Higher Than Everest: Memoirs of a Mountaineer

This is the inspiring true story of one of India’s most iconic mountaineers – Major HPS Ahluwalia, who was the member of India’s first successful expedition to Everest. But the story does not end with this spectacular achievement. In fact this is where the real story begins – for the struggle to climb Everest was but a preparation for an even bigger challenge that lay ahead. Just four months after his success, Major Ahluwalia suffered a grievous spinal injury in the Indo-Pak war of 1965. In a man of lesser courage, this could have destroyed his spirit but in Major Ahluwalia’s case, it ignited a deep passion. This is the story of how he fought ‘the impossible fight’ towards rehabilitation and how he achieved the ‘seemingly unattainable dream’ of building India’s first world class Spinal Injuries Centre. This is ultimately the story of how Major Ahluwalia conquered a Summit even higher than the Everest, the Summit of the Mind.

Major H.P.S. Ahluwalia

Major HPS Ahluwalia, during his distinguished career has made immense contributions in the fields of adventure, sports, environment, disability and social work. Following his advance training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute, Darjeeling, he climbed various peaks before conquering Mount Everest. During the 1965 Indo-Pak war, he suffered a bullet injury which resulted in his confinement to a wheelchair. Despite that, he continued to pursue his love for adventure by organizing pioneering events like the first Ski Expedition to Mt. Trisul, the first Trans-Himalayan Motor Expedition (1983) and the Central Asia Cultural Expedition (1994) following the Silk and Marco Polo’s Route. He has written thirteen books and has also produced an award-wining serial, ‘Beyond Himalaya’, which has been telecast worldwide on Discovery and National Geographic channels.