Aparna Kumar, a 2002-batch IPS officer added another feather in her cap on August 4 when she scaled Europe’s highest peak Mount Elbrus (18,510 feet) in Russia. She hoisted the Indian and UP Police flags there.

Aparna Kumar is the first officer of the All India Services (IAS/IPS/ IFS) to scale this summit, according to inspector general of police (law and order) A Satish Ganesh.

No stranger to success as a mountaineer, she received the Rani Laxmi Bai award from chief minister Akhilesh Yadav in March this year after having scaled Mount Aconcagua, the highest peak of South America.

Earlier, she had successfully scaled Carstensz Pyramid in Indonesia and Mount Kilimanjaro i n Tanzania. Recounting her experience, Aparna says, “I was part of the 14-member expedition team that scaled Mount Elbrus. I was afflicted with diarrohea when our team arrived at the base camp for the expedition. The weather also turned inclement when we started climbing. But I did not lose confidence and decided to move ahead. Hoisting the national and state police flags on the highest peak of Europe was a moment to cherish.”

Expressing concern over the dumping of garbage near mountain peaks by tourists, Aparna said it would make an adverse impact on the environment. “We carry bags to pick up plastic bottles and other material left by tourists at the base camp. An Indian Army team visited Nepal to collect the garbage dumped near Mount Everest,” she said.

A graduate of the National Law College-Bengaluru, Aparna said, “My next expedition will be to Antarctica to scale Mount Vison Massif, the highest mountain peak (on the icy continent).”

Aparna was on an expedition to scale Mount Everest in April when an earthquake rocked Nepal. “We had scaled 23,000 feet and were told to return. After completing the Antarctica expedition, I will try to scale Mount Everest again next year.”

source: http://www.hindustantimes.com / Hindustan Times / Home> Cities / HT Correspondent, Hindustan Times,Lucknow / August 13th, 2015