Bachendri Pal to lead women's expedition to Kharta Valley

New Delhi: A seven-member Indian women's mountaineering expedition to Kharta Valley in Tibet will be led by the legendary Bachendri Pal.

The trek will begin on Sunday and will continue till October 9. The contingent includes the first Indian woman to climb all the seven highest summits in seven continents Premlata Agarwal and Sheetal Sangeeta Ekka (Jharkhand), Chetna Sahoo (West Bengal), Jyoti Sharma and Tanu Verma (New Delhi), Madhvi Sharma (Uttarakhand) and Anita Vaidya (Gujarat).

"It is going to be a challenging and learning experience for us. Such challenging and adventurous expeditions are an opportunity for women to realise their potential and serve as strong building blocks for the communities at large," said Pal, who in 1984 became the first Indian woman to summit Mt. Everest.

Tata Steel will be supporting the expedition.