Meet these 2 Indian women who could conquer South Pole
Come December and an all-women squad will head toward the South Pole. Among the 6 members, two are from India: Kolkata girl Madhabilata Mitra and Mumbai-based, architect-cum-photographer Tanvi Buch. Though Mitra, also a known face in modeling circuit, is an experienced mountaineer, this is the first expedition for Buch. Aptly termed 'Polar Maidens', the expedition will be preceded by a training in Scotland.
Team leader: 74-year-old Janice Meek, Guinness World Record holder
The team will be led by 74-year-old Janice Meek, a Guinness World Record holding adventurer. The other team-mates are 60-year-old breast-cancer survivor from UK, Caroline Gerearty, Aileen Crean from Ireland and Denise Martin from Canada. Among all, Buch, at 24, is the youngest. They will leave for a week's training in September, after which they would be visiting London and Ireland for further preparations.
Mitra, Buch to be first Indian women to ski South-Pole
Though the exact date of the expedition hasn't been declared, it'll be sometime around mid-December or January, said Ankita Mitra, Director, Kolevent. Kolevent is a Kolkata-based agency that is sending Mitra and Buch for the adventure, who'd be the first Indian women to ski the last degree to the South Pole, if successful. Both Mitra and Buch are excited and positive about the adventure.
For Mitra, love for mountains started way back in 1999
36-year-old Mitra is a well-known model and had won Sananda Tilottama in 2006, the biggest beauty pageant of Eastern India. That put brakes to her mountaineering journey, which she started way back in 1999. In 2002, she did the basic mountaineering course at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI, Darjeeling), followed by advance mountaineering course the next year. She was also a guest lecturer at HMI.
First-timer Buch wants to conquer this uncharted territory
Meanwhile, for Buch, this is an uncharted territory she wants to conquer. "I've never been to expeditions, but there has to be a first time. People have to get over their fears," said the energetic girl. She chanced upon this expedition when she was searching through internship options. The all-women team attracted her more. "I'm sure we'll complete the journey," she quipped.
