Pilani,Rajsthan: BK Dalip Shekhawat is an accomplished Mountaineer and Ultrarunner who recently waved Shiv Baba’s flag on the Geographical North Pole and Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. Dalip lives in Canada and is connected to BK centre Pilani in India. Dalip meditated daily and trained hard for both events.
Dalip has proudly waved Shi Baba’s flag in the remotest places on the planet. Dalip waved the flag on the top of Mount Everest, The Geographical North and the South Pole, the Sahara Desert, the Amazon Rainforest. and the 16 other mountain peaks of the world.
Dalip gives all the credit to Shiv Baba. Dalip had many choking points and obstacles during his adventures but Baba always helped Dalip to get through.
With Shiv Baba’s blessing, Dalip was awarded the Mahatma Gandhi Community Service award in October 2022 and in December 2022, Dalip received the Queens Platinum Jubilee medal for excellent community service.
First Adventure of the Summer: Dalip travelled to Kyrgyzstan from 26 July to 30 July 23, to take part in a brand new mountain ultra-race. The race is a 200km self-sufficient ultra marathon through the utterly stunning and iconic Tian Shan Mountains of Kyrgyzstan. There are five gruelling stages to complete in five days with 10,500 meters of ascent, making it have more elevation gain than Mt Everest.
The race itself is extremely tough, technical, and treacherous at an altitude of 4,000 meters. The trails are rugged and only accessed on foot. 85% of the terrain is not runnable, there are many sharp rocks, hidden gopher holes, moguls and divots to avoid. Runners must stay focused 100% of the time to avoid the risk of twisting an ankle or the risk of falling at any moment. Dalip had to endure vicious weather conditions with blazing temperatures, alongside that, Dalip witnessed two of the hottest days on record followed by hailstorms and heavy rainfall. During the race, Dalip observed glacier valleys, snowcapped mountains, high valleys, clear blue glacier lakes, and fast-flowing rivers. Out of 22 runners, only 12 were able to finish. The medal was hard earned and well deserved to those who finished, making it an adventure the finishers will never forget. The mountain ultra makes the list of the toughest races Dalip has done, after the Jungle Ultra.
Second Adventure of the Summer: North Pole Marathon: After years of waiting to run at the Geographic North Pole. Eleven runners from six countries made history, when they reached the Geographical North Pole via an icebreaker, and ran the first-ever marathon run by any humans at the North Pole in the summer season. All previous 16 editions were held at 89 N (110 km away from the Pole) in April on solid ice. The Marathon started on 16 Aug 23, with a temperature of negative two on the floating ice of 90N. The ice was soft, slushy and thin, as a result, all runners had to wear life jackets to avoid the risk of falling into the ocean. Under the watch of polar bear guards’, runners had to complete 82 loops to finish the classic 42.2km distance at the top of the world. Dalip is very thankful to his family, especially to his father BK Nathu Singh Shekhawat who mentored him to stay on track and follow the meditation guidelines very strictly. Dalip is also very thankful to BK Centre Pilani, sister Swati and sister Veena for showering their blessings and sending positive vibes during his trips.
