‘Feeling on top of the world after scaling Everest’

SHILLONG: It was an arduous journey for Dolyne Kharbhih who fulfilled her dream, she has been cherishing for last eight years, of scaling the world`s highest peak Mt Everest.
This achievement has catapulted her into the ranks such mountaineers from Meghalaya as Gary Jarman Lamare and Wansuk Myrthong. She became the third person after Lamare and Myrthong and the second woman to climb the tallest mountain of the world.
Speaking to media persons, an elated Kharbhih said, “The experience was very tough as we faced several difficulties and on reaching the mountain the first message we were told was that the mountain does not know whether the mountaineer is a boy or a girl and from that day onwards the girls remind themselves that they are not only girls but mountaineers.”
She felt “on top of the world” after achieving the feat.
She recounted the difficulty to traverse the ice walls with open  crevices, crossing the ladders, experiencing the minus degree temperature and survived there for 35 days.
Kharbhih said that as part of the training for the Everest mission, a pre-Everest expedition was undertaken to Mount Deo Tibba (19,688ft), near Manali in Himachal  Pradesh.
Based on the performance, 15 cadets were selected for the second pre-Everest expedition to Mount Trishul (23,360 ft) from where 10 cadets were finalized for the Everest expedition.
The 10 girls thereafter completed a month-long winter training in Siachen Glacier, the world’s highest battlefield.
“The trekking commenced on April 4 and it took 17 days to reach the base camp in Nepal, i.e on April 21,” she added.
On the role of her family, coach, NCC she said, “They played a big role in my achievement.”
“My message is for everyone and not only mountaineers that everyone should have a goal and we should not forget it until we achieve  it,” she said.
She was felicitated by the Directorate of NCC, North Eastern Region, Shillong here on Thursday.
Kharbhih is an active member of the Meghalaya Rock Climbing and Mountaineering Association (MRCMA).
The first ever all girls National Cadet Corps expedition to Mount Everest was flagged off by Union Minister of State for Defence Rao Inderjit Singh on March 9 this year.
The girl cadets’ team comprised four officers, two Junior Commission Officers, seven other ranks and 2 Girls Cadet Instructors (GCI) and 10 NCC girl cadets.
Kharbhih is a GCI serving in the 62 Assam Girls Bn NCC, Silchar under NCC Directorate, North Eastern Region, based in Shillong.