On this day, May 23, 1984, Bachendri Pal successfully climbed Mount Everest and became the first Indian woman and fifth in the world to achieve this feat. Bachendri Pal was born on May 24, 1954 in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand. She developed an interest in mountaineering at the age of 12, when she scaled a 13,123 feet high peak during a school picnic.
In 1984, when India scheduled its fourth expedition to Mount Everest, Bachendri Pal was selected as a member of a team which comprised of six women and eleven men. The team first flew to Nepal’s capital Kathmandu in March 1984. The team commenced for the expedition in May 1984. After an avalanche buried the team’s camp on May 16, 1984, more than half of the team members abandoned the expedition due to injury or fatigue.
Later on May 22, 1984, some other climbers joined the team to climb the summit of Mount Everest. Bachendri was the only woman in the group. On May 23, 1984, the team reached the summit of Mount Everest at 1:07 p.m. and Bachendri Pal created history by becoming the first Indian woman to achieve this feat. She achieved this feat just a day before her 30th birthday.
