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N Muthamiz Selvi on the summit of Everest Photo credit: Special Arrangement
At 12.20 am on May 23, N Muthamij Selvi, a Japanese teacher from Tamil Nadu, was one of the first people to climb Mount Everest. But no one has reached the peak at this hour. The summit usually takes place between three and four in the morning after the climbers start from the fourth camp of Everest 12 hours earlier.
“I had no choice. We were running out of oxygen in my cylinder and the cold winds were relentless. I had to start the summit and immediately turn back to make sure I could come back alive,” she said.
In the dark and biting cold, Muthamij Selvi managed to return to Camp 4, remembering only the hysterical cries of her foreign co-climber after her summit. “This is not a game. It is literally, ‘do or die’. I had to power on. And how will I look after my children?” she asks.
At a time when climbing the world’s highest peak is now touted as safer, stories like Muttamij Selvi’s show that returning safely requires more than determination and fitness. What was her 56-day journey of after-death experiences, grief, pain and ecstasy? she answers.
Step by step
“The reason the climb was grueling and took 50 odd days was because we had to go back and forth to the four camps leading up to the summit to make sure we were acclimatised to the altitude. It is only the final climb that will take us to the top of Everest,” she said.
Trekkers must know their routes and learn to work well with ropes tied around the mountain. For Muthamij Selvi, who was born in Virudhunagar and later moved to Cuddalore and Chennai, mountains are not something you see every day. She learned the basics quickly and made sure her health was intact. However, her body never cooperates.
N Muthamiz Selvi at Everest Base Camp
Her climb from Camp 2 to Camp 3 was grueling as her oxygen mask malfunctioned, but she said she was determined to scale the mountain because she had promised so many people — her family, the Sports Ministry in TN that helped fund her, and her sponsors.
“At Camp 3, my blood pressure saw a sharp drop. I was advised against climbing as it was too taxing on my body. I ate somehow despite severe altitude sickness and took some rest to regain strength. After the doctor gave the OK I was allowed to proceed to my summit” she said.
Learning from loss
The final trek from Muttamizh Selvi Camp 4 to the summit and back brings to mind the folk songs sung by the early explorers. The climber, who was only supposed to rest for two hours, spent another four hours at Camp 4 due to heavy snow and unforgiving winds. “Our team decided to go out in the sixth hour despite the -40°C condition, because if we didn’t, we might not have enough oxygen to climb down,” she said. She peaked for exactly 10 minutes before she began to descend. She got help from a Mexican trekker who helped her survive, she said.
With the Indian flag
Despite his steadfast attitude, Muthamiz Selvi’s spirit was broken when he saw the death of other summit aspirants. “It changes you. At Everest, you realize that life is all about survival,” she said.
She says she is happy to be alive and back to her family. On her return, she met Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin, who admired her courage. She is eager to spread this message with determination while achieving her goals. “If you really want to, you can put your mind to it,” says Muthamiz Selvi.
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