Mountain ecosystems, owing to their skewed development trends and amplified climatic perturbations, are extremely vulnerable to climate change. Existing developmental challenges manifested as limited access to basic services and over reliance on weather sensitive livelihoods further amplify the vulnerability of communities. This study, using empirical evidence from sites in Uttarakhand, establishes an understanding on how place-based vulnerabilities influence the livelihoods – analyzed through the sustainable livelihoods frameworks. The research also highlights the gender differentiated impacts that arise due to existing social norms and practices evident in the study sites. The study further identifies an emerging narrative of socio-cultural norms determining access to resources and influencing an individual’s vulnerability. Moreover, existing social norms differentially impact women by limiting their access to land ownership, decision making powers, amongst others, and subsequently negatively influencing their adaptive capacities. These present as critical challenges that influence gender based vulnerabilities in the mountains and plains of Uttarakhand.