The First Indian Woman to Climb Mount Everest:Bachendri Pal

Bachendri Pal is the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest.

Timeline

• 1954: Was born in Nakuri village in Garhwal, Uttaranchal
• 1982: Climbed Gangotri I(21,900 ft.) and Rudugaria (19,091 ft.)
• 1984: Became the first Indian woman to climb the Mt. Everest.
• 1985: She was conferred Padmashree by Indian Government.
• 1986: She received the Arjuna Award and Calcutta Ladies Study Group Award.
• 1990: Her name entered the Guinness Book of World Records and she was given the Fie Foundation's National Award.
• 1993: Organized the Indo-Nepalese Women Everest Expedition.
• 1994: Participated in River Ganga Rafting Expedition Received and received National Adventure Award.
• 1995: Was given the Yash Bharti Award from the Government of Uttar Pradesh.
• 1997: Received the honorary doctorate degree from the University of Garhwal and was awarded the prestigious Mahila Shiromani Award. 

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. 

Awards and Accolades
Bachendri Pal had bagged several awards and recognitions during her mountaineering career. In 1984, she received the first Csr Gold Medal closely followed by a Padmashree in 1985 and the Arjuna Award in the year 1986. In 1990, her name was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for being the first Indian women to summit the Mt. Everest. She received the National Adventure Award in 1994 and a prestigious Yash Bharati Award from the Uttar Pradesh Government in 1995. In 1997, she received the honorary D.Litt. from the University of Garhwal and was also honored with the prestigious Mahila Shiromani Award. It was in this year that her name entered the Limca Book of Records.

Contribution
Apart from training corporate and scaling great heights, Bachendri Pal has made significant contribution in training women in mountaineering and river rafting. In 1985, Bachendri led an Indo-Nepalese Everest Expedition women's team. This expedition made seven world records and created a benchmark in Indian mountaineering. In 1993, she organized the Indo-Nepalese Women Everest Expedition and in 1994, she took part in the River Ganga Rafting Expedition from Haridwar to Kolkata. She also led the First Indian Women Trans-Himalayan Expedition including eight women, covering 4,500 km trek via Siachen Glacier.