Friday 10 / May / 2024
Muscat: While most people always look to scale new heights, one woman took that literally, when she climbed Mount Everest all the way up to the peak’s southern base camp, which is located 5,364 feet above sea level.
Nilima Gandhi and her husband Avishkar had never climbed to such heights before, but embraced the challenge before them, despite having only taken up mountaineering about three years ago.
“I used to work for a company in India, where our new managing director told me about the experiences he’d had when he’d trekked to the Everest base camp, and I was so inspired by that,” said Gandhi, a lecturer at the Middle East College, while speaking to the Times of Oman.
“I wanted to experience that for myself, but the unfortunate earthquake that struck Nepal meant I could not go at the time because the main climbing trail had been devastated, and then I moved to Oman so there were quite a few changes for me.
“After settling down, we decided to visit Nepal and do this,” she added. “We left Muscat on February 16 and we returned on March 5. It took us about seven days to climb up to the base camp, and another four days to come down.”
One of two camps set up for mountaineers who wish to scale the world’s highest peak, the southern base camp is visited by thousands of trekkers each year. The couple had hired a guide and a porter to help them navigate their climb before they’d left for Kathmandu.
“There were days when we trekked for about eight to 10 hours at a stretch,” said Gandhi. “We also witnessed an avalanche that took place about two kilometres from us. The weather was really bad too. We’re talking about temperatures of minus 20 degrees.”
Big challenge
“The acclimatisation was a big challenge because both of us had only trekked up to 3,500 metres,” she added.
“Unfortunately my husband faced an issue with his breathing, so he had to stay back at a height that was safe for him, and I had to go on by myself. I went all the way up to 5,500 metres, and scaled another peak called Kala Paththar, which is 5,550 metres above sea level.”
Forewarned is forearmed, it is often said, and the couple had been sent a list of gear they’d require to stay safe while making the dangerous climb.
“We were carrying thermals, gloves, headgear to keep out the cold, as well as much needed night lights, because sometimes we began our trek as early as 3am, like when we went to Kala Paththar,” said Gandhi. “Our agent had provided all of the safety gear, such as ropes, first-aid kits, a stretcher and knee and shin guards. Fortunately, the Sherpas in Nepal are extremely agile and our porter was able to carry about 30 kilograms just by himself.”
“Every day was a new challenge, because the weather was continuously changing and the oxygen levels were fluctuating,” she revealed.
“We did not know what sort of trail we’d be going on, and we couldn’t predict the atmosphere we’d experience. We saw a lot of people struggling, but we also saw people aged nearly 60 years old attempting the climb and that was really inspiring. We saw a guy from Canada who was 20 years old and he was helping his 50-year-old father, and the sort of bonding you have through that makes for a great experience.”
And what portents does the future hold for the couple?
“We are contemplating Mount Kilimanjaro for our next climb,” Gandhi said, adding, “We’re also thinking about climbing to the top of Mount Everest in the future.”
