Kalpana Dash – the First Oriya to Conquer Mt. Everest
“The Everest Climber – From the Pits to the Peak,” said a
newspaper headline when Kalpana Dash climbed atop Mt. Everest leading a team of five mountaineers drawn from four countries.
It seemed that after reaching this most ambitious summit the 42-year lady would call it a day and spend the rest
of her life basking in the glory of her achievement. But no! To Kalpana attainment of a goal always meant the beginning of
a new journey. Now she has set her eyes on her next expedition: climbing Mount McKinley, the highest mountain peak of North
America, which poses even a greater challenge with a height of 6,194 metres with its extremely chilling weather
of minus 60 degree celsius.
When the news of her successful scaling of Mt. Everest reached on 21st May 2008
the people of the state of Orissa and the Oriyas world-wide celebrated in jubilation. She had made Orissa proud. For she was
not only the first Oriya woman in reaching the highest mountain peak, but also was the first one from Orissa in having
done so, men included. She proved to the whole world that Oriya women were no less in meeting the challenges of an adventure, compared
with others.
NO CAKE WALK
While her glorious success in scaling the ambitious heights in mountaineering is well known, what remain underneath
are the painful hurdles she had to face and the struggles she had to make in order to turn the life-time of her dreams
into reality. To her the task had never been a cake walk. Impediment came her way from many spheres including financial,
physical and societal ones.
Before she could register success in climbing Mt. Everest in the year 2008, she had to meet failure on two
earlier occasions, once in 2004 and then again in 2006 when she had to discontinue the climbing due to bad health and adverse
weather conditions. When we ask her how she felt after facing failure on those two occasions, she quickly emphasizes that
she never felt she had ever failed. Arriving at the destination was one thing; not losing the spirit of adventure was another.
This indomitable spirit made her undertake a third attempt with renewed vigour. And the rest was history.
SURMOUNTING HURDLES
Kalpana had to undergo innumerable rigours in order to realise of her mountaineering aspirations. She joined the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute at Darjeeling for a formal training in 2001 at a relatively
advanced age of 35. Then there was no looking back. Every day she used to practice
climbing at the Kapilas mountain near her home-town Dhenkanal. This she has ever been doing without a break. Even when we
spoke to her in the course of preparing this write-up, she was at the Kapilas mountain scaling its 1352 steps five
time up and five times down, with a load of 30 kilograms on her back.
The major problem came to her from the financial spheres. For mountaineering entailed a lot of expenses which she was
not able to meet. A few residents of Dhenkanal, and the then District Collector rendered some support. But it was not enough.
It was difficult to convince corporate houses or donor organisations for sponsorship. Whatever the goverment had to offer
was very little. Her own financial position was very weak. One cannot imagine with such an uncertainty how a woman from a
small town in Orissa could concentrate on her training and preparation without losing motivation.
Though an advocate by profession, she could hardly ever devote any time to her occupation. Because she accorded priority
to her first passion in life: climbing mountains. However
the adverse financial factors could not deter her from going ahead with the Himalayan expedition.
CONFIDENT OF SUCCESS
When she left home on 5th March 2008 to undertake the climbing, in the backdrop of her earlier two abortive
expeditions, she declared that this time she would return home only after conquering Mt. Everest. And she did it! When she
returned home with the crown of success there was pomp and gaiety all around and people made a bee line at her home to congratulate
her.
By reaching atop the summit of Mt. Everest at a height of 8848 metres in spite of all obstacles, Kalpana proved that
no hurdle could ever deter her from attaining her goal. She showed that if a woman had strong will-power and self-confidence
no destination could ever be beyond her reach.
THE WISH OF LORD JAGANNATH
“What is the reason”, we ask her, “a woman could become the first Everester in Orissa, while it still
remains a distant dream for our men?” She replies with utmost humility: “Perhaps it was the wish of Lord
Jagannath. He wanted the first one to be a woman.”
An ardent believer in destiny and the almighty, Kalpana derives inspiration and strength from spirituality. This is
the reason why after being flagged off at the Raj Bhawan in Bhubaneswar by the Hon’ble Governor Rameswar Thakur and
Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik before departing for her expedition, she went straight to the Jagannath Temple in Puri to seek
the blessings of the deities.
EYES SET ON ANOTHER HEIGHT
Her next destination is Mount McKinlay, the highest mountain peak of North America with a height of 20,320 feet
where in addition to the usual rigours of climbing, she will have also to battle the extremely low temperature of minus 60
degrees . The expedition is to begin on 5th June 2010. But will she able to undertake it? It remains a challenge
to her. It's a challenge that has not yet been met by any one else from India. If she becomes successful, Kalpana will become
the first Indian to scale Mt. McKinley.
While she is doing whatever she can to train and prepare her to meet the ordeals of the forthcoming expedition,
the absence of financial patronage casts a shadow on her mission. She is still baffled how to mobilise the USD 12,000 that’s
required to meet the costs of the expedition which also includes her air fare. Certain donors have promised help; still a
huge financial gap is left to be mobilised.
When she approached a few resourceful people and officials in Bhubaneswar for help, the response of some of them was
encouraging. But there were also some who ridiculed her with hurtful words. She felt insulted. Who were they? She wouldn’t
name them; because she believes in positivity. Her eyes are set only on Mount McKinley - nothing else.
(UPDATES: As scheduled, Kalpana started her McKinley
expedition on 5 June 2010. After reaching a height of 14,200 feet, bad weather conditions and resultant illness
forced her to discontinue the trekking on 18 June 2010, after which she returned to Orissa.)
