More than a century after Bibhutibhushan Bandyopadhyay’s timeless adventure novel Chander Pahar (The Mountain of the Moon), a climber from Sikkim has lived that African adventure.

Tshering Choden, 32, fulfilled her dream of summiting Mount Kilimanjaro on August 11.

Standing at 5,895 metres, it is the highest peak in Africa.

“I have been mountaineering and hiking for the past five years, but this was my first major climb. Standing on the summit of Kilimanjaro was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream,” Choden told The Telegraph over the phone from Tanzania on Sunday.

A resident of Chongay, a village near Gangtok, Choden started training at the Indian Himalayan Centre for Adventure and Eco-Tourism in Chemche, Sikkim. It was there her passion for adventure developed.

Since then, she has been a regular participant in treks and climbs across India.

Her mountaineering achievements include reaching the Everest Base Camp.

“I want to summit the highest peaks of every continent. Kilimanjaro, at nearly 6,000 metres, was a perfect choice as my first international climb,” she said.

Choden graduated with an engineering degree from Sikkim Manipal Institute of Technology (SMIT).

She currently works as an office assistant at the Namgyal Institute of Tibetology.

Her next expedition is already in sight. She plans to climb Mount Elbrus, 5,642 metres, the highest peak in Russia and Europe, by April 2026.

“This will be my second major international expedition,” she said.

Veteran mountaineer Shanti Rai, who won a gold medal from the Indian Mountaineering Federation in November 2024, hailed Choden’s achievement.

“She has only completed basic mountaineering training, yet showed the courage to scale Africa’s highest peak. This success is a big achievement and will inspire many in Sikkim and beyond to take up mountaineering,” Rai said.