First Indian Father-Daughter Duo Scales Mt Everest

Ajeet Bajaj and Deeya Bajaj on May 16 became the first Indian father-daughter duo to climb the Mount Everest.

The two embarked on this tough journey on April 16, accomplishing the feat in a month.

Ajeet and his wife, Shirley, together run an adventure tourism company -- Snow Leopard Adventures Private Limited -- in Gurgaon.

Also read : Kashmir Girl Gears Up To Scale Mount Everest

Like father, like daughter

53-year-old Ajeet was also the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and the South Pole within a year in 2006-2007. He was also conferred with the honorary Padma Shri award in 2012 for his contribution to the growth of adventure tourism.

24-year-old Deeya is a graduate from Cornell University. She has also trained at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) in Uttarkashi.

At the age of 17, Deeya undertook the 20-day-long Trans Greenland Skiing Expedition. She went on to climb Mt Elbrus (5642 m), the highest mountain in Europe, in 2012 (a year later).

Ajeet was the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and the South Pole within a year in 2006-2007. Deeya has climbed Mt Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, in 2012

Proud mother

Adventurous by nature, Deeya was the first to reach the Mt Everest summit. She was enthralled to see the sunrise from the top of the world, said her mother, Shirley, who has been in constant touch with the duo since their expedition.

In an interview with The Hindu, she said it was an extremely emotional moment for her husband and that she was proud of her fearless daughter.

Not first big achievement for duo

Well, this is not the duo’s first big achievement. In 2011, they became the first Indians to ski across the Greenland Ice Cap. Their feat was acknowledged by the Limca Book of World Records in 2012.

While Shirley is super proud, she admits that she was quite worried during the entire journey, especially for her daughter. But that never stopped her from supporting her decisions. She has always encouraged Deeya to follow her dreams. And wants to send a strong message that any girl, given the right opportunity, can reach the highest summit.

Also read : Anita Kundu Becomes The First Indian Woman To Scale Everest From China Side

Picture Credit: medium.com

Malvika Bansal is an intern with SheThePeople.Tv