Baljeet Kaur is an Indian mountaineer, who is known for making several records in the field of mountaineering. In April 2023, Baljeet came into limelight after she went missing while descending Mount Annapurna in Nepal.
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Wiki/Biography
Baljeet Kaur was born on Wednesday, 29 November 1995 (age 27 years; as in 2022) in Palashta Panjrol village, Solan, Himachal Pradesh. Their zodiac sign is Sagittarius. After completing his schooling at the Government Senior Secondary School in Mamligh, Himachal Pradesh, Baljeet joined the Post-Graduate Degree College in Solan, where he completed his graduation. Baljeet Kaur joined the National Cadet Corps (NCC) as a cadet while she was pursuing her higher education at the Post-Graduate Degree College in Solan; She became a Senior Under Officer (SUO), the highest rank a cadet can attain.
A picture of Baljeet Kaur when she was in NCC
Later, at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling, he took mountaineering training module. In 2017, he was selected to participate in the Republic Day Camp (RDC) organized by NCC.
Baljeet Kaur (kneeling second from the right) during the Republic Day camp.
He attended the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali, where he received an A+ grade in the Advanced Mountaineering course in 2017.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 6″
Weight (Approx): 60 kg
Hair Color: Black with light brown highlights
Eye colour: Light brown
Body Measurements (Approx): 32-28-32
Family
Baljeet Kaur was born in a Sikh family in Solan, Himachal Pradesh.
parents and siblings
His father, Amrik Singh, is a bus driver working for Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). His mother Shanti Devi is a housewife. Baljeet Kaur has three brothers and sisters.
A picture of Baljeet standing with his parents
husband and children
Baljeet Kaur is unmarried.
Religion
Baljeet Kaur follows Sikh religion.
Baljeet Kaur’s Instagram post
livelihood
Early mountaineering career with NCC
In an interview, Baljeet said that he had no intention of pursuing a career in mountaineering; However, his interest in mountaineering was sparked after reading about Malavath Purna, who climbed Mount Everest, the world’s highest peak, in 2014. Talking about it he said,
I never thought of mountaineering as a career option. In 2014, while I was waiting for my exam results, I came across a newspaper article about a girl from Rajasthan who had climbed Mount Everest. That article inspired me a lot. And that was the beginning of my dream of becoming a mountaineer.
In 2015, Baljeet applied to be a part of India’s first NCC Girls Everest expedition and went through a rigorous selection process. Subsequently, Baljeet attended several mountaineering camps organized by NCC, where he learned to climb mountains. As part of the first phase of his selection-cum-training process, Baljeet attended a mountaineering course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI) in Darjeeling, where he received an A+ grade. In the second phase, he attended a month-long mountaineering course at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg, Kashmir. After completing the selection process, Baljeet was inducted into the NCC mountaineering team along with ten other NCC cadets.
Baljeet Kaur holding the banner of NCC Girls Mount Everest Expedition with other NCC cadets
In 2015, he climbed Mount Trishul in Uttarakhand with his team; However, due to bad weather the team could only climb up to 6,350 metres. In 2016, Baljeet went to Nepal with her NCC team to climb Mount Everest; However, she was unable to reach the summit as her oxygen mask malfunctioned, forcing her to turn back. While giving an interview he talked about this and said,
In my last attempt to reach the summit of Mount Everest, approximately 8,548 meters high, my oxygen mask developed a problem and the oxygen supply gradually stopped. I and my Sherpa tried our best to solve the problem but could not succeed. I was only 300 meters away from the summit of Everest but I had to decide to abandon my attempt and turned around at 8,548 metres. I have returned with a promise that one day I will return to stand on its summit again.”
Later mountaineering career
After failing to reach the summit of Mount Everest, Baljeet Kaur returned to India, where she enrolled at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS) in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, to pursue an advanced mountaineering course in 2017. The following year, she succeeded in climbing Friendship Peak, located in the Kullu region of Himachal Pradesh.
A picture of Baljeet Kaur taken at Friendship Peak
In 2018, he took a skiing course at ABVIMAS. In 2019, with his sights set on Mount Everest, Baljeet applied for and was shortlisted for the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) Everest Massif expedition, which was scheduled to take place in 2020; However, due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, the campaign was postponed to 2021. On 12 May 2021, Baljeet, along with Gunabala Sharma, climbed Mount Pumori, which is 7,161 meters above sea level, and hoisted the tricolor at the top. She and Gunabala became the first Indian women to climb Mount Pumori.
Baljeet Kaur on Mount Pumori
In August 2021, she climbed Mount Kun, located at an altitude of 7,077 meters in Suru Valley, Kargil, Ladakh. Baljeet became the first Indian woman to climb Mount Dhaulagiri in October 2021.
