MADHYA Pradesh Police constable Varsha Patel, posted in Jabalpur, has successfully scaled Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak and hoisted the Indian Tricolour along with the Madhya Pradesh Police flag at the summit. Patel, daughter of Gauri Shankar Patel, reached the 18,510-foot (5,642-metre) summit at 9:07 am on August 21. Her achievement has brought pride to her family, the Madhya Pradesh Police, Jabalpur and the country. Patel has had a keen interest in sports and mountaineering since childhood. She is also a national-level baseball player and has won more than 10 medals at national competitions. In 2024, Patel became the first woman constable of Madhya Pradesh Police to hoist the Tricolour on Mount Kosciuszko, Australia’s highest peak. Continuing her mountaineering journey, she has now added Mount Elbrus to her achievements.

 

The Elbrus expedition began on August 11. The team faced unpredictable weather, strong winds and extreme cold and had to wait several days for favourable conditions. The summit push was finally undertaken on August 20 and 21. Varsha Patel aims to climb the highest peaks of all seven continents and complete the prestigious Seven Summits challenge. Her next target is Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak. She said mountaineering is not merely an adventure for her but a commitment to carry India’s Tricolour to the world’s highest peaks. The international expedition was organised by NSY Outdoors and led by renowned Indian mountaineer Narendra Singh Yadav. Patel’s journey from a national-level athlete to an international mountaineer is being hailed as an inspiring example of courage, discipline and determination, particularly for women aspiring to pursue challenging goals.