# Uttarakhand born mountaineer, marathon runner and mother of one adds North America’s highest mountain to her Seven Summits journey after overcoming extreme weather and one of mountaineering’s toughest expeditions
Indian mountaineer and endurance athlete Kavita Chand has successfully summited Denali (6,190 metres), the highest peak in North America, adding another significant milestone to her mission of climbing the highest mountain on each of the world’s seven continents.
Born and raised in Almora, Uttarakhand, and now based in Mumbai, Kavita left her corporate career in 2024 to pursue long-distance running and mountaineering full-time. She is also the mother of a 10-year-old child and has steadily built a reputation as a dedicated endurance athlete and high-altitude mountaineer.
Located in Alaska, Denali is widely regarded as one of the most challenging peaks in the Seven Summits challenge due to its extreme weather conditions, high altitude and self-supported climbing format. Unlike many major expeditions where logistics support is available, climbers on Denali must carry all their own gear, food, fuel and supplies throughout the journey.
During the expedition, climbers typically haul between 80 and 125 pounds of equipment, divided between a backpack and a sled. On the lower sections of the mountain, they carry heavy backpacks while pulling loaded sleds across glaciers. As the terrain becomes steeper at higher camps, sleds can no longer be used, requiring climbers to carry all essential equipment on their backs.
Kavita’s expedition began on 19 May with team meetings and gear inspections in Anchorage, Alaska. The team travelled to Talkeetna on 20 May, from where climbers fly to the glacier that serves as the starting point of the expedition. Poor weather delayed flights for two days before the team finally reached Denali Base Camp on the evening of 22 May.
The climb followed Denali’s demanding “double carry” approach, under which climbers transport part of their equipment to a higher point, store it as a cache in the snow, return to a lower camp, and then carry the remaining supplies upward. This process requires climbers to cover much of the route twice while carrying heavy loads in challenging conditions.
The team established Camp 1 on 23 May and spent the following days carrying and retrieving cached equipment while gradually moving higher on the mountain. Harsh weather repeatedly disrupted progress, forcing delays and additional rest days. The climbers moved to Camp 2 on 25 May, reached Camp 3 on 30 May, and advanced to Camp 4 on 3 June. After a final rest day, they launched their summit push on 5 June.
The successful ascent marks the fourth major peak in Kavita’s Seven Summits journey. She climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe, in August 2025, followed by Vinson Massif, Antarctica’s highest peak, in December 2025, and Aconcagua, the highest mountain in South America, in January 2026.
Alongside her mountaineering achievements, Kavita has established herself as a strong endurance athlete. She is a Boston Marathon-qualified runner and has completed four World Marathon Majors — Berlin (2024), London (2025), New York (2025) and Boston (2026). At the 2025 New York City Marathon, she finished as the fastest Indian female participant.
She has also excelled in HYROX fitness racing, winning both the Delhi and Mumbai HYROX events in 2025.
Reflecting on her journey, Kavita said balancing motherhood, endurance sports and high-altitude mountaineering demanded discipline, resilience and perseverance. She believes consistent effort and determination can help individuals achieve ambitious goals regardless of the challenges they face.
With successful ascents across Europe, Antarctica, South America and now North America, Kavita continues her pursuit of the prestigious Seven Summits challenge while inspiring more Indians, particularly women, to explore endurance sports and mountaineering.
