New Delhi, Jul 10: 26-year-old Odia research scholar Swetalin Pattanaik has successfully scaled Mount Yunam, a 6,111-metre (20,049-foot) peak in Himachal Pradesh, becoming one of the few young women from Odisha to conquer the high-altitude summit.

Swetalin, who is pursuing a PhD in Hindustani Music at the University of Delhi, completed the summit on July 4, despite having no formal mountaineering training.

Battled Snowfall, 'Whiteout' Conditions
The expedition was marked by challenging weather conditions, including heavy snowfall and a dangerous "snow whiteout," which significantly reduced visibility.

Despite the adverse conditions, Swetalin successfully reached the summit and returned safely, demonstrating determination and endurance.

Conquered Mountain in Just Two Days
What makes the achievement more remarkable is the speed of the expedition.

While climbing Mount Yunam typically takes eight to nine days, Swetalin completed the summit attempt in just two days and wrapped up the entire expedition in four days.

According to her itinerary:
Day 1: Reached Bharatpur near Manali.
Day 2: Trekked from Bharatpur to the summit camp.
Day 3: Climbed Mount Yunam and descended back to Bharatpur on the same day.
Day 4: Returned to Delhi from Bharatpur.
Inspiring Odisha's Youth

Swetalin said, "We completed the expedition in alpine style. In alpine style, climbers carry all their equipment, set up their own camps and cook their own meals. While most people take eight to 10 days to complete the expedition, I successfully summited the mountain and returned to the base camp in just two days."

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Swetalin said she hopes her achievement encourages more young people, especially women from Odisha, to take up adventure sports and mountaineering.

She added that with adequate support and encouragement, she hopes to attempt even higher and more challenging peaks in the future.