My journey started with a strong urge to go away from the city life and move into the wilderness and silence of the mountains. Even as a teenager, I found myself feeling claustrophobic in the city and the existing pre-defined fabric of life offered by the society. I soon realised it was not for me.
Youngest To Climb Mt. Everest
I started climbing at an early age and eventually, formal training was the next step forward. In 2007, I enrolled in the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi, Uttrakhand. By 2008, when I was 18, I became the youngest in the world to climb Mt. Satopanth at 7075 metres in the Garhwal Himalayas. At the age of 19, in 2009, I became the youngest Indian to climb Mount Everest.
Having ascended the highest peak in the world would have been a goal for many, but I was just getting started. Mount Everest was not a dream, just mountains were. I wanted to climb, it did not matter what and Mt. Everest just seemed like the next logical step. It became the starting point of my love affair with mountains and myself.
A year later, I also attempted to climb the highest peak in every continent and became the first and youngest Indian on the highest peaks in Antarctica, South America and Europe. Apart from mountaineering, I also enjoy rafting, paragliding, rowing, and horse riding. In addition, I have also been a part of the international Access Water Expedition, run by the Bancroft and Arnesen Explorers. The team consisted of one woman from each continent, led by Ann Bancroft and Liv Arnesen, the first women to cross the Antarctica unsupported. As part of the initiative, seven women from seven continents came together to raft along the longest rivers in each continent, drawing attention to issues like water conservation.
Multi-Faceted Personality
When I’m not climbing or indulging in adventure sports, I am busy drawing from my experiences, to give motivational speeches as an INK talks fellow and a UNCTAD facilitator. I’m a regular speaker at the IITs, IIMs and have even given three TEDx talks. I also conduct various corporate leadership and team-building workshops for larger corporate and MNC’s. I’m very passionate about and love to speak on a plethora of subjects related to overcoming personal and professional challenges.
In 2018, the mountains beckoned again but this time, I left the city in search of a peaceful way of life. My quest led me to Srinagar, Kashmir. Over the next 3 years, and in the midst of the pandemic, I honed my skills as a chef and took the first steps as an entrepreneur with café ‘Books and Bricks’, which has now become a popular destination among locals and tourists alike.
Now, I’m all set to write the next chapter of my life as an author. Over the course of my journeys, I have written playful diaries of all my climbs, and now I’m bringing them all together in a three-part book series of my adventures, highlighting the magic that I saw and the dramatic twists of my life. Through the book series, I also aim to bring out the life lessons and the truth of what I felt during these adventures, rather than the scoreboard I created.
If you too have an inspiring story to tell the world, send us your story at mystory@thelogicalindian.com
