Whole nights spent running around the streets of Ahmedabad with a 22-kg rucksack on his back turned out to be worth the effort for Gujarat cop Atul Karwal who scaled Mt. Everest this Thursday, making him the first person from any of the All India Services to accomplish the feat. Karwal, an IPS officer from the batch of 1988, made it to the world’s highest peak as part of a 15-member police team. Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi called it a proud moment for the State, congratulating Atul for his ‘atulya’ (incredible) achievement. Gujarat Director General of Police P C Pande was equally effusive: “It is an absolutely fantastic feat for Gujarat police. We are proud of him.”

The policeman’s family were on an emotional high as well. “We are absolutely elated. I am feeling a few thousand feet taller,” said Karwal’s wife, Anita, an IAS officer.

“He trained like crazy for the expedition,” said Anita adding that apart from his nocturnal sprint around the city, he would also perform yoga and run 12 floors of high rises 15 to 20 times with the same weighty rucksack. Karwal is no stranger to adventure: a scuba diving and sky diving enthusiast, he holds a black belt in karate and is an award-winning equestrian. He has also completed a rock climbing course with the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

Fifty-five mountaineers, including twenty-two Indians, from 12 different expeditions scaled the 8,850-metre Mount Everest over the past two days. 1

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