From having bypass surgery to Everest Base Camp: Army veteran recounts fortnight long trek

With the couple’s plan to complete the Everest Base Camp trek through the Gokyo Ri peak and lakes route, it meant that they had to prepare for the trek including crossing the 5,420-metre- high Cho La Pass in Nepal.

After completing a basic mountaineering course from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling in 1986, Col Bhardwaj joined the Indian Army in 1989 in the Army Remount and Veterinary Corps. It was on November 29, 2017 that the officer underwent a quadruple bypass surgery under Dr (Brig) Ajoy Menon at the Army Hospital Research and Referral at Delhi. Post his recovery, he would walk close to 8-9 km daily to remain fit and donning his duties at the Army Remount and Veterinary Corps centre in Meerut before he retired in 2022.

With the couple’s plan to complete the Everest Base Camp trek through the Gokyo Ri peak and lakes route, it meant that they had to prepare for the trek including crossing the 5,420-metre- high Cho La Pass in Nepal. “While my wife had been going to a gym regularly, I had been advised not to run. So I spent time on walking as well climbing five floors of stairs thrice twice a day in an effort to prepare for the trek. Once the cardiologist gave me an okay to go for the trek, we would also spend time meditating in an effort to prepare the mind as well,” the retired colonel adds.

Sunita Bhardwaj, a homemaker and a fashion designer, focused on a lot of gym work as part of her preparations for the upcoming mountaineering. “I spent close to an hour in the gym apart from doing other physical fitness work in an effort to prepare for the trek. I too was worried about my husband’s health but once the doctor gave a thumbs up, we were confident of completing the trek,” Sunita says.

Col Suresh Kumar Bhardwaj five days after his quadruple bypass surgery

The couple landed in Kathmandu, Nepal, on May 18 and started their trek from Lukla on May 19. The two-week long trek saw Sunita crossing heights of more than 5,000 m thrice as the trekking route involved crossing the Cho La Pass apart from crossing the 5,357-metre-high Gokyo Ri peak and 5,545-metre-high Kala Patthar. Even though Col Bhardwaj only crossed the Cho La Pass with Mrs Bhardwaj reaching the summit of the two other peaks, it was a tough journey for the couple.

It was on May 26 that the couple crossed the Cho La Pass and then reached 5,364-m-high Mt Everest Base Camp on May 28 before returning to Lukla on May 31. “While I did not go to the Gokyo Ri peak and Kala Patthar peak, crossing the Cho La Pass was the main challenge. The ascent involved close to 70-80 degree steep climb and post the pass, one has to walk on the glacier for 2-3 km. We had crossed the Ngozumpa Glacier earlier and it helped us in crossing the glacier post the Cho La Pass. Earlier two of the trekkers were airlifted before the Gokyo lakes but our focus was to complete the trek at our pace,” says the retired Colonel.

The couple has set their next trekking goals too. “Maybe we will do the Ama Dablam trek or the three passes trek in Nepal in coming years,” Sunita says.