SPORTS & WELLNESS
The Do-or-Dive spirit
Chandigarh boy Ranjit Bajaj becomes the first Indian to swim in the Pumori Glacial Lake. The Limca Book of Records is all set to include his feat in their 2013 edition. Bajaj talks to Vaibhav Sharma about his desire to push himself beyond the limits

Ranjit Bajaj holds aloft the Tricolour after his record-breaking swim in the Pumori Glacial Lake

What defines the character of a man is often what he defines as his limit. The point where he thinks he cannot go on. Where he gives in and turns around, ready with an excuse.

But then character is like a rough diamond. Some people live cozy with the knowledge that somewhere inside the rough exterior, lies a shining gem, and some others, hit every possible obstacle, with utmost zeal, and look at the roughing up as an integral part of the quest.

Keeping that in mind, what would you call an act of jumping into a semi-frozen lake, at the foot of Mount Everest? With temperatures ranging close to -45 degree, and possible repercussions, including severe hypothermia and pulmonary oedema? That is a question many would struggle to answer. But for Chandigarh lad Ranjit Bajaj, life has been about going left, when everyone is going right.

Ranjit did, what can be termed under "normal" circumstances, as the unthinkable when he swam in the Pumori Glacial Lake, which is considered to be the highest swimmable lake in the world. He swam in the lake for 10 seconds, knowing fully that the outcome could have been lethal. In his own words, "I wouldn’t have expected someone to jump in to my rescue had something gone wrong. Those were the most exhilarating 10 seconds though. It was worth the risk in the end for it all worked out just fine."

His effort has been officially recongnised by Limca Book of Records, after he provided them with the relevant video-recording of the swim, and will be part of their 2013 edition as the "Highest Altitude Swim by an Indian". But you don’t do these things hoping to figure in a record book. The motivation has to be more concrete than that, and in his case it certainly was.

"I knew that no Indian had tried this before, although a couple of foreign nationals have. But the reason was not to make a record, or a loud statement. I wanted to feel the rush, the bliss that is only attained when you are at the brink. It was extreme, yes, but the feeling I had, was beyond the extreme. I really believe that you live more in those seconds, than you would in five years."

Ranjit was in the Khumbu region of Nepal as part of an expedition that had swimmers, trekkers and climbers from all across the globe. He was the sole Indian in the expedition that was led by veteran Canadian climber Tim Ripple. It was all being done, with an eye on his plan to scale Mt Everest in 2013, and the conditions were fitting as they headed for Mount Pumori, which stands at 7145 metres.

It is considered to be a climb almost on a par with that of the Everest, and is the best training ground for someone who wants to scale the highest peak in the world. The temperature and the conditions are suitable and give one the right idea of what he is getting into. But it is not a case of turning up and going up the mountain. Far from it!

The human body needs time to get used to such low temperatures, and Ranjit went through an extensive programme to attune his body to the rigours ahead.

It took him and his team eight days to reach the Pumori base camp, which lies at the same altitude as the Everest base camp. This was to be their "home" for the next 10 days. Despite this being his first attempt, Ranjit braved the conditions, even as two of his team members fell through with sickness.

But the team failed to reach their goal, Mt Pumori, as the weather took an unexpected turn for the worse. The wind speed picked up, and snow storms meant that they could go no further. The team was lucky with not going ahead as avoiding avalanches and snow storms at their base camp was a menial job, when compared to what they would have faced at the peak summit.

"I was disappointed, yes. But I guess these things are a part and parcel of the venture. Had the weather not changed as it did, I would have become the first Indian to scale the summit of Mt Pumori. But as I said, records are not the motivation. When the time is right, it will happen, and not just Pumori, even Everest will. I am working on it, and I begin my training from February onwards. It is a big, big dream`85 and I want to see it realised standing at pretty much top of the world."

He gets up, and leaves the hot coffee untouched. As the fire to attain big goals within him burns up, it seems he is already getting cold for the ordinary.