On January 16, Kalpana Dash, a mountaineer from Odisha scaled another peak by taking on Mt Aconcagua, the highest mountain located in the Andes mountain range, in Mendoza province of Argentina, which stands at 6,960.8 metres. She created history of sorts in 2008, when she became the first Odia to conquer the Everest. The 49-year old, a lawyer by qualification, works in the CSR wing of Lanco, which is into power projects, as an officer and continues to pursue her passion despite all odds.
An inspiration for many, Kalpana hailing from Dhenkanal district in Odisha grew up amidst mountain ranges and always nursed the dream of climbing the peaks.
“Those days, we only wore chappals to climb the Kapilas mountains nearby. I learnt the tricks of the trade from my father and I had no idea that to be a mountaineer one needs to fulfill basic criteria like completing a few courses and having the requisite gear, besides the grit, determination and stamina to undertake the arduous tasks,’’ says Kalpana.
After completing her matriculation from Balarampur High school in 1983, Kalpana completed her Class XII and graduation from Dhenkanal Women’s College, Dhenkanal in 1985 and 1988 respectively. Later, she also completed LLB from Dhenkanal Law College in 1991 and started practising Law in the district civil court.
Always good at sporting events like running, javelin and discuss throw, Kalpana wanted to give wings to her dreams of making it to the top of the Everest in 2000. “I discussed my plans with the then Collector of Dhenkanal, Ranjana Chopra, who guided me on how to go about trekking tours. It was then that I realised that I needed to complete a few basic courses on mountaineering to start my mission. I got trained at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling in 2000 on the Advanced Mountaineering Course and Method of Instruction Course, Alpine Climbing course by Indian Mountaineering Foundation and Search and Rescue course after which I was eligible to get started.’’
Her first attempt at professional mountaineering was when she climbed the 17,000 ft BC Roy Peak at Chauri farm in Darjeeling. This was followed by the Bhagirathi expedition and then Mount Satopanth situated in Garhwal Himalayas in Uttarakhand. All the three had weather conditions similar to the Everest and helped her prepare for her climb of the tallest peak.
But despite all the training, Kalpana succeeded in the Everest expedition only in her third try with her previous attempts failing due to gear problems and the weather playing truant. “I was so disappointed when my dreams came crashing down that I thought of even ending my life. But it was my parents, well wishers and the then collector Usha Padhee and other government officials who boosted my morale and encouraged me to give it a third try. I regained my trust and succeeded in scaling the Everest in 2008,’’ says a content Kalpana. She also went on an expedition to Annapurna Circuit in Nepal with legendary mountaineer Bachendri Pal in 2013 and Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in South Africa in 2014.
Kalpana has been a regular and sincere student through her school and college life. “College has taught me time management which helped me achieve success in my mountainous missions. By being strict, college inculcated discipline in me,’’ explains Kalpana when asked about her student life. A favourite of her teachers for her sincerity, Kalpana fondly reminisces about most of her teachers who still keep in touch with her and congratulate her on her feats.
“Apart from people of my State who have lauded my efforts, my teachers feel proud and call me up to talk to me,’’ says the mountaineer. She feels content to speak to collegians and school goers when she is invited to grace some event in schools and colleges. “I tell the students to nurture their dreams and go all the way to make them a reality. I also insist on time management and discipline which help people succeed in all endeavours.’’
What does she do to relax? “I watched the movie Chak De India while in Delhi for a training camp, but otherwise I have never been to a cinema hall,’’ says Kalpana, who believes meditation can help youngsters concentrate. “I say this because meditation has helped me,’’ she concludes.
kasturi@newindianexpress.com