First Indian skier to complete the Polar Trilogy of North Pole, South Pole and Greenland.

There is almost no adventure activity that Ajeet hasn’t pursued. Certainly, one would have to search hard to find another chap with a similar enthusiasm for adventure. Whether it’s rafting down the Zambezi,  Colorado or Amazon rivers, or sea kayaking along the icebergs of Greenland or completing the polar trilogy – skiing to the North Pole, South Pole and across Greenland, nothing has ever seemed beyond his adrenaline-filled reach. For his numerous achievements, Shri Ajeet Bajaj  has been recognized many times. Shri Ajeet Bajaj was conferred the ‘ Padma Shri’ by the President of India in 2012. 

Shri Ajeet Bajaj is an adventurer and explorer, and  the first Indian to have completed the much coveted Polar Trilogy comprising skiing to the North Pole, & the South Pole and across the Greenland Icecap. With over 25 years of experience in adventure sports, he is the first Asian to have rafted and kayaked some of the most challenging rivers spanning six continents of the world. Shri Bajaj has done a number of first descents of turbulent rivers in India and is considered a pioneer of river rafting, kayaking and sea kayaking in India.

In April 2006, Ajeet became the first Indian to ski to the North Pole and the first to ski to both the North Pole and the South Pole in January 2007. Braving the most extreme conditions our planet

has  to offer, including temperatures going down to  a -60 degrees   celsius, unpredictablew
eather conditions and blizzards, Ajeet proudly unfurled the Indian flag at the Geographical South Pole on the Indian Republic Day, 2007. In May 2011. He skied from the West to the East coast of Greenland, skiing 550 kms over 20 days, with ambient temperatures touching (-) 23 degrees celsius, becoming the first Indian to achieve the feat.

Born on September 19, 1965, Ajeet was educated at The Lawrence school, Sanawar and St. Stephen’s college, Delhi. He has won a bronze medal in the national games for kayaking and one silver and two bronze medals in international rafting competitions in Switzerland and Siberia, Russia. He captained the international team for world white water rafting championships in Turkey in 1994. Ajeet has rafted some very challenging rivers of the planet including the Colorado and Alsek rivers (USA), the upper Amazon (Peru), the  Zambezi (Africa), the Choruh (Turkey), the Doroa Baltoa ( Italy – first raft descent), the Chuya and the Katun (Siberia, Russia), the Ottawa (Canada), the Inn (Switzerland and Austria) and the Tully, the Barron and the North Johnston (Australia). With extensive climbing experience in the Indian Himalayas, Alps and Africa, he is a qualified climbing instructor from French National School of Alpinism and Skiing. He was the first Indian to undertake sea kayaking expeditions in Greenland, Australia, Kerala and Andaman islands and is certified as an advance open water scuba diver.

Shri Ajeet Bajaj has, as a civilian, served as expedition leader and chief instructor for several river running courses and expeditions for the Indian Armed Forces and Special Forces. Many of these expeditions were on uncharted rivers in the Himalayas. He was the leader of the first descent kayak expedition on Pare Chu River in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh and the Kundalika in Maharashtra.

Ajeet was course director for River Running courses conducted for the National Institute of Water Sports in Sikkim on Teesta and Rangit rivers and kayaking courses conducted for instructors of Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi. He was the technical Director for International Adventure Challenge 2001 (India). Ajeet has played an important role in the development of adventure tourism in India and served two terms as the President of Adventure Tour Operators Association of India. He chaired the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, committee for national policy on camping and policy on caravan tourism and also a member of the National Tourism Advisory Council and was Chairman, Sub-Committee on Adventure, Sustainable, Wildlife and Eco-tourism for the 11th Plan (Ministry of Tourism). He received the ‘Hall of Fame’ award from the Adventure Tour Operators Association of India in 2009.

