Srinagar: Kashmir renowned Doctor and mountaineer Dr Varuna Raina recently scaled Black Peak (Kala Nag) in Uttarakhand at 6387m.
In a special interaction with Kashmir Horizon, she said she’s done more than 50 high-altitude Himalayan treks including Everest Base Camp and 3-passes trek without a guide/porter.
Dr Varuna was also selected as the Team Doctor for the Pre-Everest IMF selection camp in 2020. Born and brought up in Kashmiri family in Srinagar and family. She is an Anaesthesiologist by profession and a mountaineer by passion.
She completed MBBS from SKIMS, Srinagar, and Higher studies at
GMC (Jammu) and New Delhi. Dr. Varuna has has completed her Basic and Advance Mountaineering and Skiing courses and continues to challenge herself through an array of fitness activities.
“I am an avid runner and has participated in multiple half marathons and a certified Yoga teacher, and has experience in wilderness medicine,” she said.
She finds her reason for climbing in her endeavour to raise awareness about Diabetes, Mental Health issues. In July 2021, she climbed Kang Yatse II at 6,250m in Ladakh.
Dr Varuna was recently awarded the international World Explorers Collective
scholarship for mountaineering, which included only 2 Indians globally.
“My father was an avid mountaineer who took her on her first trek to the Amarnath cave via Pahalgam on foot.
Dr Varuna said he had dreamed about climbing Mount Kolahoi with her father and the dream almost became a reality when she climbed it as a tribute to her father and in memory of her mountain brother, Adil Shah who was an acclaimed mountaineer of Kashmir and tragically destiny snatched him on mount Kolahoi.
“The team fell 150m short of the summit and was caught in a crazy rockfall, which is when a huge rock fell on her knee. She suffered MCL ligament tear but it failed to dampen her spirit. She picked up her dreams and resumed climbing within a few months. She hopes to climb Mount Kolahoi again one day in memory of her father and her brothers Adil and Umar whom destiny snatched from us.
“My dad instilled a love for mountains in her heart and his loss put her life’s trajectory downhill until she retraced her steps and spirit back to mountains and climbing, which brought her strength back,” he said. Dr Varuna is currently resides in Gurgaon, but her heart is always in her homeland, Kashmir.
“Currently, she is training for her next mountaineering expedition in Nepal and is looking for sponsorship and funding to support her dream and mission,” she added.
