What can mountaineers who scaled Everest at 21, have conquered the highest peaks on all seven continents and trekked to the two ends of the Earth – the North and South Poles – challenge themselves with next?
Well, plenty if you are Tashi and Nungshi Malik. For even as the world was huddled indoors during the pandemic, the outdoorsy siblings, 29, participated in the 100% Women Peak Challenge, as part of which more than 700 female mountaineers from 20 countries scaled all 48 of Switzerland’s 4,000-metre peaks in March.
Dubbed the Everest Twins, the sisters, who live in Dehradun, a city in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand, have a resumé that might make Edmund Hillary envious. But as part of their success, the twins have faced life-threatening moments and financial hardship to fund their treks, as well as undertaken hours of rigorous training, cardiovascular conditioning, yoga and meditation, along with a strict diet plan to boost their strength and endurance.
“For climbing Antarctica’s highest peak, Mount Vinson, in addition to solid alpine snow and ice climbing skills, we needed considerable strength, endurance and high-altitude tolerance,” explains Nunghsi, who is elder by 21 minutes. "Just because we exercise regularly, it didn’t mean we could automatically scale the summit of the world’s coldest continent."
The sisters’ love for the mountains helps, of course. “We love the challenges mountains provide," says Tashi. "In fact, we thrive under pressure. In the mountains, we have last-minute decision-making and these are moments we always enjoy, even though they can often be death-defying experiences."
The twins recall how during their final climb from Camp 4 to the summit during their Everest ascent, Nungshi’s mask regulator stopped functioning. “The moment she came to know this, she gave up,” says Tashi. “And since her Sherpa was also going berserk, and was shouting at her, she almost turned back. But at that point, I made sure she didn’t, because we had dreamt of scaling Everest together. I motivated her to carry on, and together we set our foot on top of the world.”
“Being twins, it's hard to see ourselves as totally separate from our ‘other half’ because we enjoy having a continual companion and mentor,” says Nunghsi. “We both are best buddies and on a mountain it's very important to have someone you can count on. The trust we have and the bond we share has got us this far. At times when I am giving up my twin helps me cope.”
The sisters say they discovered their passion for the sport in 2010 when their father, Colonel Virendra Singh Malik, enrolled them at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Dehradun. Their experience of moving from one Indian state to another and reorienting themselves to new surroundings during their father’s various army postings further helped them conquer their fear of the unknown.
“We were exposed to adventure from early childhood due to our father’s love for the outdoors,” says Nungshi. “We tried parasailing at age 7, tied with a shawl to our father’s back. Rafting and skiing followed soon after,” she says, laughing.
During their mountaineering course, the twins revelled in the group energy, the physical and mental challenges, as well as the sense of greater self-discovery associated with successfully completing arduous tasks. “It was so different from the quintessential classroom-learning and less challenging physical activities that our schools and colleges offer," says Nungshi. "And being girls in predominantly male-dominated courses, it tremendously boosted our pride and sense of achievement."
Impressed with the twins’ grit and motivation, the instructors would often urge them to climb Mount Everest and started jokingly calling them “the twin Everesters”. This sowed the idea of conquering the mountain in the duo’s minds. “Climbing Everest symbolised our ability to dream big and to achieve it by combining passion with commitment. As Sir Edmund Hillary put it: ‘We do not conquer the mountain, but ourselves,’” says Tashi.
While the sisters rate climbing Everest as their “biggest feat”, they cite scaling Denali, Mount McKinley (6,190 metres) in Alaska, through week-long extreme weather conditions in the North American range in May and June 2014 as their toughest assignment. “While Denali is not technically difficult, the lower half is packed with crevasses, while above 14,000 feet are steep slopes of up to 50º on ice and many dangerous and exposed sections,” Tashi explains.
Also unlike Everest, where one can get help from Sherpas, on Denali you are on your own. No wonder then, unlike Everest, which has much higher success rates, only 35 per cent of climbers manage to scale Denali. “The total weight between the gear, food and other supplies can be up to 300 pounds [136 kilograms] between two climbers," says Nungshi. "At low altitudes of 7,000 feet where the climb first begins, some climbers find it too strenuous on their bodies to haul 150 pounds [68kg] between their backpack and sleds and drop out of the climb."
Apart from tackling real mountains, the duo say they have had to climb two other “invisible mountains”: finding funding for their extreme adventures (“a nightmare in India”) as well as the “gender mountain” in a country where considerable odds are stacked against women.
“Unlike many other sports, in India there is almost no funding for pursuits like mountaineering,” says Nungshi. "Very few people can believe that we scaled Mount Everest with 1970s vintage hired equipment."
Gender discrimination only made it tougher. “Indian society views mountaineering and outdoors as a boys' thing; girls taking it up is frowned upon," says Nungshi. "Then there’s the high risk to life and limb, which in the case of girls is a much greater concern for parents. Our parents were often cautioned by relatives: ‘What if the girls get injured or lose a limb, who will marry them?’”
