Heart Patient Somya Rakshit Climbs Mount Ama Dablam

Summary: A woman facing cardiac issues has reached a new high by climbing Mount Ama Dablam, boasting a height of 6812 metres, one of Nepal’s most physically demanding peaks.

The disease

Somya Rakshit, a young woman aged 30 years, was born with a medical condition, ‘Blue Baby Syndrome’, a congenital heart defect which makes the skin pale and turn a bluish hue due to the reduced levels of oxygen in the blood.

The surgery

When Somya was ten years old, her mitral valve began leaking. Doctors advised a heart transplant, but Somya’s mother decided against it and opted for surgeries instead. Thus, two open-heart surgeries were performed, one in Delhi and the other at the Military Hospital at Pune.

Doctors advice

Once the surgeries were performed, Somya was advised to avoid any form of strenuous activity.

The climber

Somya was born and brought up in an army family, and she has spent her childhood growing up in different cities. She has completed her Engineering degree from BBD University, Lucknow. She began working with OLA in Bengaluru in 2017.

The journey

Somya went on a short trek to Sandakphu Phalut in West Bengal in February 2020. It is from there that she saw Mount Everest for the very first time and was mesmerised by it. She knew at once that she had to attempt scaling it.

The training

She began preparing for the climb by way of light physical exercise, yoga, and log walks. She enrolled at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling, completing the basic and advanced levels of mountaineering courses, with top grades. Yoga helped her control her breathing, mind and fear.

The treks

In 2022, one year after enrolling for the Basic Mountaineering Course, she trekked to the Everest Base Camp, which made her all the more determined to consider mountaineering as a serious sporting activity.
In 2023, she completed the advanced course, and in 2024, she was selected by the Indian Mountaineering Foundation to participate in an all-women expedition and climbathon to the Bara Shigri Glacier in the Lahul-Spiti region of Himachal Pradesh.
She had climbed several 20,000 ft. peaks in Ladakh and gone for various Himalayan treks that strengthened her training and resolve, all the more eager to attempt climbing Mount Ama Dablam in Nepal.

The climb of Mount Ama Dablam

She undertook the climb on October 19, 2025 and was successful in summitting Mount Ama Dablam. Her team comprised eight members and Sherpas, of which four had to withdraw, leaving behind herself, four members and Sherpas to complete the climb. The climb was completed in 16 days (they had a tentative time limit of 27 days), way ahead of schedule.
Many trekkers experienced mountain sickness owing to the high altitude and thinning air, but Somya displayed no such symptoms.

The record

Somya has become the third Indian woman to scale Mount Ama Dablam. Next on her agenda is scaling Mount Kanchenjunga and finally Mount Everest, the dream of all climbers.

Conclusion

This shows how willpower, determination and a positive attitude helped her complete scaling a mountain peak despite her weak heart.

However, it is advisable to always consult your healthcare practitioner before embarking on such endeavours. Each person has a different constitution and limitations as to how their bodies can cope with pressure and high altitude. Proper and extensive training is required for mountaineering, as it can prove life-threatening too.

Source: Inputs from various media Sources