Divya Singh Becomes First Indian Woman to Cycle to Everest Base Camp

Divya Singh, a 28-year-old teacher from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, has created history. She has become the first Indian woman and the second woman in the world to reach Mount Everest Base Camp (EBC) by cycling.

Starting her journey from Kathmandu, she successfully reached the base camp located at an altitude of 17,560 feet after a challenging 14-day journey.

During this journey, she faced freezing temperatures (which dropped to -12°C), low oxygen levels and strong winds. Singh cycled for 10 to 12 hours every day, covering rough mountain paths, steep climbs and uneven terrain.

At places where the paths were too difficult to ride, she carried her bicycle on her shoulders instead of giving up.

Her route from Kathmandu to base camp included several challenging stops, including Salleri, Surke, Phakding, Namche Bazaar, Lobuche and finally Gorakshep.

The journey to Everest Base Camp is not easy, as it is not only physically exhausting but also mentally very tiring. As the altitude increases, oxygen levels drop significantly, increasing the risk of 'altitude sickness'.

Indian women who reached Mount Everest

Bachendri Pal - Bachendri Pal became a national icon after reaching the summit of Mount Everest in 1984. This was the first time an Indian woman had achieved this feat.

Santosh Yadav – Santosh Yadav from Haryana is the first woman in the world to climb Everest twice—first in 1992 and then again in 1993. At that time, she was 20 years old.

Premlata Agarwal - Premlata is the first Indian woman to climb the highest peaks of all seven continents, known as the ‘Seven Summits’; she is also the oldest Indian woman to reach Mount Everest. She completed her Everest climb in 2011 at the age of 48.

Arunima Sinha - Arunima is the first differently-abled woman to climb Mount Everest. She climbed Everest in 2013 with the help of a prosthetic leg.

Malavath Purna - Malavath became the youngest girl in the world to reach the summit of Everest in 2014. At that time, she was 13 years and 11 months old.

Anshu Jamsenpa - A mother of two, Anshu Jamsenpa became the first woman in the world to climb Everest twice within just 5 days in 2017.

Mount Everest

Mount Everest is the highest mountain on Earth, located on the Nepal-China (Tibet) border and standing at a height of 8,848.86 meters above sea level.

Formed millions of years ago, it is part of the Himalayas and has two main routes: the southeast ridge in Nepal and the northeast ridge in Tibet. It is a major and dangerous goal for mountaineers. In Nepal, it is called Sagarmatha and in Tibet, it is known as Chomolungma, meaning "Goddess Mother of the World" or "Peak of Heaven".

It was first climbed by New Zealand’s Edmund Hillary and Nepalese Sherpa Tenzing Norgay. Nepali guide Kami Rita Sherpa holds the world record for the most ascents of Mount Everest; he has reached the summit 32 times.

Lhakpa Sherpa holds the record for the most Everest ascents among women; she is planning to attempt her 11th ascent in 2026.