UP’s Toolika scales highest volcano in Asia
LUCKNOW: Three years after becoming the first woman from UP to scale the Mount Everest, Toolika Rani from Meerut has achieved yet another uphill feat. The Indian Air Force (IAF) officer has become the only Indian woman to climb the highest volcano of Asia, the 5671-metre high Mt Damavand located in the Alborz mountain range of Iran.
She was among 53 mountaineers from 16 countries who took up the daunting task of climbing the potentially active volcano in an expedition organised by the Iran Mountaineering Federation in Association with UIAA (Union of International Alpine Association), the international mountaineering body.
Though an avid mountaineer, Rani, 31 says her latest achievement was no mean feat.
“The peak was challenging in terms of climb as it was a totally different experience from the seven Himalayan peaks that I had done before. The terrain was very rocky and the weather in the beginning of climb was very hot and dry,” she says.
“There was problem of dehydration as we climbed in very hot weather, sweating profusely. During night, it would become cold. So, one had to be very careful,” she adds.
Despite not being active, the volcano, in no way, was a safe zone. “Profuse sulfur eruptions were taking place at various places on the summit. We just stayed there for 15 minutes and rushed back since sulfur damages lungs,” she says.
“Descending, some climbers complained of headache and vomiting. The route became quite slippery due to melting of glaciers in the afternoon. The descent was steep and one had to be very careful. A few members slipped at a few places but managed to hold on,” she adds.
Rani began climbing the mountain on July 22.
The peak was challenging in terms of climb as it was a totally different experience from the seven Himalayan peaks that I had done before. The terrain was very rocky and the weather in the beginning of climb was very hot and dry
TOOLIKA RANI, mountaineer
“On July 23, we reached camp Polour (2000-m). It was very windy and cold. Next day, we reached camp 2 at 3000-m height. We climbed Tochal peak (3,965-m) for acclimatisation to get the body used to the high altitude,” she recalls. “On July 25, we climbed up to camp 3 at 4000-m. Beautiful Alborz mountain range was in the front, Thar Lake was to our left while Damavand at the back,” she adds.
Wind was blowing at a speed of 40 to 50-km per hour and in night, temperature dropped below freezing point. Life was tough, she says. “On July 25, I could not sleep in the night due to suffocation and lot of noise, as close to 40 climbers were sleeping in one hut. I had headache in the morning but still continued my journey after taking medicine. On July 27, I began the summit attempt,” she adds.
It was dark early in the morning and mountaineers had to use head torches apart from wearing four layers of clothing to guard against the wind and cold. Finally, they reached the summit of Mt Damavand at 10.45am, and it was worth all the effort with the peak standing tall under a cloud-studded sky. “I wish I could open my eyes to such sights every morning. And what pleasure it was to fly our Indian tri-colour at that height! No money could pur- chase the amount of satisfaction one gets in carrying the nation’s flag,” says the gritty woman with pride.
She descended the mountain on July 29 evening and flew back to India on July 31. Rani, who will be in Lucknow on August 5, says it was cultural interactions with other climbers that she enjoyed the most in her expedition. The highlight was meeting renowned Polish climber Krzysztof Wielicki, who has scaled several peaks.
Her next mission: Mt Satopanth (7075-m) in Garhwal Himalayas. “But my ultimate aim is to scale all 14 8000-m peaks in the world,” she declares.