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{{short description|Indian mountaineer}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2020}}
{{Infobox mountaineer
| name = Bachendri Pal
| image = Padma Bhushan Bachendri Pal (cropped).jpg
| birth_name =
| main_discipline = [[Mountaineer]] and<br/> Promoter for Adventure
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1954|5|24}}
| birth_place = Nakuri, [[Uttarkashi district]], [[Uttarakhand]], India
| death_date =
| death_place =
| nationality = Indian
| start_age =
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] [[Arjuna Award]]
| start_discipline = Instructor – National Adventure Foundation<ref name="iloveindia"/>
Chief of Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (since 1984)<ref name="tatasteel"/>
| notable_ascents = First Indian woman to reach the summit of [[Mount Everest]] in 1984<ref name="britannica"/>
| partnerships =
| spouse =
| children =
| Website ={{url|tsafindia.org}}
}}

'''Bachendri Pal''' (born 24 May 1954) is an [[Indian people|Indian]] [[mountaineer]], who in 1984<ref name="britannica"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/sports/the-day-bachendri-conquered-the-everest-and-a-lot-more/articleshow/75914249.cms|title= The day Bachendri conquered the Everest and a lot more|access-date=23 May 2020}}</ref> became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of [[Mount Everest]].<ref name="britannica">{{cite web|url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/1912159/Bachendri-Pal|title=Bachendri Pal (Indian mountaineer) – Encyclopædia Britannica|access-date=11 January 2014}}</ref> She was awarded the third highest civilian award [[Padma Bhushan]] by [[Government of India]] in 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/mountaineer-bachendri-pal-conferred-with-padma-bhushan-padma-shri-for-gautam-gambhir-sunil-chhetri/articleshow/67693871.cms|title=Mountaineer Bachendri Pal conferred with Padma Bhushan; Padma Shri for Gautam Gambhir, Sunil Chhetri - Times of India|website=The Times of India|access-date=26 January 2019}}</ref>

==Early life==
Bachendri Pal was born to a [[Bhotiyas of Uttarakhand|Bhotiya]] family on 24 May 1954 in Nakuri village, in the [[Uttarkashi district]] in the Indian state of [[Uttarakhand]]. She was one of five children to Hansa Devi, and Shri Kishan Singh Pal, – a border tradesman who supplied groceries from India to [[Tibet]]. She was born only five days prior to the first anniversary of the original ascension of [[Mount Everest]] by [[Tenzing Norgay]] and [[Edmund Hillary]]. She completed her M.A. and B.Ed. from [[D.A.V.Post Graduate College Dehradun|D.A.V. Post Graduate College, Dehradun]]. She started mountaineering at the age of 12 when, along with her friends, she scaled a {{convert|13123|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=5}} high peak during a school picnic. On the invitation of her school principal, she was sent to college for higher studies and, during her course at [[Nehru Institute of Mountaineering]], became the first female to climb Mt. Gangotri {{convert|23,419|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=5}} and Mt. Rudragaria {{convert|19091|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=5}} in 1982. In that time, she became an instructor at the National Adventure Foundation (NAF), which had set up an adventure school for training women to learn mountaineering.<ref name="iloveindia">{{cite web|url=http://www.iloveindia.com/indian-heroes/bachendri-pal.html|title=Bachendri Pal Biography – Bachendri Pal Profile, Childhood, Life, Timeline|access-date=11 January 2014}}</ref>

Pal encountered stiff opposition from her family and relatives when she chose a career as a professional mountaineer rather than a schoolteacher. However, she soon found success in her chosen field when, after summitting a number of smaller peaks, she was selected to join India's first mixed-gender team to attempt an expedition to Mount Everest in 1984.<ref name="britannica"/>

==Ascent==
In 1984, India scheduled its fourth expedition to Mount Everest, christened "Everest '84". Bachendri Pal was selected as one of the members of the group of seven women and eleven men to attempt the ascent of Mount Everest (''Sagarmatha'' in [[Nepali language|Nepalese]]). The team was flown to [[Kathmandu]], the capital of [[Nepal]], in March 1984, and from there the team moved onwards. Recalling her first glimpse of Mount Everest, Bachendri reminisced, "We, the hill people, have always worshipped the mountains... my overpowering emotion at this awe-inspiring spectacle was, therefore, devotional."<ref name="My Journey to the Top">''Everest – My Journey to the Top'', an autobiography published By National Book Trust, Delhi</ref> The team commenced its ascent in May 1984. Her team almost met disaster when an avalanche buried its camp, and more than half the group abandoned the attempt because of injury or fatigue. Bachendri Pal and the remainder of the team pressed on to reach the summit.<ref name="britannica"/> Bachendri Pal recalled, "I was sleeping in one of the tents with my teammates at Camp III at an altitude of {{convert|24,000|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=5}}. On the night of 15–16 May 1984, at around 00:30 hours [[Indian Standard Time|IST]], I was jolted awake; something had hit me hard; I also heard a deafening sound and soon after I found myself being enveloped within a very cold mass of material."<ref name="My Journey to the Top"/>

