Sonam Wangyal | |
|---|---|
%2c_in_2017_(cropped).JPG) Wangyal in 2017 | |
| Born | 1942 (age 83–84) |
| Allegiance | India |
| Awards | |
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Sonam Wangyal (born 1942) is a formerIndian paramilitary personnel and mountaineer who climbedMount Everest in 1965 at the age 23, making him the youngest summiter. He was one of the nine summiters of the first successfulIndian Everest Expeditions that climbedMount Everest in May 1965 led byCaptain M S Kohli. He is the 3rd Indian man, and 18th man in world, to have climbedMount Everest. On 22 May 1965, the first time that the oldest (Sonam Gyatso at age 42) and the youngest (Sonam Wangyal at age 23) climbed Everest together. Kohli, who had led the 1965 Everest expedition, recruited Wangyal to join a team on asecretive mission toNanda Devi. The jointCIA /Indian Intelligence Bureau mission involved placing a nuclear listening device on the mountain in 1965 with subsequent visits in 1966 and 1967.
He was politically active and was elected as MLA. In 1975 he also served as a minister of Jammu and Kashmir government. He received thePadma Shri and theArjuna Award in 1965 and later theTenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2017.
Currently, he is serving as a principal atSonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute.
He was honoured with thePadma Shri in 1965,[1][2] followed by theArjuna Award in 1965 and thenTenzing Norgay National Adventure Award 2017 in lifetime achievement category.[3] He served as the Principal of theSonam Gyatso Mountaineering Institute inGangtok (Sikkim) from 1976 to 1990. He retired as Assistant Director of theIntelligence Bureau in 1993, and now lives inLeh.[4]
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