Baljeet Kaur’s photo on Mount Dhaulagiri
On 28 April 2022, he climbed Mount Annapurna in Nepal. On 12 May 2022, Baljeet Kaur climbed Mount Kanchenjunga. On 21 May 2022, he hoisted the Indian flag on Mount Everest. On 22 May 2022, he climbed Mount Lhotse, the world’s fourth highest mountain at 8,516 metres.
Baljeet Kaur on the top of Mount Lhotse
On 28 May 2022, he climbed the 8,481-metre-high Mount Makalu, the fifth highest mountain in the world.
A photo of Baljeet Kaur taken on the top of Mount Makalu
Baljeet Kaur made the record of being the first Indian to climb five eight thousand peaks in thirty days i.e. from 28 April 2022 to 28 May 2022. In November 2022, he created a record by climbing Mount Manaslu without an oxygen cylinder. Talking about his experience in an interview, Baljeet said,
This climbing season was not easy as there were a lot of bad weather conditions with lots of rain at the base camp and heavy snowfall at the higher camps. Avalanches added to the hardship and misery leading to the loss of lives of some innocent Sherpas and some very famous mountaineers. I was also caught in an avalanche between Camp 3 and Camp 4. After several summit attempts, I and my Sherpa Mingma Dai successfully reached the coveted true summit on 30 September. I would like to dedicate this summit to all the young and budding women mountaineers of India and be an inspiration and motivation for them to take up mountaineering as a sport, both as a passion and profession.
Baljeet Kaur holding the tricolor on Mount Manaslu
In April 2023, Baljeet Kaur attempted to set a record by climbing Mount Annapurna in Nepal without supplemental oxygen. She managed to climb the summit without oxygen; However, while returning to base camp, she went missing on 18 April 2023 and was presumed dead. According to sources, Baljeet went missing above Camp IV, located 7,300 meters above sea level.
Annapurna Mountain 1
Comfort Zone Camp-2
(high altitude) pic.twitter.com/g3TuJqKs2i
– Baljeet Kaur (@baljeet11684140) 9 April 2023
In the early hours of 19 April 2023, he sent an emergency SOS message to the base camp, following which three helicopters were dispatched by the authorities to conduct search and rescue operations. The officials triangulated Baljeet’s location with the help of GPS. Upon being rescued, Baljeet was taken to a hospital in Kathmandu, where he was medically examined.
Baljeet Kaur’s Instagram story
Awards and Honors
- In 2017, Baljeet Kaur received the Raksha Mantri Medal from the Government of India for her participation in the Mount Everest expedition in 2016.
Baljeet Kaur’s certificate which she received after winning the Defense Minister Medal
Baljeet Kaur holding the awards received in NCC.
- In July 2022, for her achievements in mountaineering, Baljeet Kaur was given the NCC Achiever Award by Lieutenant General Gurbirpal Singh, Director General of NCC.
A picture of Baljeet Kaur when she was receiving the NCC Achievers Award
Note: He has won many awards during his service in NCC.
mountaineering feats
- First Indian woman mountaineer to climb Pumori peak on 12 May 2021.
- First Indian woman mountaineer to climb Mount Dhaulagiri on 1 October 2021.
- First Indian to climb Mount Annapurna (28 April 2022) and Mount Kanchenjunga (12 May 2022) in 14 days.
- Record for climbing the planet’s highest mountain Mount Everest (8848.86 m), the planet’s fourth highest mountain Mount Lhotse (8,517 m), and Mount Makalu (8,485 m) in 7 days.
- First Indian to climb Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse in just 25 hours.
- The first Indian woman to touch the figure of six to eight thousand in the shortest time.
- First Indian mountaineer to climb Mount Everest, Mount Annapurna, Mount Lhotse, Mount Makalu and Mount Kangchenjunga in less than 30 days.
- First Indian woman to climb Mount Manaslu without oxygen in November 2022.
Facts/General Knowledge
- Baljeet Kaur is fondly called Bharti by her friends and family.
- Baljeet once revealed that when she was studying in college, she used to work as a domestic help in people’s homes to help her family financially. While giving an interview he said,
After college, I used to do cleaning and cooking work in people’s homes. I knew how to cook a full meal when I was eight years old.”
- Baljeet Kaur has been a part of several acting troupes, with whom she participated in many stage shows and street plays.
- Baljeet Kaur has been invited to many talk shows including TEDx to give motivational speeches.
- In an Instagram post, Baljeet Kaur claimed that she initially learned about mountaineering from the internet and not from a professional coach as she could not afford a coach due to lack of money.
- Baljeet Kaur set a world record by completing the world’s longest 9,490 km relay marathon in 960 hours.
- An article on Baljeet Kaur was published in Grihalakshmi in July 2022.
Grihalakshmi’s article on Baljeet Kaur
- His success mantra is “Always try your luck.”
- Baljeet Kaur has worked as a volunteer with the National Service Scheme (NSS) and Bharat Scouts and Guides.
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn