On October 8, 29-year-old Salmoda, Uttarakhand mountaineer Sheetal Raj, became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Mt. Cho Oyu, which stands at 8,188 meters.
Her journey to success wasn’t a simple one. She underwent knee surgery after tearing a ligament while skiing two years ago, raising concerns about the future of her mountaineering career. In spite of the setback, Raj found motivation in the movie 12th Fail, which rekindled her enthusiasm and helped her overcome challenges with the help of the Hans Foundation and the Ethical Himalaya Expedition.
Raj started her mountaineering journey early. She fulfilled her childhood dream in 2019 by climbing Everest and became the youngest woman to reach Kanchenjunga at the age of 22. Her family has been a source of support and pride, especially her father, who works as a taxi driver. Yogesh Garbyal, Raj’s trainer, commended her tenacity, pointing out that she never stops working towards achieving her goals.
When Ram Nath Kovind, the president at the time, presented Raj with the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award in 2021, her reputation as an Indian climbing pioneer became even more solidified.
