Ms. Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to climb Mt. Everest and Chief Adventure Programmes, Tata Steel added another feather in her cap, when she successfully completed the first "Indian Women's Thar Desert Expedition". Organised by the Tata Steel, the expedition was aimed to add to the spirit of adventure and enterprise at the beginning of this New Year and also ushering in the 100 years celebration of Tata Steel.

The 12 member- all women team had started out from Bhuj on 18th January, 07 and reached Wagah Border on 18th February 2007, covering over 2,000 kms distance in just one month's time.

Sharing her experiences with the media, Ms. Bachendri Pal said, "This was one of the most arduous expeditions…. a journey into the unknown for us. It began with learning to ride camels... It was as if we were sitting on a moving mountain. Falling off, blisters in the hand from holding the saddle tightly, blisters on the thigh, back pain, body aches et al, but we were mentally prepared to face the various challenges & discomforts, aches, pains and blisters. All discomforts and hazards were taken in our stride."

"The BSF people were amazed at our 60 km a day journey on camels. The shifting sand dunes (like snow capped mountains) had been an ordeal for us especially on the descent. Thar Desert region is one of the most difficult landscapes on earth and also known for its unpredictable environment, but all the team members bravely faced all the unpredictability & challenges to emerge winners at the end. In spite of all the odds, we managed to complete the expedition well in time." says Ms. Bachendri Pal.

She recollected, "On crossing the Gujarat Border, we entered Munabao, in Rajasthan, where the International Border is situated. We took the courage to cross over the Border and meet the Pakistani Rangers. We exchanged greetings and gave them sweets (which we had carried with us for such occasions). This humane approach was very much appreciated by the soldiers on both sides."

This one month long expedition was not only Indian Women's First Thar Desert Expedition but also the maiden expedition covering 2000km over the Great Indian Desert by any male or female team.

The team participating in this adventurous expedition had participation from across the country. The other members were : Premlata Agarwal, Priyansha Agarwal, Anita Soren, Binita Soren, Sushila Mardi and L. Annapurna from Jharkhand; Vasumathi Srinivasan and Kokila Sudha from Karnataka; Sushma Bissa from Rajasthan; Chaula Jagirdar from Gujarat and Arpita Chatterjee from West Bengal.

The Director General of BSF and his team provided logistical support to the Indian Women's Team during their voyage across the desert