J&K climber Bahl now eyes Mount Mckinley

JAMMU: Sangeeta Sindhi Bahl, the first woman from Jammu and Kashmir to scale Mount Everest and the oldest woman from India too, is now eyeing Mount Mckinley in Alaska in order to realise her dream of scaling summits across the seven continents.

“Mount Everest at a highest of 29,035 feet was the sixth summit scaled by me at the age of 47 (in May) and I am looking forward to make it to Mount Mckinley in Alaska in June next year to complete my quest of climbing seven summits spread across seven continents in the world,” Bahl said. Bahl, who broke the record of Premlata Agarwal to become the oldest Indian woman to scale the Everest at the age of 47 said she feels stronger and fitter at 53 than she did in her 20s.

“After my return from Mount Everest, it took me some time to recover and but now I am fully fit and have already started preparing for my next destination,” she added. Born and brought up in Jammu, the finalist of the Miss India contest in 1985, Bahl said age was no barrier to achieve one’s goals. “Age is just a number. A focused mind, determination, passion and above all good luck is needed to achieve any great feat,” Bahl said.

Bahl had narrowly missed the feat last year when she had to return due to high-altitude sickness. “I turned the disappointment into a challenge and worked harder this time to ensure that I reach the peak. I had left for the summit on March 27 and returned successful on May 27, achieving the feat on May 19, a day behind the scheduled date.”

She recalled she sang the National Anthem and unfurled the tricolour during her 15-minute stay at the top of the peak.

“I did not know that I would create a record while setting out for the summit,” she said.