Memoir of geologist, mountaineer Sudipta Sengupta to release on July 24

New Delhi, Jul 18 (PTI) A new book chronicling the work and adventures of Sudipta Sengupta, a pioneering geologist-mountaineer and one of the first Indian women to set foot in Antarctica in 1983, will hit the stands on July 24.

"Breaking Rocks and Barriers", published by HarperCollins India, narrates Sengupta's adventures as a geologist studying and doing fieldwork in remote areas across the world — from encounters with snakes in mines of Bihar and trekking across a 'black glacier' in Norway to being engulfed by a thundercloud in Sweden and being greeted by a flock of penguins in Antarctica.

Sengupta was part of the Third Indian Expedition to Antarctica that ran from December 3, 1983, to March 25, 1984.

The 77-year-old, who was trained by the legendary Tenzing Norgay, had several memorable mountaineering experiences too, whether it is the first women's expedition to Ronti peak in the Himalayas in 1967 or the all-women expedition to an unexplored peak, which they were the first to climb and name.

"It was an interesting journey along a road, with many ups and downs but it was also full of surprises, excitement and adventure. My experiences of mountaineering expeditions were just as thrilling.

"There was excitement, happiness, magic, and also loss and trauma. During the course of writing this book, I have revisited this journey and have felt the joy and pain again. I do hope that my readers will also enjoy my story and find this journey interesting," said Sengupta, winner of the prestigious Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology, in a statement.

In the book, Sengupta writes fondly of the many people — strangers, fellow geologists, mentors, mountaineering enthusiasts — she met in the course of her life, of the friends and colleagues she lost while providing a rare glimpse into what it meant to choose a career in science as a woman half a century ago.

Sengupta is the lone surviving summiteer of an expedition to a Himalayan peak that has been successfully climbed only once. She is also a member of the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.

"Here is a compelling narrative not just about rocks and minerals, but about breaking barriers and forging a path for oneself. Full of her adventures around the world — from the Arctic to the Antarctica, this book is a testament to her enduring spirit of exploration," said Tanima Saha, senior editor at HarperCollins.

The book, priced at Rs 499, is currently available for pre-order online. PTI MG MAH MAH