A 44-year-old schoolteacher from Ranaghat in West Bengal’s Nadia districonce dreamed of touching the sky. Subrata Ghosh was not your typical educator while he spent his days teaching students at Bagda Kapasati Milanbithi High School, his heart belonged to the mountains that called to him from afar.
Born and raised in Ranaghat, Subrata’s love affair with mountaineering began in childhood. Family and friends remember a young boy who was mesmerized by stories of Himalayan expeditions, often losing himself in tales of brave climbers climbing impossible peaks. What started as childhood fascination grew into an unshakable passion that would define his life.
This Everest season, the Indian mountaineering community lost a gem, and the whole mountaineering community mourns he’s gone but not forgotten.
The Making of a Mountaineer
Subrata balanced his commitment to education with rigorous mountaineering training. Despite the demanding schedule of a schoolteacher, he pursued his passion with dedication. He was also an active member of the Lions Club in Ranaghat West, showing his commitment to community service alongside his adventurous spirit.
His approach to mountaineering was methodical and disciplined. Fellow climbers remember Subrata as someone who prepared meticulously for every expedition, combining technical skill with deep respect for the mountains. He understood that mountaineering wasn’t just about physical strength it required mental fortitude, careful planning, and unwavering respect for nature’s power.
A Legacy of Thirteen Peaks
Throughout his mountaineering career, Subrata scaled 13 major peaks across different parts of the world. Each summit represented not just a personal achievement but his dedication to the sport he loved.
One of his notable achievements came in June 2024 when he participated in the successful ascent of Mt. Ramjak (6,318m) in Himachal Pradesh.
The expedition was particularly meaningful as flags of three Bengal schools were hoisted at the summit, symbolizing the connection between his teaching career and mountaineering passion. These expeditions often involved fellow teachers and climbers from Bengal, creating a tight-knit community of educator-adventurers.
His expeditions were marked by careful preparation and technical skill. Subrata approached each climb with the same dedication he brought to his classroom, understanding that success in the mountains required both knowledge and respect for the environment.
The Dream of Everest
For any serious mountaineer, Mount Everest represents the ultimate challenge. At 29,032 feet above sea level, it’s not just the world’s highest peak it’s a test of human, willpower, and the desire to push beyond ordinary limits.
In May 2025, Subrata set out to achieve his lifelong dream. He began the ascent from Nepal’s base camp alongside fellow climber Rumpa Das, another mountaineer from Bengal. The two had planned their expedition carefully, but the mountains had their own plans.
The Final Ascent
The Everest expedition began on a challenging note. Adverse weather conditions and an unstable atmosphere forced delays in their summit push. What was supposed to be a Wednesday ascent was postponed to Thursday afternoon as the team waited for better conditions.
The delay proved crucial, as depleting oxygen levels and extreme conditions made every moment on the mountain more dangerous. While both climbers faced these challenges, their fates would diverge dramatically.
On May 15, 2025, around 2 PM, Subrata achieved what he had dreamed of since childhood – he stood atop Mount Everest. For a brief moment, the schoolteacher from Ranaghat had literally touched the sky. He had climbed the world’s highest peak, joining the exclusive ranks of Everest summiteers.
But mountains exact their price, and Everest is particularly unforgiving.
Tragedy in the Death Zone
During the descent, near the notorious Hillary Step a 40-foot vertical rock wall at nearly 8,800 meters above sea level –Subrata began showing signs of severe exhaustion and altitude sickness. The Hillary Step is one of the most dangerous sections near the summit, where many climbers have lost their lives.
Subrata became disoriented and refused to continue moving down the mountain. His Sherpa guide, Palchen Tamang, stayed with him for hours, trying desperately to help him descend. But in the death zone –the harsh region above 25,000 feet where oxygen levels are just a third of those at sea level every minute counts.
The Sherpa, suffering from exhaustion and frostbite himself, was eventually forced to make an agonizing decision. He had to leave Subrata behind to save his own life, returning alone to Camp IV. It’s a decision that haunts rescue operations on Everest sometimes saving one life means leaving another behind.