On 22 May 1984, Ang Dorje (the [[Sherpa people|Sherpa]] ''sirdar'') and some other climbers joined the team to ascend to the summit of Mount Everest; Bachendri was the only woman in this group. They reached the [[South Col]] and spent the night there at Camp IV at the altitude of {{convert|26000|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=5}}. At 6:20 a.m. on 23 May 1984, they continued the ascent, climbing "vertical sheets of frozen ice"; cold winds were blowing at the speed of about {{convert|100|kph|mph}} and temperatures touching {{convert|-30|to|-40|C|F}}. On 23 May 1984, the team reached the summit of Mount Everest at 1:07 p.m. and Bachendri Pal created history.<ref name="tsafindia">{{cite web|url=http://www.tsafindia.org/mystory.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040722091626/http://www.tsafindia.org/mystory.html |archive-date=22 July 2004 |url-status=dead |title=mystory |access-date=9 February 2014 }}</ref> She achieved this feat on the day before her 30th birthday, and six days before the 31st anniversary of the first ascension of Mount Everest.

==After==
Bachendri Pal continued to be active after ascending the highest peak in the world. She successfully led:
*An "Indo-Nepalese Women’s Mount Everest Expedition – 1993" team comprising only women, which set benchmarks for Indian mountaineering when 18 people reached the summit including 7 women.<ref name="everesthistory">{{cite web|url=http://www.everesthistory.com/climbers/pal.htm |title=EverestHistory.com: Bachendri Pal |access-date=11 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131206202929/http://www.everesthistory.com/climbers/pal.htm |archive-date=6 December 2013 }}</ref>
*All women team of rafters in "The Great Indian Women's Rafting Voyage – 1994", which had 18 women in 3 rafts. It was a pioneering effort by women in successfully completing the journey in the river [[Ganges]] from [[Haridwar]] to [[Calcutta]], covering {{convert|2155|km|abbr=on}} in 39 days.<ref name="britannica"/>
*The "First Indian Women Trans-Himalayan Expedition – 1997", which was an effort by 8 women, who completed the trekking journey from the eastern part of the Himalayas from [[Arunachal Pradesh]] to the western part of the Himalayas at [[Siachen Glacier]] reaching [[Indira Col]] – the northernmost tip of India at the altitude of {{convert|20100|ft|m|abbr=on|sigfig=5}}, covering more than {{convert|4500|km|abbr=on}} in '225' days by crossing more than 40 high [[Mountain passes]]. This is the first success by any country.<ref name="britannica"/><ref name="everesthistory"/><ref name="rediff">{{cite web|url=http://www.rediff.in/news/feb/03hima.htm |title=Madhumita Chakraborty |publisher=Rediff |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003045710/http://www.rediff.in/news/feb/03hima.htm |archive-date=3 October 2013 }}</ref>

==Social service==
Bachendri Pal, along with [[Premlata Agarwal]] and a group of ace climbers including Mt. Everest summiteers, arrived in Uttarkashi and carried out relief and rescue operations in the remotest high altitude villages of the [[Himalayas]] that had been ravaged in the [[2013 North India floods]].<ref name="ndtv">{{cite web|url=http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/othersports/210099-everest-conquerors-to-the-rescue|title=Everest conquerors to the rescue! – Other Sports - More – NDTVSports.com|access-date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019155242/http://sports.ndtv.com/othersports/othersports/210099-everest-conquerors-to-the-rescue|archive-date=19 October 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

==Awards and accolades==
[[File:Padma Bhushan Bachendri Pal.jpg|thumb|President Ram Nath Kovind presenting the Padma Bhushan Award to Bachendri Pal, at an Investiture Ceremony, at Rashtrapati Bhavan, in New Delhi on 16 March 2019]]Bachendri Pal has been conferred with following awards and accolades:<ref name="everesthistory"/><ref name="indiansportsnews">{{cite web|url=http://www.indiansportsnews.com/legends-of-indian-sports/1829-bachendri-pal-.htmlsex|title=Bachendri Pal – Indian Sports News|author=Indian Sports News|access-date=11 January 2014}}</ref>

