Friday, she joins her team for marathon training sessions at Ramna Park – an opportunity that not all aspiring female mountaineers get.

Paying it forward 

In 2003, Nishat Mazumdar started her journey with the country's highest peak Keokradong (967 metres) to attend the Bangladesh Astronomical Association's programme on the 50th anniversary of the Mount Everest summit. And, she never looked back. 

The first Bangladeshi woman to reach the peak of Mount Everest in 2012, not only continues to pursue mountaineering but also works to encourage aspiring female mountaineers.  

Her co-founded organisation Avijatri's 'Trek with Nishat' programme is an initiative from 2022 to inspire girls aged between 18 and 25, who are interested in mountaineering. Annually, 40-60 applications come in for the programme. 

"I mentor a selected girl, guiding her through the process while seeking sponsors to fund her journey to the Himalayas. This comes at no cost to her," said Mazumdar.

Mazumdar believes the male-female ratio in the country's mountaineering field still has a massive gap, which needs to be filled. 

"Bangladesh Mountaineering Federation (BMF) was created for us, but regrettably we do not get any funding from there, which is a challenge mountaineers in this country face. They have the potential to go but fail to do so since it is an expensive and niche sport," she added, emphasising how funding plays a major role in the sport. 

At the same time, while there are many young girls and women interested in the sport, financial backing alone isn't enough—a strong support system is just as important. Mountaineering requires not only physical endurance but also the resilience to overcome social and cultural barriers. 

Having encouragement from family, mentors or fellow climbers can be the difference between giving up and pushing forward. When women are given the support to follow their ambitions, they don't just break barriers for themselves—they open the door for future generations of female adventurers.

"I consider myself incredibly lucky to have had the unwavering support of my mother. Many don't have that privilege, but she stood by me every step of the way. Without her encouragement, my journey into mountaineering would have been much harder," said Sadia Sompa, the first female mountaineer in Bangladesh.  

Sompa's journey into mountaineering began with trekking in Bangladesh, from Bandarban to Chandranath Mandir. Later, she joined the Bangladesh Mountaineering and Trekking Club and trained at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling to prepare for her first Everest Base Camp trek. 

In 2004, it was rare to see women pursuing niche sports like mountaineering. "I was inspired by adventurer and environmentalist Enamul Haque. His passion for exploration showed me what was possible and pushed me to challenge my limits. Mountaineering tests you both physically and mentally, but reaching those heights is an indescribable feeling—like stepping into another world. It changed my life," recounted Sompa, currently a senior teacher at Riverview International School & College