Grit Girls: After Karakoram, yet another peak falls down to the all-women mountaineer?s team led by Bachendri Pal. (PTI file picture)

After scaling the heights of the Karakoram Pass a few days back, the Indian women?s expedition team scripted a double by reaching the summit of the 20,305-ft Mount Stok Kangri today.

Speaking from Leh, Bachendri Pal, who led the all-women?s team, sounded extremely satisfied with the grit, guts and gumption displayed by her team members.

Elaborating on the course of the journey, Pal added that the team had set out to establish the base camp from Stok village on September 16.

?The landscape was bereft of greenery and the desert-mountain was extremely harsh towards the climbers. The trek to the base camp over the rugged terrains took considerable time and one of our members, Vasumathi Srinivasan of Karnataka, succumbed to the hostile conditions and had to return to Leh,? Pal added. The team, however, did not fall short on morale.

Describing the team?s climb, Pal explained that it was an Alpine style attempt ? without porters ? with members carrying all equipment and food themselves.

?On September 17, a high camp (summit camp) was established from where a direct attempt was made. Keeping in mind the logistics and weather conditions, I voluntarily stayed back with emergency items to support the summit party,? she said, adding that Chetna Sahu, another member of the team, showed tremendous team spirit in staying back with them despite a niggling injury on her feet.

Pal had words of praise for other team members as well. ?Most of them are middle-aged and mothers. Therefore, the achievement is that much more,? she said, adding that everyone, who met the team on their way, has appreciated their effort to scale the mountain all by themselves, without the aid of travel agents or porters.

On top of the world again, the success is yet another feather in Pal?s cap. With another peak bowing down to this gritty woman and her team, Pal moves ahead, committed and enthusiastic, on her mission to motivate the youth and the women of the country in beating the odds and achieving the heights of success.