As a child, Bachendri Pal never dreamt of conquering mountains but a chance meeting with a climber changed all that.

She applied for a mountaineering course and was chosen to be part of India’s first mixed-gender team to climb Mount Everest.

On the journey, she faced icy winds, freezing temperatures and an avalanche that destroyed the camp.

But finally, on 23 May 1984, Bachendri became the first Indian woman to reach the summit of Everest. It was an achievement that changed her life, as she told Jane Wilkinson.

(Photo: Bachendri Pal, pictured on right, on Everest 1984. Credit: Sonam Paljor)