59-Year-Old Kerala Woman Treks Everest Base Camp With YouTube Tutorials

Meet Vasanthi Cheruveetil, a 59-year-old tailor from Thalipparamba, Kannur who has proved that dreams have no expiry date. She trekked solo to the Everest Base Camp (EBC) without any professional training, just sheer willpower and some YouTube tutorials. Starting her journey from Surke, Nepal, on February 15, she finally set foot on the Everest Base Camp on February 23, as per Manorama.

But it wasn’t a smooth ride, bad weather cancelled her flight to Lukla, forcing her to take an alternate route via Surke. Luckily, a German couple that she met in Nepal helped her navigate the change. Along the way, she also crossed paths with trekkers from around the world, including a father-son duo from Thiruvananthapuram. 

Her Prep–YouTube Tutorials.

Vasanthi trained herself for four months, ignoring all the skepticism from friends. Her daily routine involved three hours of walking, trekking boot practice, and 5–6 km evening walks with her companions. She even learned Hindi to communicate better on her journey. 

But, YouTube proved to be her real coach. That’s where she picked up basic trekking techniques and trained herself for this rigorous journey.

She underwent a brutal trek, steep climbs, dangerous ravines, and six to seven hours of walking every day. To keep herself from shivering and exhausting, she had also learnt to pace herself. She would walk a little, breathe five times, and repeat the same.

“I needed more time, so I walked slowly, using a stick. Every few steps, I paused to take at least five breaths to avoid shivering and exhaustion,” she told Manorama.

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And then came the moment, finally standing at the Everest Base Camp, waving the Indian flag, rocking in her traditional Kasavu saree. However, this isn’t Vasanthi’s first stint with solo travel. Last year, when her friends backed out of a trip to Thailand (because they thought a woman couldn’t travel that far alone), she just went by herself. 

What's Next In Her Checklist?

With the Everest Base Camp checked off her list, she’s now eyeing her next adventure—the Great Wall of China. And yes, she’s funding her own dreams through her tailoring business, with a little financial help from her sons, Vineeth and Vivek.