Beauty Queens Conquer Himalayas

From first woman Junko Tabei, a Japanese mountaineer in 1975 to Bachendri Pal (first woman from India) in 1984 many women have climbed the Himalayas and reached the highest peak Mount Everest so far. But for the first time former Malaysian beauty queen Datin Harveen Kaur has scaled Mera Peak in the Himalayas. This is her second conquest in just seven months. But the sad news is that she lost one of her fingers to frostbite during the arduous climb.

Situated amidst the awe-inspiring Himalayan range in Nepal, Mera Peak stands at 6,470m above sea level, posing a formidable challenge to even the most experienced climbers. Accompanied by a Sherpa guide, Harveen, 44, embarked on this arduous journey and reached the summit on April 11.

This achievement follows her ascent of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak,  where she reached the Uhuru peak at an elevation of 5,895m last  year. This earned her the ‘First Beauty Queen to Summit Mount Kilimanjaro’. However, the climb to Mera Peak presented even greater challenges. Enduring temperatures plummeting to minus 25 degrees Celsius, Harveen faced the harsh reality of high-altitude mountaineering, losing her left middle finger to frostbite.

By Harveen side during the competition were his three children and her doctor husband Kattayat Mohandas, an anaesthesiologist in Kuala Lumpur. When questioned about her advanced age she quipped age is just a number. So true.

Another beauty queen from Himalayas Jane Dipika  Garrett of Nepal had created a record not by climbing Himalayas, but by making it to the semi- final of Miss Universe,  one  of the four prestigious beauty pageants last year as the first plus size model.

Dipika is a Nepali beauty of 5.7 feet height but 8O kg  weight  with a curvy figure. But she broke stereotypes and scripted history. She was also crowned as Miss Universe Nepal 2023, which itself was another record in beauty pageants.

Born in the US but living in Kathmandu, Dipika is not just a beauty model but is also a body positivity advocate. A nurse and business developer by   profession, deals with women’s hormonal, mental, and   physical health.

At the preliminary competition of the Miss Universe 2023, which took place in El Salvador in November 2023, Dipika  also emerged as a crowd favourite with the international session. With her participation at the competition.

Source: Himalayan News Chronicle