Mountaineer rescued from Nepal peak

Solan, April 18

Solan-based mountaineer Baljeet Kaur (27) was found on Mt Annapurna in Nepal today, a day after she reportedly went missing near Camp IV while descending from the peak. She had left for the base camp from Kathmandu on March 28.

At least three helicopters were mobilised to trace Baljeet this morning after she managed to send a radio signal seeking “immediate help”.

According to Sherpa, her GPS location indicated an altitude of 7,375m (24,193ft). She scaled Mt Annapurna along with two guides around 5.15 pm yesterday without any supplemental oxygen.

She has set a target of scaling six peaks in this expedition without the use of supplemental oxygen. Mt Annapurna, considered the toughest among the six, was her first destination.

She had posted a picture on her social media account hours before she went missing. The post said, “Climbing a mountain is a great metaphor for life itself. You set a goal, you prepare, you climb, and you enjoy the view.”

Baljeet successfully scaled Mt Everest (8,848.46 m) with her guide Mingma Sherpa in May 2022. This was her third feat in the last spring season. The duo scaled Mt Annapurna (8,091 m) on April 28 and Mt Kanchenjunga (8,586 m) on May 12.

Baljeet’s mother Shanti Devi said though she had received the news of her daughter being fine, she would feel relieved only after talking to her. Vinod Gupta, Managing Director, Meridian Pharma, Solan, who has been supporting the mountaineer ever since she forayed into this field, recalled her visit about a fortnight ago before she set out for the expedition.

“Her enthusiasm to scale various peaks is unmatched. Utmost perseverance and single-minded devotion have helped her taste success at a young age,” he said.

A resident of the non-descript Panjrol village in Solan, Baljeet has become the first Indian woman mountaineer to successfully scale 7,161-m Pumori peak in Nepal. She was part of a 12-member delegation that achieved that feat under the Government of India-sponsored “Mt Everest Masiff Expedition-2021”.

Three helicopters mobilised

• Solan-based mountaineer Baljeet Kaur (27) went missing near Camp IV while descending from the Mt Annapurna peak (7,375m) in Nepal on Monday
• Three helicopters were mobilised to trace Baljeet on Tuesday morning after she managed to send a radio signal seeking ‘immediate help’