Meet the Team
Reena Kaushal Dharmshaktu
Reena will be the first Indian woman to ski all the way to the South Pole.
What is your previous experience?
I did my mountaineering training from the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute (HMI)in Darjeeling and after that I went on many mountianeering expeditions like Gangotri 1, first ascent of Argan Kangri , Fluted Peak , Stock Kangri , Phawararang , Mt.Nun , Sri Kailash etc. All these expeditions have been sponsored by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
I also did some mountaineering training with National Outdoor Leadership School and am currently freelancing as an instructor with them.
Is climbing mountains very different from skiing to the South Pole?
Climbing mountains and skiing to the South Pole are in some ways similar and in some ways different.
In both kind of expeditions success of the team depends on the team work , looking out for each other, taking care of self , taking care of the equipment , having good communication , sharing a vision. Both need the person to be mentally and physically strong with tolerance for adversity and uncertainty.
The difference I find is that although in both the places one has to face cold , in Antarctica it is going to be extremely cold , and this will be my first expedition on skiis.
Why are you taking part in the expedition?
I am taking part in the expedition for various reasons.
Antarctica is a once in a lifetime opportunity . I love exploring , going on new adventures and making new friends while on such trips. Antarctica is definitely a wonderland to me. Remote. Enchanting. Enticing . Challenging. Hardcore. Amazingly beautiful. Being on an expeditition from various commonwealth countries , the message out there for folks is that get rid of your differences and reach out to each other. This life is too short for squabbles and jealousies. Just spread love around.
I think this will give me perfect platform to talk about environmental damage and make people care. Starting with small things like separating their biodegradable waste from the other waste, reusing ,refusing , and reducing.
There are many girls in India who would like to participate in adventure activities but do not have the guidance or the encouragement . I would like to reach out to them. Seeing a person like me , who is from a middle class family , do these activities , I am sure they would feel inspired to do the same.
How will you celebrate reaching the Pole?
When I reach the South Pole - god willing - I would first like to offer my thanks to the Gods of Antarctica for letting us reach there safely.
I would like to get together with family and friends and celebrate.
Where is India in Antarctica?
India has been a signatory nation of the Antarctic Treaty since 1981 and has conducted an active multi-disciplinary science program in Antarctica ever since. The program is run by the National Centre for Antarctic and Ocean Research. India currently has one permanent scientific reserach station in Antarctica which is operated year-round. Maitri was established in 1988 on Schirmacher Oasis in East Antarctica. The base conducts experiments in geology, geography and medicine and has a freshwater lake surrounding the base known as Lake Priyadharshini. This year it was announced that India will open a second research station in Antarctica near Larsmann Hills - due to be operational in 2012. Named Bharathi, the new station will specialise in Oceanography.
Thanks and Acknowledgements:
I would like to thank the Indian Mountaineering Foundation (IMF) for their support for both this expedition and my previous expeditions that have given me such good experience in the mountains. I would like to thank the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) for giving me so many opportunities. For thier help in preparing for the expedition, I would like to thank all the team at Kaspersky Lab; Namita Dam (http://mycrowdedsoliloquy.wordpress.com/); Raj (Rajreflects.com); and Navin Pangti (http://www.dolka.com/)for their help. And now my husband – Love Raj Singh Dharmshaktu who encourages me to go for my dreams. He can understand because he is a mountaineer too. The uniqueness about us as a couple will be that he summmitted Mt.Everest in May this year , which is the highest point on this earth and I will be skiing to South Pole , which is the lowest point on this earth.
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