Aparna Kumar becomes 1st IPS Officer to complete 7 Summits Challenge

Indian Police Service (IPS) officer and DIG Frontier in Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Aparna Kumar recently scaled North America’s Highest Peak Denali (20,310 feet) in Alaska, USA. With this she became 1st civil servant to climb the rare mountain. She scaled this summit in her 3rd attempt.

Key Highlights

Mount Denali in Alaska was her seventh Summit in her mission ‘Seven Summits’ Challenge. By scaling Mt. Denali she completed her ‘Seven Summits’ Challenge.

She is the 1st civil servant and IPS officer to achieve this rare feat.

She also became 1st woman IPS DIG and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer to successfully complete South Pole expedition

Aparna Kumar– She is 2002 batch Uttar Pradesh (UP) Cadre IPS officer. She has been posted at Northern Frontier Headquarters of ITBP in Dehradun.

What is ‘Seven Summits’ Challenge?

It is the name given to challenge of climbing highest point in each of the 7 continents.

1st such challenge was completed in 1985 when Dick Bass, Texas oil tycoon reached summit of Mt Everest. Currently over 300 people have completed the ‘Seven Summits Challenge’.

The Seven Summit inlcudes

1. Carstensz Pyramid– 4884m; Location: Oceania (Australia – New Guinea)
2. Kilimanjaro– 5892m; Location: Africa
3. Elbrus– Height: Location: Russia
4. Aconcagua– Height: 6962m; Location: South America
5. Denali (or Mt McKinley)- Height: 6194m; Location: North America
6. Vinson Massif– Height- 4892m; Location: Antarctica
7. Mt. Everest– Height- 8848m; Location: Asia

Month: Current Affairs - July, 2019