Journalism of Courage
At 43, UP woman scales Europe’s highest peak: ‘You cannot stop’
Having already scaled Kilimanjaro and Friendship Peak, Shivani Mehrotra is now setting her sights on Mount Everest and the Seven Summits.
Shivani Mehrotra began her Elbrus expedition from Mumbai on August 8 (Photo: @the.mountain.diva/Instagram)
Shivani Mehrotra, a 43-year-old woman from Uttar Pradesh, scaled Mount Elbrus in Russia, Europe’s highest peak, on August 15 and unfurled the Tricolour at the summit.
A resident of Sitapur, Mehrotra is married and has an 18-year-old daughter. A PTI report stated that her family has always supported her passion for mountaineering and encouraged her to take on challenging climbs.
“I always believe that age is just a number,” Mehrotra told PTI. She said discipline and determination helped her complete the climb.
Her interest in mountaineering began in 2019, when she planned a trek to Mount Everest Base Camp with a friend. She later trekked across Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh and went on to climb peaks including Friendship Peak and Mount Kilimanjaro.
She has also completed four of the five major Kailash-related treks she had planned. Her next big goals are to climb Mount Everest and complete the Seven Summits, the report added.
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Social media congratulates Shivani Mehrotra
Mehrotra’s achievement is winning hearts on social media, with several users extending congratulatory messages. “Congratulations brave woman,” a user wrote. “Well done. Made India and your parents proud. Salute,” another user commented.
Mehrotra began her Elbrus expedition from Mumbai on August 8. She travelled via Dubai to Mineralnye Vody in Russia for the 10-day expedition, organised through Russian company Chatur Tours. The team carried out acclimatisation climbs at around 3,000, 4,000 and 4,700 metres before the final summit attempt. Bad weather, including snowfall, rain, strong winds, and low oxygen levels, made the climb difficult.
The team began the summit push at around 2 am on August 15. Mehrotra said the cold, darkness, strong winds, heavy equipment and low oxygen made the climb physically demanding.
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“Rukna nahin hai, chalte rehna hai” (You cannot stop, you have to keep walking), she repeated to herself during the climb.
Mehrotra reached the summit in about four-and-a-half hours and unfurled the Indian flag. She said she rarely sees women above 40 on high-altitude climbs. She largely funds her expeditions through her own savings and hopes to continue climbing in the coming years.
© IE Online Media Services Pvt Ltd
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