Indonesian Climber Plants Flag on Treacherous Himalayan Peak Ama Dablam

Nadya Gianifa has planted the Indonesian flag on Ama Dablam, one of the most technically demanding and dangerous peaks in the Himalayas. This achievement marks the first stage of her expedition to conquer three of the world's most challenging mountains.

Gianifa reached the summit of Ama Dablam, Nepal, at 9:17 p.m. local time on Thursday, May 14, 2026, at an altitude of over 6,000 meters. Battling thinning oxygen and fierce winds, she navigated slippery vertical ice walls, with only her gear separating her from the abyss below. Her relentless climb, spanning over twelve hours without surrender, culminated the next day at 3:15 p.m. local time when she set foot on the 6,812-meter peak, unfurling the Merah Putih against the frozen Himalayan sky. The entire summit push took a grueling 18 hours.

The route to the summit was exceptionally difficult, involving vertical climbing on a narrow, exposed ridge with an elevation gain of approximately 900 meters from Camp 3 over a mere 1.3-kilometer horizontal distance. Typically, summit pushes begin from Camp 3, but thick snow made this impossible. The journey thus commenced from Camp 2 to Camp 3, a challenging 300-400 meter ascent over about 600 meters.

Ama Dablam is renowned among global climbers as a severe technical test, with some veteran climbers considering it more difficult than Everest. "This mountain has haunted my thoughts for the past two years. Beautiful yet terrifying, and just from the photos and videos, I knew this was not a mountain that would treat me easily. Ama Dablam might not be as high as Everest, but Ama Dablam was really a thing," Gianifa stated in a press release.

Gianifa, a professional climber with over 11 years of experience, is part of the IBEX Indonesia Big Wall Expedition. This Indonesian climbing community has a notable history on extreme walls worldwide, from El Capitan in Yosemite to Trango Tower in Pakistan. Her past expeditions include Tebing Batu Daya in West Kalimantan, a Winter Trek in India, and Koshar Gang in Pakistan. Her big wall climbing background provided her with the necessary skills to face Ama Dablam.

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This mountain has haunted my thoughts for the past two years. Beautiful yet terrifying, and just from the photos and videos, I knew this was not a mountain that would treat me easily. Ama Dablam might not be as high as Everest, but Ama Dablam was really a thing.