Jamshedpur, March 27: Freezing temperatures and deadly altitude sickness will be the obstacles Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) duo will have to overcome on Mount Everest Expedition.
Hemant Gupta (25) and Payo Murmu (50) members of TSAF will be proceeding on Everest Expedition in 2015. Hemant Gupta, an IIT Mumbai alumnus who joined the Steel major as a Management Trainee but opted to work in Tata Steel Adventure programmes Department since September 2013 as Manager and Payo Murmu, Loco Traffic Ground Staff in Raw Material Division of the company, will be climbing Mt. Everest this summer (April-may 2015).
Bachendri Pal, Chief Adventure Programmes Tata Steel has provided bith Hemant and Payo with adequate training and has monitored their progress herself over the past one year. Talking about the expedition, Bachendri Pal, the first Indian women to climb the Everest said, �It is our continuing effort to inspire people to be part of the spirit of adventure and this year Payo and Hemant will annex the tallest peak in the world. Hemant left his shinning career to be part of adventure programs which is very rare in today�s world and I hope that he climbs every peak. He (Hemant ) is a very dedicated and hardworking guy who will help take TSAF forward�.
Talking about Payo, Bachendri Pal said, �She worked as a sweeper but now works with Tata Steel’s loco traffic department. She didn�t have the exposure but after her snowman Trek expedition Payo showed the real strength of her. Payo, mother of three has been very dedicated towards the expedition and hope she comes back as a strong mountaineer�.
Talking about the journey, Hemant said �We will report to Asian Trekking, the agency that is organising the expedition, in Kathmandu on April 3. After staying for two days for completing the formalities, we will move to Lukla, 30 minutes journey on April 6. From Lukla we will be moving to the base camp on April 15, at the base camp we would get familiar at Lobuche East from 15-20 April�. TSAF Manager further informed, main expedition starts on April 20 with over 40 days climbing we hope to complete the journey by May 30.
Hemant also said about his experience of climbing Mt. Aconcagua (22860 ft) will help him in his journey to annex the Everest. �It�s a dream come to true for me as during school days we studied about Bachendri Mam and now to work with her is fantastic experience which will help me in conquering the tallest peak�.
�It was difficult to manage the household chores with the adventure but I have handled it pretty well and now I am very confident about the expedition. The past experiences of climbing Throrang La at 17800 feet, Annapurna expedition Bhagirathi will help me in reaching the peak�, said Payo Murmu, mother of three, who lives in New Baridih.
Padma Shri Premlata Agarwal, oldest Indian woman to scale Mt Everest extending her best wishes said, �Hemant has been very hardworking and coming from IIT it was a totally different field but the determination he has shown will take him to the pinnacle.
Payo is also an inspiration for many women as she had to manage the family and her hardworking nature will definitely take her to the summit�.
TSAF secretary P.P. Kapadia said �Bachendri Pal will be going to Katmandu to oversee the arrangements for the two candidates participating in the Everest expedition�.