Everester Sangeeta all set to scale Mt McKinley next year

Vikas Sharma
Tribune News Service
Jammu, December 12

After becoming the oldest woman of the country to conquer world’s highest peak Mount Everest on May 19 this year, Jammu woman Sangeeta Sindhi Bahl, 53, is now all set to scale North America’s highest peak — Mount McKinley (6,194 m) next year.

By doing so she will become the oldest woman and overall fourth Indian woman to conquer the top peaks of all seven continents, popularly called the ‘Seven Summits’. So far, only three Indian women have achieved this feat.

Premlata Agarwal from Jamshedpur (Jharkhand) was not only the first Indian woman but the oldest one to conquer seven summits after she scaled Mount McKinley at the age of 50 in June 2013. In December 2014, twin sisters from Haryana — Nungshi Malik and Tashi Malik — had achieved this milestone.

Born and brought up in Jammu, Sangeeta holds the record of being the oldest Indian woman to climb Mount Everest. If she successfully scales Mount McKinley next year, she will break the record of Premlata by becoming the oldest woman to conquer ‘Seven Summits’.

Former Miss India 1985 pageant finalist and aformer model, Sangeeta said, “I am planning togo for an expedition in June next year. Right now I am undergoing rigorous training to prepare myself for the upcoming tough challenge.”

“I got injured in 2014 during my first attempt while climbing Mount McKinley. In 2015, I was not prepared fully because two months before the climb, my father had a bypass surgery. I was at hospital all the time,” she said over phone.

“This time, I am more determined than ever,” the Everester added.