Ajeet Bajaj
Ajeet Bajaj (born 1965) is the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and the South Pole within a year.
Ajeet Bajaj | |
---|---|
At South Pole | |
Born | 17 September 1965 |
Occupation | Adventure sports |
Spouse(s) | Shirly Thomas Bajaj |
Children | Deeya Suzannah Bajaj and Meghna Ann Bajaj |
Parent(s) | Jai Dev Bajaj and Satya Bajaj |
Early life
Bajaj (also affectionately known as "Bagage") completed his schooling at Lawrence School, Sanawar.[1] At the age of twelve he climbed the 12,000-foot-high (3,700 m) Friendship Peak near Kullu, and then at sixteen years old he ascended the Hanuman Tibba, a 20,000-foot-high (6,100 m) peak. He graduated from St. Stephen's College, Delhi.[2]
Adventure
Bajaj is the first Indian to have skied to both the North Pole[3] and the South Pole, and has undertaken travel in multiple countries spanning all seven continents.[4] In July 2008 he kayaked along the coast of Greenland as part of an Indo-American team. The expedition's aim was to create awareness about the effect of global warming on glaciers.[5]
Bajaj has won a bronze medal in the national games for kayaking and a silver and two bronze medals in international rafting competitions in Switzerland and Siberia, Russia.[6] He has captained an international team for world white water championships in Turkey.[7]
Bajaj qualified as a climbing instructor at the French National School of Alpinism and Skiing and has experience in a host of other adventure sports including skiing, rock climbing, snorkeling, sea kayaking, scuba diving, bungee jumping and canyoning.[8]
He is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society and is former President of the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India.[2]
He with his daughter Deeya Bajaj climbed Mount Everest on 16 May 2018.[9] Making them the first father - daughter duo to do so.[10][11]
Achievements
- Chief Instructor for kayaking course conducted for instructors of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, India.[12]
- Course director for River Running courses conducted for the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa, India.[12]
- Leader of first descent expeditions on the Nubra, Shyok, Ravi and Beas rivers in India.[6][13]
- Leader of rafting expeditions on Indus, Zanskar, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers for the Indian Army. First descent by Kayak of upper Yamuna.[6]
- Expedition leader and chief instructor for forty-five river running courses and expeditions for the Indian Armed Forces. Many of these expeditions were on uncharted rivers in the Himalayas.[14]
- Joint leader Indo-U.S. Kali-Sarda River Expedition (first descent) – 1987.[6]
- Member of a number of international expeditions in India[14]
- Technical Director for Four Square International White Water Challenge 2001, India.
- Former President, Indian Association of Professional Rafting Outfitters of India.
- Member of executive committee Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.
- Awarded Padma Shri in 2012[15]
See also
- Indian summiters of Mount Everest - Year wise
- List of Mount Everest summiters by number of times to the summit
- List of Mount Everest records of India
- List of Mount Everest records
References
- Ajeet Bajaj says the school motto kept him going Archived 17 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine at expressindia.com
- https://blogs.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/author/ajeetbajaj
- Bindu Shajan Perappadan (7 May 2005). "Honoured for conquering North Pole". The Hindu. Retrieved 7 November 2011.
- "Ajeet Bajaj, Adventure in India, Adventure Tourism - Snow Leopard Adventures: The Beginning | Snow Leopard Adventures". Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- Kullar, Gagan Dhillon (4 June 2018). "The formidable challenge of scaling the Everest". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- "First Indian to ski to the North Pole". The Coca-Cola Company. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- Basu, Dyuti (29 July 2018). "DNA Mumbai Anniversary: Ajeet Bajaj - Father of Indian adventure tourism". DNA India. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- Kumar, Ashok (16 May 2018). "Bajajs become first father-daughter duo to scale the Mount Everest". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- Kapil, Shagun (3 June 2018). "Like father, like daughter". Deccan Chronicle. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- "Ajeet Bajaj and Deeya Bajaj Blog". Economic Times Blog. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ""Adventure Is A Way Of Life": India's First Father-Daughter Duo Who Climbed Mount Everest". NDTV.com. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- "Ajeet Bajaj Awarded Prestigious Honor by President of India for Work in Adventure Tourism". AdventureTravelNews. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- "Ajeet Bajaj – TOSB". Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- "Ajeet Bajaj Blog". Times of India Blog. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- "Padma Awards". pib. 27 January 2013. Retrieved 27 January 2013.