Ama Dablam is situated in the eastern Himalayan range, in Nepal. The mountain nicknamed "mother's necklace" is at a height of 6812 meters and is one of the most technical climbs because of the combination of rocks, ice and snow. Said to mimic a mother embracing her child, the mountain's north west and south west 'arms' are a part of the allure of this climb.
A full-time explorer, Prakriti Varshney has garnered a large following on her social media. She appears to be living the dream that every travel addict yearns for. Her inspiring travel content fills her followers' feeds with positivity. And her recent ascent to the magnanimous Mt. Ama Dablam was the 'icing' on the cake!
In my interview with her, Prakriti got candid about life as a mountaineer and what it takes for a female expeditioner to succeed - 90% mental stamina and 10% physical fitness! But there's more.
Baby steps to Mt. Ama Dablam
Prakriti shares that mountaineering is an underestimated occupation. It takes plenty of careful planning, preparation and hard work to reach one's goals. She started out small with hikes, treks and nature trails which eased her into a life of wanderlust. Gradually she found that the mountains were truly calling her and she had to answer! She took courses to help her navigate tough conditions and eventually moved on to scaling peaks with seeming ease.
Having summited several peaks including Mt. Deo Tibba at an elevation of 6001 meters, Prakriti was getting better as a climber and sought out more challenging expeditions.
But physical endurance was just one part of achieving the feat. Mental stamina and financial security were also key aspects that Prakriti had to focus on. Being a full-time traveler might seem glamorous but Prakriti shares honestly, that it means being your own boss. And that comes with a heavy responsibility. While answering the call of the mountains, for Prakriti it also meant sometimes compromising on comfort from the lack of finances.
Embraced by the arms of Mt. Ama Dablam
At 5:40 AM on a chill November morning, Prakriti and her Sherpa were met with a decision to be made. Prakriti's body was giving up on her because of menstrual cramps. A numbness took over her body while she simultaneously felt writhing pain through her abdomen. She was surprised because this was the first time she was in this much pain on a climb. Nearly giving up, she gradually made her way to camp three, where she'd decide whether to go ahead and scale the mountain.
Her Sherpa stood by her side, patiently awaiting her decision. Fifteen minutes short of the summit, Prakriti just sat down and cried. "I cried, saying, why do females have to suffer so much? I asked what is my fault and why is this so called God so mean towards girls". Having mustered up the courage after the cry, Prakriti slowly made her way up to the top of the mountain. Her Sherpa, Phurba supporting her along the way. The ethereal experience was filled with pain and numbness for Prakriti who took a few moments to gather energy at the summit, just to stand up.
But when she did, she was greeted by the face of Mount Everest which she instantly knew was going to be her next, big adventure!
A woman amongst the mountains
While Prakriti loves scaling peaks in her pursuit for challenging trails, she also admits that high altitudes are tough on women because of menstruation. Despite being an experienced climber, she found her body reacting differently at higher altitudes. Being generally fit, she admits that cramps can be a dreadful experience and definitely make it harder for women to scale mountains as opposed to men who don't menstruate. But this doesn't stop Prakriti from chasing her dreams, even if those dreams are made of icy cold rocks at an elevation of over 8000 meters and named Everest!
While the euphoria from her climb offers inspiration to Prakriti and her followers, I become increasingly aware that women -- travelers and mountaineers alike have it difficult. Mother nature's gift is often a curse, especially when we want to scale those mountains, whatever they may be.
Menstrual cramps are normal, speaking about them is perfectly fine. And accepting that it poses a huge challenge to us while we're on the road is important. But the call of wanderlust can't keep us away, even if we're cramping. We'll find a way to climb those mountains and make it seem easy while we're at it. And Prakriti and the thousands of women explorers before us have proved that it's certainly possible!
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