The Cruel Reality of Everest
Subrata’s story is tragically not unique on Everest. As of May 2025, over 340 climbers have died on Mount Everest since the first recorded fatalities in 1922. Nearly 200 of these bodies remain on the mountain, as retrieving a body from the peak is incredibly difficult, dangerous, and expensive
The mountain has become a graveyard of dreams, where bodies serve as grim landmarks for other climbers. There’s “Green Boots,” the body of Tsewang Paljor, a young Indian climber who died in a 1996 blizzard and has remained on the northeast route for over 29 years. There’s “Sleeping Beauty,” Francys Arsentiev, who died during her descent in 1998 and rests near the northeast ridge route.
Every year, 8 to 10 mountaineers lose their lives on Mount Everest, overcome by exhaustion, lack of oxygen, and the immense challenges that test every step forward to the summit. The mountain doesn’t discriminate it has claimed young and old, experienced and novice, wealthy and modest climbers alike.
The Price of Dreams
The death zone above 25,000 feet is where most bodies remain. The treacherous terrain and extreme conditions make recovery efforts extremely difficult and dangerous. Even when recovery is attempted, it requires a team of 6 to 12 experienced Sherpa rescuers, multiple oxygen cylinders, and specialized equipment.
Most helicopters can’t operate beyond Camp 2 at 21,000 feet. Only specialized high-altitude helicopters can venture higher, and even they have limited capacity in the thin air. From the death zone to Camp 2, rescue teams must carry bodies manually across 3.5 to 4.5 kilometers of treacherous terrain, a journey that can take several days in unpredictable weather conditions.
The physical toll on rescuers is immense, and there have been instances where rescue team members have died during body recovery missions. In 1984, two Sherpas – 36-year-old Yugendra Bahadur Thapa and 35-year-old Ang Dorje – died attempting to recover the body of German mountaineer Hannelore Schmatz.
A Community in Mourning
Back in Ranaghat, the news of Subrata’s death sent shockwaves through his family and community. His brother Surajit received the heartbreaking news from contacts in Nepal. “He had reached the summit earlier that afternoon, and everything seemed fine,” Surajit said, struggling to comprehend the sudden loss.
Their aged parents were inconsolable, surrounded by relatives, friends, and locals offering condolences. “Our home has been full of people since the news broke,” Surajit added. “We are now focused on bringing his body back.”
His cousin Sumitra Debnath, who had accompanied him to base camp but stayed behind due to logistical constraints, was among those grappling with the reality that Subrata’s dream had become a nightmare for those who loved him.
Relative Pratap Saha captured the community’s sentiment: “He was well-trained and had completed several difficult expeditions in the past. When I first heard the news, I couldn’t believe it… He lived and breathed mountains.”
The Broader Context
Subrata’s death occurred during a season when the Nepal Tourism Department has been actively implementing measures to reduce fatalities on Mount Everest, particularly in response to the record-high death toll in 2023. New regulations require climbers to have prior high-altitude climbing experience and carry rescue tracking equipment.
Despite these measures, about 600 climbers still attempt to summit Everest each year. The high demand and limited climbing windows often lead to congestion on the mountain, especially during peak seasons. Expeditions typically proceed in groups ranging from three to fifteen members, depending on the guiding company and route.
Legacy of a Dreamer
Subrata Ghosh’s story represents both the nobility and tragedy of human ambition. He was a teacher who inspired students in his classroom and a mountaineer who inspired fellow climbers on the peaks. His 13 summits represent years of dedication, training, and courage.
His death reminds us that some dreams come with the ultimate price. Yet for every Subrata Ghosh who doesn’t return from the mountain, there are countless others inspired by their courage to pursue their own impossible dreams.
The schoolteacher from Ranaghat who once dreamed of touching the sky achieved his goal, even if it cost him everything. In mountaineering circles, such sacrifice is understood, if not accepted. Climbers know the risks, yet they climb anyway, driven by something deeper than rational calculation.
Subrata Ghosh lived and breathed mountains, as his relative said. In the end, the mountains claimed him, but they couldn’t diminish the inspiration he provided to others. His story stands as a reminder of both the risks and rewards of high-altitude mountaineering, and the spirit of those who chase the sky.
He’s gone, but in the mountaineering community, such spirits are never truly forgotten. They become part of the mountain’s story, part of the reason others continue to climb, and part of the eternal human desire to reach beyond what seems possible.
