Premlata Agrawal

Premlata Agrawal (born 1963) is the first Indian woman to scale the Seven Summits, the seven highest continental peaks of the world.[1][2] She was awarded the Padma Shri by the Government of India in 2013 and Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2017 for her achievements in the field of mountaineering.[3] On 17 May 2011, she became the oldest Indian woman to have scaled the world's tallest peak, Mount Everest (29,032 ft.); at the age of 48 years at that time while Sangeeta Sindhi Bahl hailing from Jammu and Kashmir broke Premlata's record on 19 May 2018 and became the oldest Indian woman to scale Mount Everest doing it at the age of 53.[4][5][6]

Premlata Agrawal
The President, Shri Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, 2017 to Smt. Premlata Agrawal
Born
Premlata Garg

1963 (age 59–60)
Darjeeling, West Bengal
NationalityIndian
OccupationMountain climber
Known forSummiting Mount Everest (2011)The first Indian woman - mountaineer to complete the seven summits and the oldest Indian women mountaineer to summit Mount Everest at an age of 48 years
SpouseVimal Agarwal

Prior to this, she took part in an Island Peak Expedition in Nepal (20,600 ft) in 2004; the Karakoram Pass (18,300 ft) and Mt. Saltoro Kangri (20,150 ft) in 2006. She participated in the First Indian Women's Thar Desert Expedition in 2007 and again in 2015; a 40 day camel safari from Bhuj in Gujarat to the Wagah Border (Indo-Pak border) in Punjab. Her feats have earned her a listing in the Limca Book of Records.[5][7][8]

Career

She started mountaineering at the age of 36, after taking part in a hill climbing competition in Jamshedpur. Soon she discovered her passion for climbing. Subsequently she was trained and mentored by Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mount Everest in 1984.[9][10]

Mount Everest climb 2011

She was part of a 22-member eco-Everest expedition team, the Indian contingent also included Sunita Singh, Narendar Singh, Pawan Grewal, Sushma and Vikas Kaushik, besides climbers Rodrigo Raineri of Brazil and David Liano of Mexico. She spent over a month climbing around Everest Base Camps to acclimatise, and also did a climbing exercise at 20,300-feet-high Island Peak in the Himalayas.[8] She started the main climb on 6 May when climbed from the Everest base camp at 18,000 feet to Camp 2 at 22,000 feet. However, then on she used supplemental oxygen, and reached Camp 3 at 23,000 feet and Camp 4 at 26,000 feet. The multinational trekking team led by Dawa Steven Sherpa took an overnight trek to climb the summit. They started at 11pm from South Col (Camp 4 at 26,000 ft) route from Nepal side and touched the summit at 9.35am on 20 May 2011, which is height of the 29,032 ft.[5] An hour before reaching the summit she lost one of her gloves, and was deciding to turn back as it was not possible to climb such height without a glove, just then she saw a pair of gloves lying on the snow, left by someone.[10]

Seven Summits climbing details [11]
No. Image peak Elevation Continent Date of Summit
1 Mount Everest 8,848 m (29,029 ft) Asia 20 May 2011
2 Aconcagua 6,961 m (22,838 ft) South America 10 February 2012
3 Denali 6,194 m (20,322 ft) North America 23 May 2013
4 Kilimanjaro 5,895 m (19,341 ft) Africa 6 June 2008
5 Mount Elbrus 5,642 m (18,510 ft) Europe 12 August 2012
6 Mount Vinson 4,892 m (16,050 ft) Antarctica 5 January 2013
7 Puncak Jaya 4,884 m (16,024 ft) Australia 22 October 2013

Personal life

She is a native of Darjeeling, West Bengal, her father Ramawtar Garg is a businessman. Presently she is working with Tata Steel as an officer and lives in Jugsalai town, of Jamshedpur in East Singhbhum district in the state.[6] She is married to Vimal Agarwal, a senior journalist. The couple have two daughters, one of whom is married.[6]

Press coverage

Premlata Agarwal was named top Indian women achievers in 2012 by indiatimes.com.[12]

She was recently featured in a video saluting iron strong women of India by Tata Salt.[13]

See also

References
  1. "Mountaineer Premlata scales seven summits". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 29 June 2013. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  2. "Premlata, the first Indian woman to conquer seven Summits of the world". The Hindu. 31 May 2013. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  3. "Padma Awards". pib. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.
  4. "Gurgaon mountaineer Sangeeta becomes oldest Indian woman to climb Mt Everest". The Indian Express. 23 May 2018. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
  5. Thaker, Jayesh (21 May 2011). "On the top of the world - Steel city mom oldest Indian woman to scale Everest". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph (Kolkata). Archived from the original on 3 February 2013.
  6. "Premlata Agarwal becomes oldest Indian woman to scale Mt Everest". DNA. 20 May 2011.
  7. "45-year-old housewife to climb Mount Everest". Indian Express. 7 March 2011.
  8. "Mother of two becomes oldest Indian woman to climb Mount Everest". NDTV. 20 May 2011.
  9. Shekhar, Shashank; Thaker, Jayesh (3 June 2011). "'Sherpas were sending me back'". Calcutta, India: The Telegraph. Archived from the original on 3 February 2013.
  10. "Premlata oldest Indian woman to scale Everest". IBN Live. 1 June 2011. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011.
  11. "Premlata Agarwal- seven-summits climbing details -". www.indianexpress.com.
  12. "I-Day Special: India's Top 10 Women Achievers". 15 August 2012. Retrieved 25 June 2016.
  13. Tata Salt (1 June 2016), Iron Strong Women of India - Scaling New Heights, retrieved 25 June 2016
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