At 43, Indian woman scales Europe’s highest peak, sets sights on Everest

For Shivani Mehrotra, mountains entered her life relatively late. Six years after taking up trekking, the 43-year-old mother has scaled Europe’s highest peak and is now working towards a much bigger ambition — climbing Mount Everest and completing the Seven Summits. Mehrotra unfurled the Tricolour atop Russia’s Mount Elbrus on August 15 after completing a demanding ascent through freezing temperatures, snowfall, strong winds and thin air.

A native of Uttar Pradesh’s Sitapur district, Mehrotra married at 24 and is now settled in Mumbai with her family. She has an 18-year-old daughter and says pursuing mountaineering alongside family responsibilities has been possible largely because of support from her parents, husband, daughter and friends. For her, turning 40 was never a reason to scale back her ambitions. “I always believe that age is just a number,” she said, pointing out that she rarely encounters women above 40 during her mountain expeditions.

A trek that changed everything

Mehrotra’s relationship with the mountains began in 2019 when she and her best friend planned a trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp. What was supposed to be an individual adventure gradually became a passion. She went on to trek extensively across Kashmir, Ladakh and Himachal Pradesh before attempting increasingly challenging expeditions. Her climbing journey has since included Friendship Peak and Mount Kilimanjaro, while she has also completed four of the five major Kailash-related treks she has targeted.

Everest remains the ultimate objective, but Mehrotra also wants to complete the Seven Summits — climbing the highest mountain on each continent. Her Elbrus expedition began on August 8 when she left Mumbai for Russia via Dubai. The 10-day programme included several acclimatisation climbs, taking the team progressively to around 3,000 metres, 4,000 metres and 4,700 metres before the final summit attempt.

Four-and-a-half-hour summit push

On August 15, Mehrotra’s team began its final ascent at around 2 am. The darkness, freezing weather and powerful winds combined with the weight of specialised equipment to make every step harder. At elevations beyond 5,000 metres, reduced oxygen added another layer of difficulty.

“Rukna nahin hai, chalte rehna hai” — do not stop, keep walking — became the phrase Mehrotra repeatedly told herself as she continued towards the summit.

Around four-and-a-half hours after setting out, she reached the top. Mehrotra said the final stages of high-altitude climbing often become a contest of mental endurance rather than simply physical fitness. Lessons from previous expeditions had taught her that the moment when the body says it cannot continue can also be the point from which a climber discovers another reserve of strength.

At the summit, she knelt and thanked the mountain, her friends and her faith before unfurling the Indian flag.

Training starts at 3.30 am

Mehrotra’s preparation extends far beyond the weeks immediately preceding an expedition. An ultra-runner, she has completed full and half marathons as well as a 50-km run. During the Covid-19 pandemic, she deepened her involvement with yoga and eventually trained as an advanced practitioner and therapist.

She has been teaching yoga for around six years, including programmes designed for pre- and post-natal women and cancer patients. Her days can begin as early as 3.30 am as she combines yoga, gym training, running and exercises specifically intended to prepare her body for trekking and high-altitude climbing. The Elbrus expedition also involved self-rescue training, including techniques for arresting a fall on snow and responding to emergencies on the mountain.

Everest remains the big dream

Mehrotra is now looking towards higher-altitude mountains in Nepal as stepping stones towards Everest. Financing those ambitions presents another challenge. An Everest expedition can cost around Rs 40-50 lakh, while other international expeditions can require several lakhs. Mehrotra says she has largely paid for her mountaineering pursuits from savings generated through her work as a yoga professional and wants to continue funding her journey as independently as possible.

For her, however, the value of a climb cannot simply be measured by the height of the summit. Every mountain, she believes, presents its own challenges and deserves the same respect. And at 43, reaching Elbrus has only strengthened her determination to go higher. “Everest is my main goal. I have to do it,” she said.