Canadian Punjabi climber survives Everest ordeal, becomes first from community to scale peak
Two climbers from the expedition die during descent as Brampton-based mountaineer Ajaypal Singh Dhaliwal returns safely from ‘Death Zone’ after near-fatal struggle
Ajaypal Singh Dhaliwal, Brampton-based Canadian of Punjabi origin, who,has become the first Canadian Punjabi climber to summit Mount Everest, (Express: Sourced) Ajaypal Singh Dhaliwal, a Brampton-based Canadian of Punjabi origin, has become the first Canadian Punjabi climber to summit Mount Everest, surviving a near-fatal descent from the world’s highest peak during one of the deadliest and busiest summit windows of the season.
Dhaliwal reached the 8,848.86-metre summit on May 20 as part of a record-setting day in which 274 climbers scaled Everest from the Nepal side within 24 hours. The Expedition Operators’ Association of Nepal confirmed the single-day summit record, aided by a brief spell of favourable weather.
While the summit marked a personal milestone after years of preparation, the descent turned perilous in the ‘Death Zone’ above 8,000 metres, where oxygen levels are critically low and weather conditions unforgiving.
According to accounts shared by those close to the climber, Dhaliwal was left stranded during the descent with dangerously depleted oxygen supplies after reportedly getting separated from his Sherpa support team. Two climbers from the broader expedition group — Sandeep Are and Arun Kumar Tiwari — died while descending from the summit.
In freezing temperatures and high winds, Dhaliwal allegedly improvised parts of his descent by sliding down icy sections using his safety harness. During one such attempt, he reportedly fell and briefly lost consciousness. After regaining awareness, he signalled for help with his headlamp before being spotted by a rescue team that included Mingma Tenzi Sherpa, who shared oxygen supplies and helped guide him to safety.
Friends and members of the Punjabi diaspora in Canada have described his survival as remarkable, given the conditions on the mountain. In social media posts circulating widely among Indo-Canadian groups, acquaintances said the greater achievement was not merely reaching the summit but returning alive from a mountain that claims lives each season.
Dhaliwal’s feat has triggered celebrations across Punjabi communities in Ontario and British Columbia, particularly in Brampton, home to one of Canada’s largest Punjabi populations. Community leaders and social groups have hailed the climb as a significant achievement for the Punjabi diaspora and an example of immigrant ambition extending beyond business and politics into adventure sports.
His Everest expedition was part of a long preparation process that included formal mountaineering training, endurance conditioning, strength work, and acclimatisation climbs. Those familiar with his journey said he underwent years of structured preparation involving long-distance running, hiking with weighted packs, high-intensity interval training, ice and rope rescue techniques, and altitude adaptation exercises. His regimen also reportedly included yoga, meditation, recovery protocols, and nutrition planning aimed at improving endurance for high-altitude climbing.
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