Krushnaa Patil is the youngest woman in India to climb Mount Everest

She is only 19 years old but Krushnaa Patil has already become the youngest woman in India to climb the Mount Everest in 2009. 

And now, she is on a 7-Summit Quest, attempting to climb the tallest peak in every continent in the world. DNA chats with Krushnaa before she heads off to Australia on her next quest…

At such a young age, what drove you to climb mountains?
People may believe that climbing mountains is risky for girls. My uncle is in the army, so it has been a norm for my family to go to the mountains every summer vacation. It would never have been possible for me to do a 9-5 job.

Didn’t your parents want you to grow up like a normal girl and take up a passion which is not so risky?
I am so glad my parents understood my passion. They have supported me throughout. It’s actually my family who took the risk of taking up a loan of Rs 30 lakh from the bank so that I could climb Mt Everest.

Don’t you think you are missing out on your college life and studies?
Not many people get to see the world as I am seeing it today. I have learned more than what I have missed. When I grow old, I will be satisfied that I followed my heart and passion in younger days.

Has climbing changed you as a person in any way?
It has taught me the importance of life itself. After I climbed Mt Everest, my parents have started taking me more seriously in life. At an award ceremony, I happened to meet Vidya Balan and she actually said on the stage — “I feel like a ‘dwarf’ in front of this young girl”.

Are you single? What kind of a guy would you want in your life?
I am definitely single. I would want a guy who is open to adventure. Though I would want the guy to be a mountaineer like me, he must be able to sense the extremity I go through.