Kashmir Girl Gears Up To Scale Mount Everest

Every year, thousands around the world attempt to climb to the top of Mt Everest. Many Indian women have scaled the Everest, doing so in different categories. Nahida Manzoor, a young mountaineer from Srinagar, is now preparing for the task of scaling the world’s highest peak, reported Rising Kashmir.

In the quest to achieve her dream of scaling the Everest, Nahida will undergo a two-month mountaineering expedition course. Also, she is the first girl from Kashmir to get selected for this course by the National Cadets and Corps (NCC) Srinagar. The expedition would be held at Uttarakhand where Nahida would scale the 5,975-metre high Swargarohini peak. She believes the course will help her to prepare for climbing Everest.

“Hiking is an expensive sport that needs proper hiking shoes, which I can’t afford,” - Nahida Manzoor

Nahida, who is a 2nd year student, has garnered praise and attention by climbing high mountain peaks even without any proper gear. She is the first and only female adventurer from Kashmir to scale the 3,966-metre high Mahadev in the snow. The girl has been climbing small hills since her childhood days and enjoys going on long treks. During her Mahadev expedition, she was the lone girl to participate in a two-day trek from Dachigam National Park.

Even though climbers scale snowcapped mountains using snowshoes, Nahida had to climb without them. She told Rising Kashmir that she wants to scale all the peaks in Kashmir and others outside the state. The young girl also said that since they don’t have proper facilities and gear to venture out on such adventures, they have to be content with whatever little gear they own.

The youngster developed a love for hiking while playing with friends from school in mountains ranges near her home.

Nahida belongs to a middle-class family that supports her in pursuing mountaineering as a profession. However, her dream of becoming a professional mountaineer is full of hurdles as she cannot afford expensive hiking gear.

The young girl also excels at sports like rifle-shooting, Kho-Kho, Kabaddi and Volleyball. Apart from scaling mountains, she also avails the facility of the artificial climbing wall at the Tourist Reception Centre at Nowgam, Srinagar, thrice a week to practice climbing. Nahida also participates in coaching camps.

More power to you Nahida!

Read: Indian Women Mountaineers who Conquered Mt Everest

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Bhawana is an intern with SheThePeople.TV