Bhopal: For 55-year-old Jyoti Ratre of Bhopal, age has never been a limit. Lest, she would not have scaled and conquered Mount Vinson, Antarctica’s highest peak standing at 4,892 meters, proving that neither the biting cold of -52°C nor life’s challenges can hold her back.
On December 29, 2024, Jyoti hoisted the Tricolor atop Mount Vinson, becoming the oldest Indian woman and the first from Madhya Pradesh to achieve this extraordinary feat.
Ratre reached Mount Vinson’s high camp at 3,780 meters before ascending to its 4,892-meter summit. The climb was physically and mentally grueling, requiring her to pull a 25-kg sledge and carry 15 kg of supplies over steep, icy slopes under severe cold and strong winds. "After this, the journey from the low camp to the high camp was even more difficult. Everyone had to climb with the help of ropes within the cut-off time. We crossed an elevation of 1,200 meters on a slope of about 50 to 60 degrees, where strong cold winds and -30 degrees Celsius temperature proved challenging," adds the passionate mountaineer.
Reflecting on her achievement, Jyoti said, “Mountains don’t measure your age; they measure your spirit.” With Mount Vinson, she has now conquered five, leaving only North America’s Mount Denali to complete her mission. "My goal is to conquer the highest peaks of all seven continents. With Mount Vinson, I have completed five,” she beams with pride.
Mountaineering Milestones
Jyoti’s mountaineering journey began at 48 after a trip to Manali inspired her to explore the Himalayas. Despite the challenges of training at an older age, she has scaled 17 peaks, including Mount Everest (Asia), Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa), Mount Elbrus (Europe), Mount Aconcagua (South America), and Mount Kosciuszko (Australia).
Her husband, KK Ratre, Deputy Chief General Manager at MPEB (Madhya Pradesh Madhya Kshetra Vidyut Vitaran Company Limited) has been a pillar of support for Jyoti. He said, the family's savings have all been invested to let Jyoti fulfill her ambition, with costs for the Mount Vinson expedition alone reaching Rs 60 lakh while more than Rs 30 lakh have been spent in conquering Everest. “Jyoti has always been determined, and her passion for mountaineering has driven her to overcome every obstacle,” said KK Ratre.
Explaining how Jyoti grew ambitious about mountaineering, her husband says, it all began in 2017 when Jyoti went on a trip to Manali. "I could gauge she fell in love with the Himalayas time and again. She decided to scale Mount Everest but she was not trained and for people beyond 40, training is not imparted for Mount Everest," explained her husband.
When Jyoti finally went on a trip to Mount Everest in the year 2023, she had to abort the attempt due to ill health of a fellow crew member. She had completed the climb up to 8200 meters but had to give her Sherpa to the sick colleague and Jyoti had to return just 650 meters before conquering Everest. However, she tried again in 2024 and completed the climb in Nepal on May 19, 2024.
Jyoti runs her own business as well alongside mountaineering. She deals with uniforms for schools and corporate sector. With a manufacturing unit, she supplies to her clients in bulk. However, the profit she earns is spent on her mountaineering expeditions.
Jyoti has so far scaled the following mountains:
8 May 2017 - Saru Tal Trek, 3770 meters
30 June 2018 - Pin Parbati Pass, 5319 meters
10 July 2019 - Mahagunas Top Amarnath, 4276 meters
20 October 2020 - Deo Tibba, Kullu District, Himachal Pradesh, 5226 meters
22 October 2020 - Norbu Peak in Himachal Pradesh, 5226 meters
8 July 2021 - Mount Elbrus, highest mountain in Russia and Europe, 5642 meters
15 August 2021 - Africa's Kilimanjaro, 5895 meters
26 January 2022 - Everest Base Camp, 5364 meters
16 August 2022 - Satopanth Glacier, Uttarakhand, 5800 meters
25 December 2022 -Bermejo Pass, South America, 3937 meters
3 January 2023 - Aconcagua, Argentina, 6960 meters
12 April 2023 - Nagarjuna Hill, Nepal, 5100 meters
17 April 2023 - Conquered Imja Tse, better known as Island Peak, Nepal, 6100 meters
23 May 2023 - Gave up climbing Mount Everest, Nepal, after climbing 8200 meters
19 October 2023 - Mount Kosciuszko, Australia, 2228 meters
19 May 2024 - Completed the climb of Mount Everest, Nepal, 8849 meters
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