Vasanthi Cheruveettil, a 59-year-old tailor from Kerala, proved that age and experience are no barriers to achieving big dreams. Without any formal trekking training, she successfully reached the Everest Base Camp. Relying on YouTube videos and her own determination, she started her trek from Surke, Nepal, on February 15 and reached the South Base Camp on February 23.

Vasanthi Cheruveettil trained for four months before starting her trek. Each day, she walked for three hours to build her strength and practiced wearing trekking boots so her feet would get used to them. In the evenings, she walked another 5 to 6 kilometres with her friends to stay active.

Since she knew she would meet people along the way, she also learnt some Hindi to help her communicate. To prepare for the trek itself, she watched YouTube videos. These videos taught her important things like how to find the right path, stay safe, and deal with any problems that might come up during the journey.

Facing challenges on the journey

The journey was tough for Vasanthi Cheruveettil. Her original flight to Lukla got cancelled because of bad weather. So, she had to take a different route through a place called Surke. A kind German couple she met in Nepal helped her find the way.

During the trek, she met people from different parts of the world, including a father and son from Thiruvananthapuram.

The path wasn’t easy — she had to climb steep hills, walk on narrow trails, and cross deep valleys. She walked for six to seven hours every day, stopping to rest whenever she felt tired. “I walked slowly, using a stick, and paused every few steps to take deep breaths to avoid shivering and fatigue,” she said in an interview with Manorama.

Cheruveettil became famous after a photo of her waving the Indian flag at Everest Base Camp went viral. She wore a traditional Kasavu saree, representing her roots proudly. Last year, she also travelled solo to Thailand after her friends backed out. Now, with her tailoring business funding her travels and support from her sons, Vineeth and Vivek, she plans to take on her next adventure: trekking the Great Wall of China.

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