Retired Judge, 64, Treks to Everest Base Camp on Impulse

A retired Delhi High Court judge stood at 5,364 meters above sea level, wondering how she got there. The answer was simple: her husband needed someone to go with him, and she thought, "If he can do this at 66, why can't I?"

Justice Poonam A Bamba spent 19 years on the Delhi bench before retiring in 2023. Fifteen months later, at age 64, she impulsively joined her husband Anil's long-planned trek to Everest Base Camp despite never intending to go.

She did not train at the gym or practice high-altitude endurance. Instead, she relied on what she calls a disciplined life: daily five-kilometer walks, meditation, pranayama breathing, and dancing when the mood struck.

In November 2024, she flew to Nepal with surprisingly little preparation. An Air Force contact assessed her fitness and gave a cautious nod, but beyond that, Justice Bamba simply trusted her body and mind.

The ten-day trek covered over 65 kilometers through suspension bridges, dense forests, glaciers, and frozen rivers. Each day meant walking nearly eight hours, often struggling to eat breakfast due to altitude effects and ending in bone-chilling cold.

The mountain taught without mercy. Justice Bamba lay in lodges some nights genuinely wondering if her body would let her rise in the morning, but it always did.

Why This Inspires

Through exhaustion and doubt, Justice Bamba discovered something unexpected: profound gratitude for her own body. She found herself appreciating every part, from her lungs to her saliva, realizing how resilient and wondrous our bodies truly are.

The cold that seeped through layers, the altitude that stole appetite, the darkness that swallowed the sky between breaths—all of it became part of an education she never expected. She went for joy, not achievement, and found both.

Standing on a swaying suspension bridge above the Dudh Kosi river, looking up at a glacier, she felt what she describes as being "held by the divine." The experience changed her relationship with aging, fear, and what she believed her body could do.

Justice Bamba's trek challenges the assumptions we make about age and ability. Her preparation was not special training but consistent, disciplined living and the courage to say yes when opportunity knocked unexpectedly.

The mountains agreed that daily walks, breath work, and an open mind were enough to carry her to one of the world's most challenging destinations—and the journey taught her that our bodies are far more capable than we give them credit for.