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Darjeeling: 2011, June 22: Premalata Agarwal might have scaled the highest peak on earth at the age of 45 but her ambition continues to soar higher. Premlata, a homemaker, became the oldest woman from India to climb Mount Everest on May 20 this year but she is not yet ready to sit on her laurels, The mother of two has already started nursing dreams to climb all the highest peaks in every continent within the next two years.
 
The mountaineer who was born at Sukhiapokhri, 20 kilometers from Darjeeling, today said: Within the next two years , I want to climb the highest peaks in eery continent.I am confident of achieving this goal. 
 
The Everester was always inspired by Himalayas as seen from Darjeeling ahad joind even though she left Sukhiapokhri after her marriage in 1982, her spirit of adventure did not leave her. I had joined a gymnasium at Jamshedpur and in 2000 the gymnasium authorities took us for a trek to the neighbouring hill. My elder daughter Priyansha, also joined us. 
 
I came third and was also given an award. I was thrilled and wanted to enroll my elder daughter in a  mountaineering Institute at Uttarkashi for a 21 day adventure course and Premlata's determination to make a mark in the mountaineering fraternity continued to grow stronger. She came back to Darjeeling in 2003 to complete a 15 day basic course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute where she was adjudged the best student. 
 
From 2004 Premlata became part of  several Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) trips and scaled Island Peak (Nepal - 20600 feet) in 2004, Karakoram Pass (18300 feet) and Mount Stok Kangri (20150 feet) in 2006 and the inaugral Indian women's Thar Desert Expedition in 2007. In 2008, she also scaled Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania - the highest volcanic mountain in the world. The Thar expedition involved a four day camel safari from Bhuj in Gujarat to the Wagah border in Punjab and Premlata found a place in the Limca Book of Records for this feat.
 
Today, during a felicitation ceremony organised by the Darjeeling Marwari Sahayak Samity, Premlata sounded confident of breaking more records. Asked if funds would be a problem, she said: It is always a major issue for mountaineers but I am lucky to have Bachendri Pal as my mentor. Her presence helped me a lot and I think funds would not be a problem in  my future endeavours   ...  Source The Telegraph

Posted on: 01 Jul, 2011

Tags: Gorumara, Jaldapara, Chapramari, Dooars
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