Bachendri Pal was born on May 24, 1954 in Nakuri village, Uttarkashi district, Uttarakhand, India.
She discovered her love for the mountains during her childhood in the Himalayas, despite facing opposition from her family who wanted her to become a schoolteacher instead of a professional mountaineer.
Pal started mountaineering at age 12, scaling a 13,123 ft peak during a school picnic.
She later became the first woman to climb Mount Gangotri (23,419 ft) and Mount Rudragaria (19,091 ft) in 1982
In 1984, Pal was selected as one of the six Indian women and eleven men to attempt the ascent of Mount Everest as part of the “Everest ’84” expedition
The journey wasn’t easy. At one point, an avalanche buried their camp. But Bachendri and her team didn’t give up. They kept going, step by step, up the icy slopes.
Finally, on May 23, 1984, Bachendri did something no Indian woman had ever done before. She reached the very top of Mount Everest! She stood on the roof of the world, looking out over the clouds below her. Bachendri had made history.
After this big adventure, Bachendri didn’t stop climbing. She led more teams up mountains and taught other people how to climb safely.
Pal has received numerous awards and honors, including the Padma Bhushan, India’s third highest civilian award, in 2019.
But the most important thing Bachendri did was show girls all over India that they could do anything they set their minds to – even climb the highest mountains in the world. Her story reminds us that with hard work and determination, we can all reach great heights.
