Did you know?
Growing up in Satara, Priyanka tried every adventure she could, from rock climbing to trekking. It was her schoolteacher who told her parents to send her to a good mountaineering institute.
Priyanka trains while working at a company. She starts her day at 5 a.m. with an hour of running, and she works out again in the evenings after work.
Priyanka believes in listening to her body. If it won't let her go on, she turns back, because the mountain will still be there another day. Getting home safely matters most!
Try this: My Mountain of Goals
Draw a tall mountain. At the top, write a big goal, like reading 20 books or learning to ride a bicycle. Mark four 'camps' on the way up, each a smaller step towards the goal. Priyanka says every mountain teaches her discipline, time management, team spirit and humility. Which of these will help you reach each camp? Colour a camp when you get there!
Go further: Up Where the Air Is Thin
All of the world's mountains higher than 8,000 metres are in the Himalaya and Karakoram ranges of Asia. Near their tops, the air has so little oxygen that people cannot stay for long. So climbers spend days or even weeks slowly getting their bodies used to the height. This is called acclimatisation. Kangchenjunga, the world's third-highest mountain, lies on the border of India and Nepal.