Bhopal: Anjana Yadav, a farmer's wife from Raisen district, returned to Bhopal on Tuesday after successfully summiting Mount Everest, but her achievement was overshadowed by a near-fatal accident and the deaths of fellow Indian climbers during the same expedition.
“The dream of conquering Everest is fulfilled,” Yadav told TOI on arrival. “But the deaths of my fellow Indians have left me deeply traumatised.” She described a harrowing episode “within sight of the summit” when she narrowly escaped a dangerous fall that almost cost her life. “I escaped by a narrow margin at Hillary Step,” said the 28-year-old mountaineer.
Yadav, who began the expedition on May 17 and completed it on May 27, attributed her success to rigorous preparation, physical training, her guiding team, and luck. “I undertook the expedition with determination and months of preparation,” she said. She added that extreme weather and the high-risk conditions of the “death zone” above 8,000 metres made the ascent particularly challenging.
The season saw multiple fatalities among Indian mountaineers on Everest, a situation Yadav linked to restricted access on the China route. “This time the China route was closed, due to which the presence of mountaineers was high on the other route, which was from Nepal,” she said, noting the increased congestion and risk on the remaining route.
Yadav reported lasting physical effects from the climb. “Staying there for so many days at very low temperature has made my hands and fingers still not functioning,” she said, describing numbness and impaired movement after prolonged exposure to extreme cold.
Though proud of reaching the summit, Yadav said the human cost of the expedition has profoundly affected her. “Reaching the summit should have been pure joy,” she said, “but seeing lives lost around during the expedition still haunts me.” She appealed for greater attention to climber safety and for better support systems to help survivors cope with trauma.
Sports department officials in Bhopal welcomed her home and praised her determination. Mountain-climbing groups and supporters are planning an informal reception in her honour. Mental health professionals urged survivors to seek counselling, warning that grief and survivor’s guilt after witnessing deaths on Everest can lead to long-term psychological distress.
Yadav said she remains focused on recovery and on supporting the families of those who did not return. “I am grateful to be alive,” she said. “But my heart goes out to those who did not come back.”