*Gold Medal for Excellence in Mountaineering by the [[Indian Mountaineering Foundation]] (1984)
*[[Padma Shri]] – the fourth highest civilian award of the [[Republic of India]] (1984)
*Gold Medal by the Department of Education, [[Government of Uttar Pradesh]], India (1985)
*[[Arjuna Award]] by the [[Government of India]] (1986)
*Calcutta Ladies Study Group Award (1986)
*Listed in the [[Guinness Book of World Records]] (1990)
*[[Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award|National Adventure Award]] by the [[Government of India]] (1994)<ref name="t1994">{{cite press release|title=National Adventure Awards Announced|url=http://pibarchive.nic.in/archive/ArchiveSecondPhase/EDUCATION/1995-JAN-DEC-MO-YOUTH-AFFAIRS-&-SPORTS-NO-9/PDF/YTH-1995-07-20_034.pdf|publisher=Press Information Bureau, India|access-date=18 September 2020|date=20 July 1995}}</ref>
*Yash Bharti Award by the [[Government of Uttar Pradesh]], India (1995)
*Honorary Doctorate from the [[Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna Garhwal University]] (formerly known as Garhwal University) (1997)
*She is the first recipient of the Virangana [[Lakshmibai]] Rashtriya Samman 2013–14, which was given by the Ministry of Culture, [[Government of Madhya Pradesh]], India at [[Gwalior]] on 18 June 2013 for her personal achievement in [[adventure sports]] and women's upliftment in the country.
*[[Padma Bhushan]] – the third highest civilian award of the [[Republic of India]] (2019)<ref name="tatasteel">{{cite web|url=http://www.tatasteel.com/UserNewsRoom/usershowcontent.asp?id=963&type=PressRelease&REFERER=http://www.tatasteel.com/media/press-release.asp|title=Tata Steel Newsroom – Press Releases|access-date=11 January 2014|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130927130448/http://www.tatasteel.com/UserNewsRoom/usershowcontent.asp?id=963&type=PressRelease&REFERER=http://www.tatasteel.com/media/press-release.asp|archive-date=27 September 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="oneindia">{{cite web|url=http://news.oneindia.in/2013/06/22/bachendri-pal-gets-mp-rashtriya-samman-1243022.html|title=Bachendri Pal gets MP 'Rashtriya Samman' – News Oneindia|access-date=11 January 2014}}</ref><ref name="outlookindia">{{cite web|url=http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=801445 |title=Bachendri Pal gets 'Rashtriya Samman' from MP Governor |access-date=11 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111213610/http://news.outlookindia.com/items.aspx?artid=801445 |archive-date=11 January 2014 }}</ref>

==Books and publications==
*''Everest – My Journey to the Top'', an autobiography published By National Book Trust, Delhi, {{ISBN|9788123715278}}<ref name="ebay">{{cite web|url=http://read.ebay.in/ci/Everest:-My-Journey-To-The-Top-/116793 |title=Everest: My Journey To The Top (9788123715278) by Bachendri Pal – ebay India |access-date=11 January 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140111204944/http://read.ebay.in/ci/Everest%3A-My-Journey-To-The-Top-/116793 |archive-date=11 January 2014 }}</ref>

==Further reading==
*{{cite book| author = Indra Gupta| title = India's 50 Most Illustrious Women| year = 2004| isbn = 978-81-88086-19-1}}

==See also==
*[[List of Mount Everest records of India]]
*[[List of Mount Everest records]]
*[[List of Mount Everest summiters by number of times to the summit]]
*[[H. P. S. Ahluwalia]]
*[[List of Indian women athletes]]
*[[List of 20th-century summiters of Mount Everest]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.womenplanet.in/biography/bachendri-pal Bachendri Pal] Biography
*[http://www.indianautographs.com/productdetail-208135-a.html Indian Autograph's profile]

{{Padma Shri Award Recipients in Sports}}
{{Indian mountaineers}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2010–2019}}
{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pal, Bachendri}}
[[Category:1954 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Indian female mountain climbers]]
[[Category:Indian mountain climbers]]
[[Category:People from Uttarkashi district]]
[[Category:Indian summiters of Mount Everest]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in sports]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian women]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian people]]
[[Category:Sportswomen from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Mountain climbers from Uttarakhand]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in sports]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Arjuna Award]]

Bachendri Pal - Revision history

WikiDwarf at 14:09, 11 December 2021