How Bachendri Pal's 43 minutes on Everest made her India's first woman to summit

Bachendri Pal – First Indian Woman to Summit Everest

• Birth: May 24, 1954, Nakuri village, Tehri Garhwal (Uttarakhand).
• Historic Feat:
  • On May 23, 1984 (1:07 PM) – became first Indian woman to summit Mount Everest.
  • Spent 43 minutes on the peak.
  • Just before her 30th birthday.
• Early Life:
  • Came from a humble family; father, Kishan Singh Pal, was a trader with Tibet, later turned to farming.
  • First climb at age 12 (4000 m peak with friends).
  • Education: MA in Sanskrit, B.Ed.
  • Childhood influences: Close escape from slope fall → developed resilience.
• Mountaineering Journey:
  • 1982 – Climbed Mt Gangotri & Mt Rudragaria (training at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering).
  • Inspired by meeting Tenzing Norgay.
  • Selection camp for Everest ’84 – fell ill, missed training, but impressed mentors with endurance.
  • Survived Lhotse avalanche (1984) during expedition.
• Major Expeditions Beyond Everest:
  • 1993 – Led first all-women Indo-Nepalese Everest expedition.
  • 1994 – Part of first women’s rafting voyage on Ganga (Haridwar → Kolkata, 2,155 km in 39 days).
  • 1997 – Led first Indian Women Trans-Himalayan Expedition (Arunachal to Siachen, 40 passes, 20,100 ft).
• Autobiography: Everest – My Journey to the Top.
• Legacy:
  • Pioneered women’s participation in adventure sports in India.
  • Symbol of courage, resilience, and breaking gender barriers.
    
    UPDATED: May 24, 2025 1:30 PM | India Today