Everest conqueror returns home,taller

Patil,the first Maharashtrian woman to conquer the Everest,said,“When I went to Nepal to climb the Everest,I was confident that I will return successful. Today,I am overwhelmed. Every moment was exciting as well as difficult. What kept me going was the support I had received from my parents.”

A nature lover,Patil,along with members of her “Eco Everest Expedition,” team brought down garbage from the peak including oxygen cylinders discarded by climbers decades ago. “This is just the beginning. I have been obsessed with environment and am using this as an opportunity to save nature. I will now be working for the glaciers in the Indian Himalayas with World Wildlife Forum (WWF) with which the discussions are on,” she said.

After the conquest,Patil had plans of travelling to Kolkata from Kathmandu on a bicycle,but she preferred to fly to Mumbai instead.

“My mother had been telling me that entire Maharashtra is waiting for me and that my posters are everywhere. I couldn’t wait,” said Krushna,who,after reaching Mumbai,met Shiv Sena supremo Bal Thackeray,Uddhav Thackeray and the other members of the family. “The Thackerays treated me like their own daughter. I could not interact much with Bal Thackeray owing to his ill health.”

Sharing some interesting experiences at the summit,Krushna said,“I reached the summit at 6.30 in the morning and got to experience the sunrise from the top of the world. It was a magical moment when the sun came up,there was light on one side,and on the other there was the big and dark shadow of the peak. It’s something I have never seen before. I can never forget the moment.”

She cannot but notice the changed attitude of the world she had left while proceeding for the expedition. “When I left,I was angry because there was no encouragement or support except from my parents. I had the promises from the government. They said they’ll give me Rs 1 lakh which never came through. Now,it is my turn and all I know is to give it back,but to the nature that was with me throughout,” she said.