About this episode
She climbed Everest at 19 with no money, no permit, and no plan B. Krushnaa Patil is the youngest Indian woman to summit Mount Everest and one of only two Indians to attempt the Seven Summits — the seven highest peaks on seven continents. In this Women's Day Special episode of The xMonks Drive Podcast with Gaurav Arora, Krushnaa Patil shares her full story for the first time.From growing up trekking the Himalayas with her family to training as a classical dancer, from faking jaundice to sneak into a mountaineering course to fighting the Indian government, Bollywood celebrities, and a hostile expedition team just to raise ₹30 lakh for Everest — this is one of the most extraordinary journeys ever told on this podcast.Krushnaa Patil summited Everest on May 21, 2009 as part of the Eco Everest Expedition, becoming the youngest Indian woman to do so. She then completed the Seven Summits by climbing the highest peaks in Antarctica, South America, Europe, and Australia. But when she arrived at Denali — also known as Mount McKinley — in Alaska for her 7th and final summit, she was stopped 400 metres from the top and told she was the weakest member of the team. What happened next is a story of racism in mountaineering that she has never fully spoken about publicly.This episode covers:- Growing up in Pune and the Himalayas- Classical dance, yoga, Bharatanatyam and Kalari Payattu- NIM — the National Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi- The Vice-Principal who told her to go to Bollywood- The Satopanth expedition and how she fought to be on it- The letter from a friend that destroyed her plan to climb Everest with NIM- Raising ₹30 lakh with zero connections — from Vilasrao Deshmukh to Aamir Khan- Her father's secret loan and how Saraswat Bank waived it after her Everest summit- The death of a Sherpa during the Eco Everest Expedition 2009- Climbing buddy Henry's breakdown at Camp Two on Everest- The lightning storm on summit night that echoed the 1996 Everest tragedy- Standing in the shadow of Everest at the South Summit- What Krushnaa Patil felt at the top of the world — shoonya- The racism in mountaineering she faced at Denali Mount McKinley- Why she considers the Seven Summits done and dusted anyway- What it really takes to climb Everest as a young Indian woman with no resourcesTimestamps:00:00 Everest First Impressions00:25 Setbacks And Doubts01:43 Rihanna And Big Dreams03:28 First Peaks And Destiny06:53 Getting On Satopanth11:04 Sickness And Team Role17:33 Betrayal Letter Fallout21:23 Raising Everest Funds26:54 Father Loan Twist36:40 Everest Summit Strategy38:50 Altitude Body Basics39:29 Death At Base Camp40:57 Buddy System Setup42:53 Henry Altitude Crisis45:35 Eco Everest And Spirits46:38 Oxygen And Summit Night48:45 Lightning And Ridge Lights
