out to,” says Premlata Agarwal who hails from a conservative Marwari family of the steel city.

All the members, however were well trained. Chetna Sahoo and Premlata Agrawal, the seniors from Jharkhand are veterans at expeditions and training programmes. Binita Soren and Anita Soren, the young girls from Kesorsora, however, had undergone their basic and advanced training in the last year itself with the assistance of TSAF at Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. “Initially we were just curious about mountaineering and rock climbing because Tata Steel Adventure Foundation conducts its rock climbing courses near our village” explains Binita. During a course conducted for village youth, we were given a little window of opportunity to get out of the confines of the village. We took it only for the sense of achievement that we had travelled where none of our sisters and brothers hadgone. But with TSAF every success, eggs us on to find the next one.”

Anita, the more reticent of the two girls was once too nervous to seek permission from her family to attend a course, but when time came for the expedition, she cried to go with them. Now, both Anita and Binita are the picture of confidence and self assurance.

The toughness of the trial was also a test of Bachendri’s leadership abilities and the intense desire in her to make women reach for the unattainable. But when she got to the pass - the sudden rush of freedom that it gave her - from the perils they had faced, the sheer loneliness of the trail - made her literally cry. Her only regret is that soldiers of the Indian army have to endure its harshness everyday, while the Chinese have the luxury of driving right up to the Pass.