By: Pratyush Bardoliwala
Bachendri Pal was born on 24 May 1954 in Nakuri village of Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. She was one of seven children in a humble family. Her father, Kishan Singh Pal, worked as a trader, transporting goods between India and Tibet. The family, however, faced financial difficulties. A devastating flood in 1943 left them homeless, and her father later turned to wool work and farming to support the family.
Growing up in these circumstances taught Bachendri to face difficulties from an early age. Her first memorable encounter with mountaineering came when she was just 12 years old. During a school outing, she and her classmates climbed a peak nearly 4,000 metres high. The group was forced to spend the night on the mountain without proper supplies. Instead of returning home to praise, Bachendri was scolded for the adventure. Yet the experience did not frighten her away from the mountains. It sparked a desire to climb again.
As she grew older, choosing mountaineering as a career was not an easy decision. Her family wanted her to follow a safer and more conventional path. Bachendri, however, continued to pursue her interest in the mountains. Her abilities eventually caught the attention of mountaineer Colonel Premchand, who encouraged her to take professional mountaineering training at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. This became an important turning point in her life.
Bachendri went on to receive formal mountaineering training and began taking part in challenging expeditions. In 1982, she climbed Mount Gangotri and Mount Rudragaira, gaining valuable experience in difficult high altitude conditions. She later worked as a mountaineering instructor, training other women in adventure activities. Each expedition strengthened her skills and prepared her for the biggest challenge that lay ahead.
In 1984, Bachendri was selected for India’s Everest expedition. She was one of six women in a team of 17 climbers. Their goal was to reach the summit of Mount Everest, which stands at 8,848.86 metres above sea level and is the highest mountain on Earth. As the team climbed higher, the conditions became increasingly harsh. Thin air, freezing temperatures, steep terrain and exhaustion tested the climbers at every stage.
Then, on 16 May 1984, disaster struck. An avalanche hit the expedition at Camp III, at around 24,000 feet, or 7,315 metres, above sea level. Bachendri’s tent was buried under several feet of snow, while several members of the expedition were injured. The avalanche forced many climbers to turn back. Bachendri, however, refused to let the disaster end her journey. She had survived one of the most frightening moments of the expedition, but the summit was still ahead.
Seven days later, on 23 May 1984, Bachendri Pal reached the summit of Mount Everest. She became the first Indian woman to reach the top of the world’s highest mountain. The achievement came just one day before her 30th birthday, turning years of hardship, training and determination into a historic moment.
But Bachendri Pal’s story is much bigger than reaching the summit.
Her journey began long before Everest. It began in a small Himalayan village, in a family that had faced financial hardship, and with a young girl who discovered that she was drawn towards the mountains. She faced doubts, opposition and difficult conditions, but continued preparing herself for the dream she had chosen.
Her story reminds us that a dream is only the beginning. Believing in it matters, but so does the work that follows. Preparation, discipline and the courage to continue after failure are what turn a dream into reality.
The avalanche could have ended Bachendri Pal’s climb. Instead, she kept moving forward.
And on 23 May 1984, she reached the top of the world.
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