Born in Nakuri, Uttarakhand, India, on May 24, 1954, Bachendri Pal is a renowned mountaineer and the first woman from India to summit Everest. Her incredible journey is proof of her tenacity, bravery, and ability to shatter gender stereotypes in the outdoor industry. Growing up in an impoverished family, Bachendri Pal fell in love with the Himalayas as a young child. She fostered her passion for adventure in spite of the expectations society had at the time for women, laying the groundwork for an incredible journey to come. When Bachendri Pal ascended Mount Everest, the highest mountain in the world, in 1984, he accomplished a historic feat.
In addition to being a personal victory, this achievement dispelled misconceptions about women’s aptitude for extreme sports and opened doors for other female mountaineers. Bachendri Pal made major contributions to mountaineering even after conquering Everest. She rose to prominence as a teacher at the National Adventure Foundation, where she trained and coached many aspiring climbers and promoted a resilient and adventurous culture. Pal received praise on a national and international level for her extraordinary accomplishments. She received the Padma Shri, Padma Bhushan, and Arjuna Awards from the Indian government in recognition of her outstanding contributions to the mountaineering community and her pioneering role in the sports industry for women.
Beyond her own achievements, Bcahendri Pal is dedicated to using adventure sports to empower women and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her efforts emphasize the transformational potential of outdoor activities and include programs to train and provide opportunities for aspiring adventures. Beyond scaling Everest, Bcahendri Pal’s success story represents tenacity, drive, and the capacity to defy social expectations. Her story inspires people to follow their dreams no matter what, and it challenges the idea that there are barriers because of one’s gender or background.
- At the age of twelve, Bcahendri went mountaineering for the first time with her school friends. She attempted to jump 13,123 feet during a school picnic.
- She had also taken part in the climbing competition at 21,900-foot Mount Gangotri and 19,091-foot Mount Rudragaria.
- Pal worked for the National Adventure Foundation (NAF) as a mountaineering instructor prior to being chosen for the Mount Everest expedition.
- In addition, she was the first woman in her village to graduate. In 1984, she was chosen to participate in India’s fourth Everest 84 expedition, which aimed to climb Mount Everest.
- 11 men and six women made up the expedition.
- The only other female in her group who made it all the way up was her. She arrived at the peak on May 23.
- She is also recognized for having led the 1991 women’s pre-Everest expedition to the summits of Mt. Abi-gamin at 24,130 feet and Mt. Kamet at 25,445 feet.
- She also led Tata’s Mt. Shivling expedition and the women’s second pre-Everest expedition in 1992 to climb Mt. Mamostang Kangri, which is 24,686 feet high.
- Bachendri Pal discretely arrived during the 2013 floods in North India with a team of climbers and conducted rescue and relief efforts.
- In addition to the Arjuna Award in 1986, she received the Padma Shri in 1994.
