She did menial jobs at houses, conducted online fitness classes during Covid and all of those for earning money to fulfil her dream of journeying up the mountains. It is a tale of hardship when one looks at Himachal woman Baljeet Kaur's life, but at the same time, inspiring. The first woman to conquer the four peaks of Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, Everest and Lhotse in 30 days, the woman who scaled the peaks of 8000-metre high without oxygen, and so on are some of the several feats the young woman under 30 has already achieved.
A woman with an indomitable spirit, Baljeet was passionate about mountains since her childhood. So she began her adventure by trekking small hills near her village. It was during an NCC camp that Baljeet realised her passion that would eventually change her life. As soon as she recognised that mountaineering was her ambition, she started working hard towards that end. However, the mountaineer in her was disappointed by the dearth of mountains with enough height in her village as well as the poor financial situation at home.
Meanwhile, witnessing her daughter's sincere efforts, Biljeet's mother sold her jewellery and stood by her daughter to fulfil her dream. At last, Baljeet's perseverance paid. She climbed the peaks of Annapurna, Kanchenjunga, Everest and Lhotse, all of which are above 8000 metres, in 30 days. She claims that even the most arduous peak of Lhotse was scaled without carrying supplementary oxygen.
Baljeet encountered several dangers during her assiduous treks. In April, 2023, during her climb in the world's 10th highest peak, Annapurna, she went missing from Camp IV. It was during the descent from the summit point, and many feared that she must have perished in the journey. However, she was located a day later, by an aerial search team and found 'alive'. The woman of steel has proved that anything is possible if one sets his or her eyes on the target with a strong determination.
