Solan girl scales Nepal’s peak, gets rousing welcome at home

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, June 7

Baljeet Kaur, a resident of the non-descript Panjrol village in Solan, who has become the first Indian woman mountaineer to successfully summit 7,161-m Pumori peak in Nepal, received a rousing welcome on her arrival here last evening.

She was part of a 12-member delegation which achieved this feat on May 12 in the Government of India-sponsored “Mt Everest Masiff Expedition-2021”. Having failed to scale Mt Everest by a mere 300 m six years ago due to technical reasons in 2016, Kaur’s resolve to scale the world’s highest peak was bolstered by this first achievement. She now plans to summit Mt Everest next year.

Talking to mediapersons, Baljeet said, “A small news clipping on mountaineering inspired me to delve into this profession while I was in school. Financial constraints, however, deterred me from pursuing this profession as it entails an expenditure of lakhs of rupees.” Being the eldest of three siblings, she had the onus of supporting her family and did odd jobs to make both ends meet.

On joining the Degree College, Solan, she joined the NCC, where an opportunity came her way and she secured a berth in an NCC girls’ expedition to summit the Mt Everest in 2016. Though she missed the target by a mere 300 m, it provided the much-needed confidence.

“Pumori is known as the ‘mountain daughter’ or ‘Everest’s daughter’ by climbers and despite having missed Mt Everest, the Sherpa who accompanied me inspired me to nurture my passion,” she said.

In a bid to hone her skills, she continued to scale various mountains like Deotibba in Manali, Trishu peak in Uttarakhand, besides an Army post at Siachen, before being finally selected for this Mount Everest Masiff-2021. “I decided to equip myself better by attending an advance course in mountaineering besides a course of skiing to enhance my adaptability to inclement weather and other challenges.”

Elated at her achievement, Baljeet said, “Developmental initiatives continue to be based on the idea that men are breadwinners and women are dependent. Women should overcome this age-old belief and stand on their feet.”

Join Whatsapp Channel of The Tribune for latest updates.