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Meet Aparna Kumar, An IPS Officer From UP, Who Conquered The Highest Peak Of Antarctica

byAparajita Mishra
30th January 2016
2 minute read

Many people’s lives are proliferated with excuses but some of us manage to make our own mark through sheer hard work and dedication. And one of them is Aparna Kumar.

Meet Aparna Kumar, an IPS Officer from Uttar Pradesh, who conquered the tallest peak in Antarctica.

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She became the first woman officer from All India Civil Services to conquer the peak in Antarctica. It’s called Mount Vinson Massif.

Here’s how her expedition looked like: 

1. Aparna, who’s posted as DIG Telecom in Lucknow, started her challenging expedition on January 5, 2016, along with 10 other mountaineers.

2. She successfully climbed the 17,000-feet-high Mount Vinson Massif, which is the highest peak in Antarctica. She achieved this commendable feat on 17 January, 2016.

3. Mountain climbing came with its own set of problems – winds blowing at the speed of 100 km/hr, surviving low temperatures, being out of the communication range for 9 days. But, Aparna didn’t let any of it deter her indomitable spirit.

4. She also hoisted the national flag and the Uttar Pradesh Police Service flag at the peak.

5. Right now, she is recuperating from a minor frost bite and will return to India on February 5.

 

Doesn’t she inspire you? But wait, that’s not her maiden attempt. Prior to this, she has scaled the following peaks.

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  • Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest peak of Africa
  • Carstensz Pyramid peak in West Papuan province of Indonesia, the highest peak in Australia and Oceania region
  • Mount Aconcagua in South America
  • Mount Elbrus in Russia

After conquering Mount Vinson Massif, she has successfully conquered 5 of the 7 summits in the world.

 

That’s certainly not the end. She has set higher goals for her this year. This is what her plan includes:

1. Mount Everest, in April-May

2. Mount McKinley, Alaska, in July-August

 

She has also been conferred with prestigious awards.

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She was awarded “Rani Lakshmi Bai Puraskar” by the Chief Minister, Akhilesh Yadav on March 2015. Also, on this Republic Day, she was awarded the special ‘DGP Commendation Disc’ for her achievements.

She enrolled for a month long mountaineering course in Manali in 2013 and then an advanced course in 2014.

She proves to be an inspiration for many women not only in India but also around the world.

Kudos, Aparna Kumar. More power to your invincible spirit.

News Source: The Times Of India 

Cover Image Source 1 & 2

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