However, apart from pushing the twins physically, their climbing experiences have also triggered deep inner change. “It has helped us see the bigger picture of life because we realise how fragile and precious life can be,” says Tashi. “The narcosis of the altitude, the adrenaline of the ascent and the fascination of high mountains drives us to forever keep pushing our limits. Walking our way up to the summit is synonymous with an inner journey."
If the twins weren’t mountaineers, what would they be? “Dancers,” they say in unison, laughing. “Strangely, while the former we discovered by default, we realised we’re quite passionate about dancing too. So, if for some reason we weren’t exposed to mountaineering, we’d most likely have become famous dancers by now."
RESULT
Bayern Munich 3 Chelsea 2
Bayern: Rafinha (6'), Muller (12', 27')
Chelsea: Alonso (45' 3), Batshuayi (85')
The specs
Engine: 5.2-litre V10
Power: 640hp at 8,000rpm
Torque: 565Nm at 6,500rpm
Transmission: 7-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: From Dh1 million
On sale: Q3 or Q4 2022
Omar Yabroudi's factfile
Born: October 20, 1989, Sharjah
Education: Bachelor of Science and Football, Liverpool John Moores University
2010: Accrington Stanley FC, internship
2010-2012: Crystal Palace, performance analyst with U-18 academy
2012-2015: Barnet FC, first-team performance analyst/head of recruitment
2015-2017: Nottingham Forest, head of recruitment
2018-present: Crystal Palace, player recruitment manager
The bio
Favourite book: Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer
Favourite quote: “The world makes way for the man who knows where he is going.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American essayist
Favourite Authors: Arab poet Abu At-Tayyib Al-Mutanabbi
Favourite Emirati food: Luqaimat, a deep-fried dough soaked in date syrup
Hobbies: Reading and drawing
Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week
The alternatives
• Founded in 2014, Telr is a payment aggregator and gateway with an office in Silicon Oasis. It’s e-commerce entry plan costs Dh349 monthly (plus VAT). QR codes direct customers to an online payment page and merchants can generate payments through messaging apps.
• Business Bay’s Pallapay claims 40,000-plus active merchants who can invoice customers and receive payment by card. Fees range from 1.99 per cent plus Dh1 per transaction depending on payment method and location, such as online or via UAE mobile.
• Tap started in May 2013 in Kuwait, allowing Middle East businesses to bill, accept, receive and make payments online “easier, faster and smoother” via goSell and goCollect. It supports more than 10,000 merchants. Monthly fees range from US$65-100, plus card charges of 2.75-3.75 per cent and Dh1.2 per sale.
• 2checkout’s “all-in-one payment gateway and merchant account” accepts payments in 200-plus markets for 2.4-3.9 per cent, plus a Dh1.2-Dh1.8 currency conversion charge. The US provider processes online shop and mobile transactions and has 17,000-plus active digital commerce users.
• PayPal is probably the best-known online goods payment method - usually used for eBay purchases - but can be used to receive funds, providing everyone’s signed up. Costs from 2.9 per cent plus Dh1.2 per transaction.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-final, first leg
Bayern Munich v Real Madrid
When: April 25, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Allianz Arena, Munich
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 1, Santiago Bernabeu, Madrid
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League semi-finals, first leg
Liverpool v Roma
When: April 24, 10.45pm kick-off (UAE)
Where: Anfield, Liverpool
Live: BeIN Sports HD
Second leg: May 2, Stadio Olimpico, Rome
Who has lived at The Bishops Avenue?
- George Sainsbury of the supermarket dynasty, sugar magnate William Park Lyle and actress Dame Gracie Fields were residents in the 1930s when the street was only known as ‘Millionaires’ Row’.
- Then came the international super rich, including the last king of Greece, Constantine II, the Sultan of Brunei and Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal who was at one point ranked the third richest person in the world.
- Turkish tycoon Halis Torprak sold his mansion for £50m in 2008 after spending just two days there. The House of Saud sold 10 properties on the road in 2013 for almost £80m.
- Other residents have included Iraqi businessman Nemir Kirdar, singer Ariana Grande, holiday camp impresario Sir Billy Butlin, businessman Asil Nadir, Paul McCartney’s former wife Heather Mills.
