Fact Check: Viral Video Falsely Identifies Mexican Mountaineers as Indian Soldiers in Siachen

Viral Video of “Indian Soldiers in Siachen” Actually Shows Mexican Mountain Climb

A video that went viral on social media purportedly showing Indian soldiers braving extreme weather conditions in Siachen Glacier is actually footage of mountaineers climbing Pico de Orizaba in Mexico, an investigation by Lighthouse Journalism has revealed.

The dramatic footage shows several men scaling a snow-covered mountain amid harsh winter conditions and intense winds. The video was widely shared across multiple social media platforms, particularly on X (formerly Twitter), where users claimed it depicted Indian soldiers demonstrating extraordinary courage while stationed at the Siachen Glacier, one of the world’s most inhospitable military deployment zones.

User @musafir_vj was among those who shared the misleading content with the caption in Hindi that translates to: “Duty at Siachen. Our soldiers fight not with cold, but with courage.” The post gained significant traction, with numerous accounts subsequently sharing the same video with similar patriotic captions.

However, a digital investigation using reverse image search techniques traced the video to its original source. The footage was first posted on Instagram on December 15, 2025, by an account named klub_7_vershin, with Pico de Orizaba, Mexico specifically tagged as the location. The original caption clearly stated: “This is not AI. This is our team at the summit of Orizaba Peak in Mexico.”

Further verification came from Kazakhstan-based news outlet Elorda Media, which had shared the same footage a month earlier on November 15, 2025. According to their report, the video documents Kazakh alpinist and traveler Galymzhan Quspanov’s achievement as part of the international “Seven Volcanoes” project. The report noted that Quspanov became the 67th person globally and the first Kazakh to climb the highest volcanoes on each continent.

The outlet described how Quspanov conquered the final peak of the program—Orizaba volcano—despite challenging weather conditions and strong winds, raising Kazakhstan’s flag at the summit.

Pico de Orizaba holds significant geographic importance as Mexico’s highest peak and North America’s highest volcano, standing at an impressive 5,636 meters (18,491 feet). It ranks as the third highest peak in North America after Denali (Alaska) and Mount Logan (Canada), and is ranked seventh worldwide in topographic prominence.

This incident highlights a growing trend of decontextualized videos being shared on social media with false nationalistic narratives. While the Siachen Glacier—located in the eastern Karakoram range of the Himalayas—is indeed home to Indian military outposts in extremely challenging conditions, this particular footage has no connection to Indian armed forces or their operations.

The Siachen Glacier, often referred to as the world’s highest battlefield, sits at altitudes ranging from 5,400 to 7,720 meters (17,700 to 25,300 feet). Indian and Pakistani forces have been deployed there since 1984, with soldiers from both nations enduring temperatures that can plummet to -50°C (-58°F) in winter.

Military experts note that operations in such extreme environments require specialized training, equipment, and mental fortitude. While the viral video doesn’t depict Indian forces, it does capture the genuine challenges of high-altitude mountaineering that share some similarities with the conditions faced by military personnel stationed in regions like Siachen.

Lighthouse Journalism’s investigation serves as a reminder of the importance of verifying content before sharing, particularly when it comes to claims involving military personnel operating in sensitive border areas.