Santosh Yadav:
Santosh Yadav is first woman in the world to have climbed Mount Everest twice and the first woman to successfully climb Mt Everest from Kangshung Face.
She was born in 1969 in Rewari District of Haryana state in India. She is an alumni of Maharani College, Jaipur. Living in Kasturba Hostel she joined Uttarkashi's Nehru Institute of Mountaineering. While studying she prepared herself to climb two greatest peak in life namely, mountaineering and Indian Civil Services and was successful in both. She prepared for her IAS exams in a hostel provided by Indian Mountaineering Federation at Connaught Place, New Delhi.
She first climbed the peak in May 1992 and then did it again in May 1993 and she is also an officer in Indo-Tibetan Border Police. She was honored with Padma Shri award in 2000.
Bachendri Pal (Mountaineering):
Bachendri Pal The first Indian woman to scale the mighty Mount Everest, Bachendri Pal made history when she ascended the peak on 23rd May 1984. She has also served as mountaineering instructor for women.
Bachendri Pal was born into a family of very moderate means, in 1954, in a village named Nakuri in Garhwal. Her father Kishan Singh Pal and her mother Hansa Devi. Bachendri was an active child.
Her first exposure to mountaineering was at the age of 12, when during a picnic she along with several schoolmates climbed a 13,123 feet high peak. The experience remained ingrained in her memory, heightening her love for adventure and the mountains. Her educationcal qualification M.A, B.Ed. She completed her graduation, becoming the first girl of her village to do so. While doing her graduation, she also secured the first position in a rifle shooting event.
In an advanced camp at NIM in 1982, she climbed Gangotri I (6,672 m/ 21900 ft) and Rudugaira (5,819 m / 19091 ft). India had scheduled its fourth expedition, christened “Everest ‘84’”, to the Mount Everest in May, 1984. On 22nd May 1984, some other climbers joined the team to ascent the summit of the Mount Everest. Bachendri was the only woman in this group. She became the first Indian woman to scale the Mount Everest, and the fifth woman in the world. In India, the President, the Prime Minister, and J. R. D. Tata congratulated her in person.
Presently, she is working at a senior position in Tata Steel Adventure Foundation of the Tata Group.
