Decades ago, a true winner was born in the hills of Uttarakhand. She aimed to reach the peak of Mount Everest and set out on an expedition to make her dream a reality. Her grit and determination helped, and she became the first Indian woman to scale the height of Mt. Everest. At the peak, Bachendri Pal stayed for almost 43 minutes along with her partner.

Bachendri Pal was born to a moderate-income family on 24th May 1954 at Uttarkashi, Uttarakhand.  In 1984, when India scheduled its fourth expedition which was called ‘Everest 84’, she was one of the members of the group which was selected to attempt the trek to the Mt. Everest, Sagarmatha in Nepal. The group consisted of 11 men and 6 women, including Bachendri Pal.

On the night of May 15-16, when the trekkers were resting and sleeping in their respective tents, a serac on the Lhotse glacier slid over them. Many were injured and decided to move downwards. But, even with an injured head, Bachendri Pal continued her ascent and was the only woman left in the group. On 23rd May 1984, just one day before her 30th birthday she made history and became India’s first and the world’s fifth woman to climb the Everest.  She knelt down and thanked the almighty and placed a picture of ‘Goddess Durga’ and a holy book of ‘Shri Hanuman’ on the snow.

Team MSN She