Ajeet is an Honorary Director, Himalayan Environmental Trust and a Fellow, Royal Geographical Society. He served on the advisory board for the Adventure Travel Trade Association world summit in Mexico in 2011 and is a member of the Training and Education Workgroup of Global Sustainable Tourism Council, a United Nations World Tourism Organisation. Shri Bajaj is the Managing Director of Snow Leopard Adventures P. Ltd., a National Tourism Award winning adventure tour Company.

He has undertaken travel in multiple countries spanning all the seven continents. In July 2008 he kayaked along the coast of Greenl and as part of an Indo-American team. The expedition’s aim was to create awareness about the effect of global warming on glaciers.

Ajeet has won a bronze medal in the national games for kayaking and a silver and two bronze medals in international rafting competitions in Switzerland and Siberia, Russia. He has captained an international team for world white water championships in Turkey.

Ajeet qualified as a climbing instructor at the French National School of Alpinism and
Skiing and has experience in a host of other adventure sports including skiing, rock climbing, snorkeling, sea kayaking, scuba diving, bungee jumping and canyoning.

He is a Fellow of the [[Royal Geographical Society] and is former President of the
Adventure Tour Operators Association of India.

Achievements

Chief Instructor for kayaking course conducted for instructors of Nehru Institute  of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi, India.C
ourse director for River Running courses conducted for the National Institute of Water Sports, Goa, India.Le
ader of first descent expeditions on the Nubra, Shyok, Ravi and Beas rivers in India.Lea
der of rafting expeditions on Indus, Zanskar, Yamuna, Bhagirathi, Mandakini and Alaknanda rivers for the Indian Army. First descent by Kayak of upper Yamuna.Expe
dition leader and chief instructor for forty-five river running courses and expeditions for the Indian Armed Forces.Many of these expeditions were on uncharted rivers in the Himalayas.Joint
leader of Indo-U.S. Kali-Sarda River Expedition (first descent) – 1987.Member
of a number of international expeditions in India:Indo-U.
S. Uttar Ganga Expedition (1984) in the upper reaches of River Ganges in the Himalayas.Member I
ndo-Canadian Sutlej Expedition (1985) which undertook first descent of the Sutlej River in the northern state of Himachal  Pradesh, IndiaMember In
do-Canadian Teesta expedition (first descent) – 1986 in North Eastern part of India.Technical
Director for Four Square International White Water Challenge 2001  India.Former Pres
ident, Indian Association of Professional Rafting Outfitters of India.Member of ex
ecutive committee *Nehru Institute of Mountaineering.Shri Ajeet Ba
jaj was Awarded Padma Shri in 2012

On May 13, when Delhi teenager Deeya Suzannah Bajaj, a grade 12 student from the Shri Ram School, set out on a cross-country skiing expedition to Greenland, she didn’t have the slightest clue what was in store for her in the days to come.

The challenge was to travel 340 miles in temperatures that went as low as -49OF Not to forget the ice, crazy winds, blizzards and rough climatic conditions that made things worse for the young girl.

And what was Deeya’s purpose in undertaking this challenging expedition? To raise funds to build a new wing for Ganga Vatika, a home for the daughters of leprosy patients, in Haridwar, India.

Back home in India, before she embarked on the expedition, she requested friends and family to pledge a certain amount of money for every kilometer she travelled.

May 31, Deeya unfurled the Indian tricolour in Greenland after successfully completing the challenge, the youngest Indian to have made it through the expedition.

Her journey took her from Kangerlussuaq on the west coast of Greenland to Isertoq, an Eskimo village, on the east coast. She was accompanied on the expedition by her father Ajeet Bajaj, the only Indian to have skied at both the North and South Poles.

Deeya was recently awarded the Aspire-TIE Young Achievers Award for her successful completion of the Trans- Greenland Ski Expedition.

In an interview with India Abroad, Deeya speaks about the challenges she faced during the expedition, the relationship she shares with her father and Ganga Vatika in Haridwar. A&W