From quadruple surgery to Mount Everest base camp: 56-year-old retired army colonel's inspiring journey

Colonel (Col) Suresh Kumar Bhardwaj, a 56-year-old retired colonel from the Army Remount and Veterinary Corps, and his wife, Sunita Bhardwaj, successfully completed the two-week climb to Mount Everest Base Camp of 5,364 m on May 28.

After finishing a basic climbing course at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling in 1986, Col. Bhardwaj joined the Indian Army in 1989 and was posted to the Army Remount and Veterinary Corps.

Col. Bhardwaj (Retd.) underwent quadruple bypass surgery on November 29, 2017. After his recovery, he walked about 8 to 9 km every day to stay fit and perform his job at the Army Remount and Veterinary Corps center in Meerut until his retirement in 2022.

“After undergoing quadruple bypass surgery in 2017, my goal was to stay active and be able to walk for 4-5 km every day after recovery. My wife had planned to complete the trek to the base camp of Mount Everest. When she revealed her plan, I was also eager to finish the hike,” said Bhardwaj expressed his happiness.

After completing the medical examination, our main concern was finishing the trek." Col. Bhardwaj (Retd) continued, "One of the most surreal feelings for us is to stand at the Mt. Everest Base Camp and see the 8,848-meter-high mountain."

The couple had to prepare for the trek, which included crossing the 5,420-meter-high Cho La Pass in Nepal, because their goal was to finish the Everest Base Camp expedition via the Gokyo Ri peak and lakes route.

Homemaker and fashion designer Sunita Bhardwaj, in order to get ready for the trek, focused on working out in the gym. "In addition to working out physically, I spent almost an hour at the gym to be ready for the hike. I was also concerned about my husband's health, but once the doctor gave the all-clear, we felt confident that we could finish our trek," she added.

On May 19, they set off on their trek from Lukla in Nepal. Over the two-week journey, Sunita crossed the 5,357-meter-high Gokyo Ri peak and the 5,545-meter-high Kala Patthar, in addition to the Cho La Pass. Col. Bhardwaj (Retd.) conducted the trek only till the Cho La Pass.

The couple reached 5,364-meter-high Mt. Everest Base Camp on May 28 after traversing the Cho La Pass on May 26.

Bhardwaj said, "The biggest obstacle was getting over the Cho La Pass, even though I avoided the Gokyo Ri and Kala Patthar peaks. There was a about 70–80 degree difficult climb involved in the ascent, and after the pass, there was a 2-3 kilometer walk on the glacier. We were able to traverse the Ngozumpa Glacier after passing via the Cho La Pass, thanks to our prior experience with it.

The retired Colonel said, "Our goal was to finish the trek at our pace. Earlier, two of the trekkers were airlifted before the Gokyo Lakes."

"In the upcoming years, we might trek the Ama Dablam or Three Passes Trek in Nepal," said Sunita hopefully.