The Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) is coordinating an acclimatization trip for Mount Everest expedition. Asmita Dorjee, 37-year-old Jamshedpur-based climber has been selected to trek an 18,000-ft plus peak in Garhwal Himalayas in December, allowing her to prepare herself for the challenge of 29,029ft coming ahead.
As per the sources, selection of the 18,000 ft-plus peak will be done in August-September. On the condition of anonymity, a source said, “We will be planning our year-long programme, including the summer and winter outdoor leadership programme and Asmita’s acclimatisation trip for the Everest expedition in August-September. The covid-related situation has now improved and we can chalk our list of programmes.”
Meanwhile, while Asmita was gearing up for the Everest expedition at Kaflon, the base camp of the premier adventure outfit, situated near Uttar Kashi in Uttarakhand, she had been climbing mountains, running and carrying out stretching exercises at a height of 4,500 ft above sea level. Legendary climber Bachendri Pal had confidence boosting talks with her to help her in her preparations. Few days back, she returned back to her home.
Asmita, daughter of Sherpa Ang Dorjee was part of Pal’s Everest expedition in 1984. Asmita used to train alone at Kaflon by climbing nearby mountains with a load of 20 kg, running and also doing a bit of stretching exercises.
Hemant Gupta, Head of TSAF, confirmed the acclimatisation schedule for Asmita. He said, “She needs to be acclimatised for the Everest expedition. We have planned a trip to Garhwal Himalayas where she will trek an 18,000 ft-plus peak.”
According to Gupta, for the acclimatisation trip, Asmita would be joined by an Everester, an experienced climber from TSAF itself. He further informed, “She (Asmita) would not be preparing under the guidance of Bachendri Pal who will be leading the five month long Fit @50 Plus Women’s Trans Himalayan Expedition starting October.”
Asmita, a senior instructor at the TSAF, has been part of summer and winter outdoor expeditions in the Garhwal Himalayas. Last year in early March, she was one of the members of an all women team consisting of employees of Tata Steel and Steel Authority of India Limited (SAIL) which went for an expedition to Kedarnath (12,500 ft) in Gahwal Himalayan range of Uttarakhand. Furthermore, in 2018, she also participated in an expedition to Leh- Ladakh coordinated by TSAF.
Until now, TSAF candidates climbing Mount Everest are Bachendri Pal, Premlata Agarwal, Rajendra Singh Pal, Binita Soren, Meghlal Mahto, Susen Mahto, amputee Arunima Sinha, Hemant Gupta, Sandeep Tolia, Swarnalata Dalai and Poonam Rana; a total of 11.