Hunting park to luxury living
- Land was originally the Bishop of London's hunting park, hence the name
- The road was laid out in the mid 19th Century, meandering through woodland and farmland
- Its earliest houses at the turn of the 20th Century were substantial detached properties with extensive grounds
MORE ON IRAN'S PROXY WARS
The specs: 2019 Haval H6
Price, base: Dh69,900
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Power: 197hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 315Nm @ 2,000rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 7.0L / 100km
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gifts exchanged
- King Charles - replica of President Eisenhower Sword
- Queen Camilla - Tiffany & Co vintage 18-carat gold, diamond and ruby flower brooch
- Donald Trump - hand-bound leather book with Declaration of Independence
- Melania Trump - personalised Anya Hindmarch handbag
In numbers: China in Dubai
The number of Chinese people living in Dubai: An estimated 200,000
Number of Chinese people in International City: Almost 50,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2018/19: 120,000
Daily visitors to Dragon Mart in 2010: 20,000
Percentage increase in visitors in eight years: 500 per cent
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Ferrari 12Cilindri specs
Engine: naturally aspirated 6.5-liter V12
Power: 819hp
Torque: 678Nm at 7,250rpm
Price: From Dh1,700,000
Available: Now
THE BIO
Favourite car: Koenigsegg Agera RS or Renault Trezor concept car.
Favourite book: I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes or Red Notice by Bill Browder.
Biggest inspiration: My husband Nik. He really got me through a lot with his positivity.
Favourite holiday destination: Being at home in Australia, as I travel all over the world for work. It’s great to just hang out with my husband and family.
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Dates for the diary
To mark Bodytree’s 10th anniversary, the coming season will be filled with celebratory activities:
- September 21 Anyone interested in becoming a certified yoga instructor can sign up for a 250-hour course in Yoga Teacher Training with Jacquelene Sadek. It begins on September 21 and will take place over the course of six weekends.
- October 18 to 21 International yoga instructor, Yogi Nora, will be visiting Bodytree and offering classes.
- October 26 to November 4 International pilates instructor Courtney Miller will be on hand at the studio, offering classes.
- November 9 Bodytree is hosting a party to celebrate turning 10, and everyone is invited. Expect a day full of free classes on the grounds of the studio.
- December 11 Yogeswari, an advanced certified Jivamukti teacher, will be visiting the studio.
- February 2, 2018 Bodytree will host its 4th annual yoga market.
More on Quran memorisation:
AUSTRALIA SQUAD
Aaron Finch, Matt Renshaw, Brendan Doggett, Michael Neser, Usman Khawaja, Shaun Marsh, Mitchell Marsh, Tim Paine (captain), Travis Head, Marnus Labuschagne, Nathan Lyon, Jon Holland, Ashton Agar, Mitchell Starc, Peter Siddle
Director: Jon Favreau
Starring: Donald Glover, Seth Rogen, John Oliver
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
TECH%20SPECS%3A%20APPLE%20WATCH%20SERIES%209
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDisplay%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2041mm%20%E2%80%93%20352%20x%20430%3B%2045mm%20%E2%80%93%20396%20x%20484%3B%20always-on%20Retina%20LTPO%20OLED%2C%202000%20nits%20max%3B%20Ion-X%20glass%20(aluminium%20cases)%2C%20sapphire%20crystal%20(stainless%20steel%20cases)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EProcessor%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Apple%20S9%2064-bit%2C%20W3%20wireless%2C%202nd-gen%20Ultra%20Wideband%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECapacity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2064GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EMemory%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%201GB%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPlatform%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20watchOS%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EHealth%20metrics%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Blood%20oxygen%20sensor%2C%20electrical%20heart%20sensor%20and%20ECG%2C%203rd-gen%20optical%20heart%20sensor%2C%20high%20and%20low%20heart%20rate%20notifications%2C%20irregular%20rhythm%20notifications%2C%20sleep%20stages%2C%20temperature%20sensing%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EEmergency%20services%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Emergency%20SOS%2C%20international%20emergency%20calling%2C%20crash%20detection%2C%20fall%20detection%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EConnectivity%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20GPS%2FGPS%20%2B%20cellular%3B%20Wi-Fi%2C%20LTE%2C%20Bluetooth%205.3%2C%20NFC%20(Apple%20Pay)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EDurability%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20IP6X%2C%20water%20resistant%20up%20to%2050m%2C%20dust%20resistant%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBattery%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20308mAh%20Li-ion%2C%20up%20to%2018h%20regular%2F36h%20low%20power%3B%20wireless%20charging%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECards%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20eSIM%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFinishes%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Aluminium%20%E2%80%93%20midnight%2C%20pink%2C%20Product%20Red%2C%20silver%2C%20starlight%3B%20stainless%20steel%20%E2%80%93%20gold%2C%20graphite%2C%20silver%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EIn%20the%20box%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Watch%20Series%209%2C%20woven%20magnetic-to-USB-C%20charging%20cable%2C%20band%2Floop%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EPrice%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Starts%20at%20Dh1%2C599%20(41mm)%20%2F%20Dh1%2C719%20(45mm)%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
How the bonus system works
The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.
The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.
There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).
All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League last 16, first leg
Liverpool v Bayern Munich, midnight, Wednesday, BeIN Sports
