Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to climb
Mount Everest. She achieved this feat on 23rd May 1984. Bachendri Pal
was part of the fourth expedition, named Everest 84. She was one of the
members of the elite group of six Indian women and eleven men who were
part of the group. Bachendri Pal was the only woman in the group to
reach the summit.
Bachendri Pal was born in 1954 in Nakuri village, Garhwal. Her first
exposure to mountaineering was at the age of 12, when during a picnic
she along with several schoolmates climbed a 13,123 feet high peak.
After completing her studies, she joined the Nehru Institute of
Mountaineering (NIM). In 1982, while at NIM, she climbed Gangotri
(21,900 ft) and Rudugaria (19,091 ft). In 1985, Bachendri Pal led an
Indo-Nepalese Everest Expedition team comprising of only women. The
expedition created seven world records and set benchmarks for Indian
mountaineering.
