IPS officer of the Uttar Pradesh cadre, 2002 batch, Ms. Aparna Kumar brought glory to the nation when she climbed the highest peak of North America, Mt. Denali thus achieving her dream of climbing the seven highest peaks in the world. She is the first woman Indian Civil Servant to have scaled the peak. She achieved this feat in the year 2019.
When Mountains Called Her
A mother of two, Ms. Kumar had never seen snow before she came for her foundation course in Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration (LBSNAA), Mussoorie in 2002. She was posted as Commandant 9th Bn. P.A.C. Moradabad. There must have been something about those heavy but glorious mountaineering equipment and the elaborate tents and gear at 9th Battalion which she saw there that prompted her to apply for a one-month Basic Mountaineering Course at Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports (ABVIMAS), Manali, Himachal Pradesh in October 2013. She finished her Advance Mountaineering Course at ABVIMAS, Manali in July 2014 and went on to embark on her journey in the lap of mountains.
Recalling her days at the training, Ms Kumar chuckled softly and said, “There were around 150 students there and all of them were between the ages of 17-26 and here I was, in my late thirties! I did not even tell anyone that I was an IPS officer because I wasn’t sure if I would be able to finish this one month course, and I didn’t wish to get embarrassed that being an IPS officer, I couldn’t finish the course.”
Initial Attempts
Ms. Kumar made her first attempt at mountaineering when she decided on climbing the Stok Kangri in Ladakh. This was a huge achievement for her and once she accomplished it, there was no looking back, thus etching her name as the first-ever IPS officer to reach on top of that mountain.
Like every mountaineer, climbing Mt. Everest was her dream, but unfortunately in the year she decided to go for it, the same year, all mountaineering expeditions were called off by the Nepal Government due to a major avalanche. It was one of the biggest disasters that hit the Himalayas, killing 16 Sherpas. Sherpas are one of the Tibetan ethnic groups native to the most mountainous regions of Nepal and the Himalayas.
She was upset about it but decided on moving forward and went on to climb Lobuche East peak (6,119 m/20,075 feet) in April 2015 and was successful. Describing the event, she said that she found it difficult and strenuous, as she had to survive in a temperature of -35 degrees and rarified oxygen.
The Seven Conquests
Of the seven continents in the entire world, Ms. Kumar has climbed the highest peak of all of them. This unique achievement has made her the first-ever person in the esteemed bureaucracy of India, to accomplish such a great feat.
The seven highest peaks of each continent that she has climbed are:
- Africa – Mt. Kilimanjaro
- Australia – Carstensz Pyramid
- South America – Aconcagua
- Europe – Elbrus
- Antarctica – Mount Vinson and the South Pole
- Asia – Mount Everest
- North America – Denali, Alaska
Ms. Kumar has achieved something that nobody ever has. She will soon complete and achieve the Explorers Grand Slam, which includes the Seven Summits and the Two Poles, with an expedition to North Pole.
Awards for her Accomplishments
- In 2015, Ms. Kumar was awarded with ‘Rani Lakshmi Bai Puruskar’ by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh , for “her outstanding achievements and being a role model for many women at large.”
- On the eve of 26th January 2016, she was presented with the ‘DGP Commendation Disc’ for her valor and outstanding triumph.
- In March 2016, she was bestowed with the ‘Yash Bharti Samman’, the highest civilian award of the state by the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh.
- She has also been honored with ‘The Devi award’ in November 2016, introduced by the Sunday Standard and Indian Express group.
In our next and concluding piece on the remarkable IPS officer Ms. Aparna Kumar, we would focus on her expeditions. In particular, how important and challenging these uphill journeys were for her, and how conquering the seven highest mountains of the seven continents became more than a passion for her.
