FOR ME, MOUNTAINEERING is not just a sport but a way of life. It is a journey of perseverance, humility and self-discovery. Over the last 20 years, I have had the privilege of scaling over 70 peaks, including Mount Everest, which I climbed thrice. I have also scaled the highest peaks of all seven continents.
One of the most vivid and terrifying moments in my mountaineering journey occurred during my first expedition to Mount Everest in 2012. At the South Col, the final camp at 8,000m, we found ourselves trapped in a relentless snow blizzard. The wind roared at extremely high speeds, making it impossible to attempt the summit that night. After much deliberation, we decided to wait it out.
The next morning we received the devastating news that two or three groups had pushed for the summit during the night. Tragically, at least six climbers lost their lives, and many others suffered severe frostbite. That experience taught me one of the most crucial lessons in mountaineering, and in life: the value of patience. The mountains demand respect, and sometimes the wisest decision is to wait, even when the summit feels within reach.
Another unforgettable experience was during my third expedition to Mount Everest in 2015. We were navigating through the Khumbu Glacier when a deadly earthquake struck Nepal. The ground beneath us trembled violently, and avalanches roared down the surrounding peaks. It was sheer luck—and perhaps the grace of the mountains—that we survived.
この記事は THE WEEK India の January 26, 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は THE WEEK India の January 26, 2025 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
The day of the knuckle-duster
Several narratives have emerged from the Donald Trump-Volodymyr Zelensky-J.D. Vance dust-up in the Oval office, the most distur# being the opinion that “Zelensky invited it”.
The AGI dilemma
Spooky and powerful, AGI (Artificial General Intelligence), the planet’s newest technology, has divine benefits, as also diabolical applications that can trigger our destruction.
I want to transform MP into a powerhouse of development
GIS 2025 surpassed expectations in investment commitments, participation, and policy impact.
It is not NEP 2020, it is RSS 2020
TAMIL NADU’S RESISTANCE to the three-language policy under the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 has reignited the debate over linguistic identity.
Munde blues
Just months into its tenure, the Fadnavis government suffers multiple blows
Plastic buckets and parliament seats
The plastics industry boomed in the 1970s when our rulers told our people to make fewer babies. The dairy industry, already on a high milkmark, should boom if Telugu Desam MP Kalisetti Appalanaidu gets people to make more babies. What’s the connection? Hold on. First listen to India’s population story that’s already a statistical farce, and may soon be a political tragedy.
MDGA-Make Diplomacy Great Again
Must say that all the reports of 'Agent Krasnov' make fascinating reading—like one of those old school, thick-as-a-brick bestsellers that Irving Wallace and Robert Ludlum used to write.
In search of Pampa
Salman Rushdie breathes life to the forgotten goddess Pampa Devi in his novel Victory City (2023).
Centre of attraction
If the enthusiasm at the Global Investors Summit is anything to go by, Madhya Pradesh is poised to write a new chapter of development
RO AND BEHOLD!
As the Champions Trophy win showed, the Rohit Sharma-led veteran brigade might not be over the hill. However, they will have to be on their toes as age and younger talent catch up
