A teenage all-rounder on ‘Mission Sahas’
Fourteen-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan is the recipient of Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2021. Daughter of Indian Navy Commander S Karthikeyan and Lavanya Karthikeyan, Kaamya’s tryst with the mountains began when her mum made an unplanned trek to the Vaishno Devi shrine in Jammu owing to a sudden road block in the Jammu–Srinagar route.
In fact, Kaamya, who has recently been honoured with a commendation by the Director General, National Cadet Corps (NCC), has embarked on the ultimate mountaineering challenge — ‘The Explorers Grand Slam’ or ‘Mission Sahas’ — to become the youngest in the world to summit the highest peak in every continent and ski to the North and South poles.
As part of Mission Sahas, Kaamya has already summited the highest peaks in South America (Mt. Aconcagua; 22,837 ft.), Africa (Mt. Kilimanjaro; 18,652 ft.), Europe (Mt. Elbrus; 18.510 ft.) and Australia (Mt. Kosciusko; 7,310 ft.). Endeavouring to complete the challenge by 2023, Kaamya hopes to become the world’s youngest to achieve the feat at just 15 years of age.
Besides the above, Kaamya has accomplished several unprecedented mountaineering feats, including three world records. In August 2017 she became the youngest girl to summit a peak about 20,000 ft. (6,000 m) by climbing the 20,187-ft. tall Mt. Stok Kangri. Making it look like a walk in the park, this youngster, who summited Mt. Aconcagua in South America, has also skied down from the summit of Mt. Elbrus in Europe.
“Inspired by my father’s mountaineering activities, I started trekking the Sahyadris from the age of three. Mother also accompanies me on some expeditions. My Himalayan odyssey started at seven, with a high altitude trek to the Chandrashila Peak (12,000 ft.) in 2015,” says Kaamya.
Since then, she has graduated to more difficult and higher treks and peaks like Har-ki Dun, Kedarkantha, Brighu Lake, Sar Pass and Roopkund Lake, and Mt. Mentok Kangri II in Ladakh. In May 2017, Kaamya trekked to the Everest Base Camp in Nepal at 17,600 ft., to become the second youngest girl in the world to accomplish the feat. As recently as September 2021, she embarked on a daring climb of Mt. Trishul-I (23,359 ft.), a peak well known for its rigours and dangers.
“Unfortunately, the climb had to be aborted at 19,000 ft. due to extreme bad weather. But I have promised the mountains that I will come back and complete the climb,” quips Kaamya.
In June 2022, Kaamya attempts to summit Mt. Denali in Alaska, the highest peak of North America. She even aims to travel to Antarctica, and ski to the South Pole and North Pole. Mt. Everest, the ultimate challenge in the ‘Explorers Grand Slam’, is slated to be accomplished in May 2023.
In preparation for the climbs ahead, Kaamya undertook 45 days of rigorous training at High Altitude Warfare School of the Indian Army at Gulmarg on 21 January. After undertaking a basic mountaineering course in Arunachal Pradesh, she plans to undergo the advanced course and training at Siachen base camp in February 2022.
An academically bright student, Kaamya has also been indulging in fine arts by learning to play the piano, guitar, Western and Carnatic vocals and giving on-stage performances of Bharatanatyam.
Summing up her motivating message in one line, “If I can, you can,” Kaamya goes on to add a message for the International Mountain Day: “I see huge prospects in the mountain adventure tourism sector, bringing more people to the mountains and visible improvement in the lives of the simple people in the region. But as a responsible mountaineer, I strongly feel that we need to lay equal focus on sustainable mountain tourism, to ensure that in the pursuit for growth, we don’t destroy the fragile mountain ecosystems and biodiversity. I want to see India and Indians set their mark in the mountaineering world.”
Defeated asthma to set world record
It didn’t occur to me, even in my wildest imagination, that one day I’ll climb the highest mountains and volcanoes all across the world or ski to the poles,” says 38-year-old Satyarup Siddhanta. “After all, how wild can a dream get for someone who was asthmatic till his college days, someone who couldn’t even run a 100-metre without an inhaler?”
But seeds of adventure germinated in the youngster during a trek in Tamil Nadu’s Parvathamalai. Soon, he was exploring the Western Ghats where he says bigger dreams of Everest were conceived. And two and half years later, Satyarup was at the Everest Base Camp.
After a lot of ups and downs, failures and setbacks, Satyarup today holds the Guinness Book of World Records for being the youngest conqueror of the world’s seven highest mountain peaks and seven volcanic peaks across seven continents between 2012–2019, including the Mount Everest, Mont Blanc and the Carstensz pyramid. He has also skied the last degree to the South Pole and is preparing for the last degree skiing for the North Pole in April.
Sharing his message on International Mountain Day, Satyarup says, “Mountains have made a better human being out of me. However, rapid urbanisation and exponentially growing unplanned tourism is putting a lot of pressure on the safety, security and livelihood of local mountain people. Massive deforestation without replenishment is causing unprecedented landslides, retreating glaciers, frequent avalanches and climate change. Sustainable mountain tourism must be developed but not at the cost of the ecology, flora and fauna and sanctity of the place. On this International Mountain Day, let us pledge to save the treasure — our mountains.”
The vegan techie who scaled Mt Everest
A 40-year-old computer science professional, Kuntal Joisher is an accomplished mountaineer who has climbed Mt. Everest from both Nepal side (May 2016) and China side (May 2019). Apart from this, Kuntal has also scaled Mt. Lhotse in 2018 (the 4th highest mountain in the world) and Mt. Manaslu (the 8th highest mountain in the world).
Besides mountaineering, Kuntal is passionate about three causes — raising awareness about Dementia, spreading the message of veganism and education of the underprivileged in Nepal.
What stands out about him is that even the jacket he wore during his Everest expedition was 100% animal-free and partially made from recycled materials. Moreover, he aims to climb the world’s seven highest summits on a completely vegan diet.
“It is popularly believed that one needs animal protein and milk products for rigorous physical activities like mountaineering. But I could train, summit and sustain at high altitude with cruelty-free vegan diet that typically comprises vegetable stews and soups, fruits, lentils, wheat bread, rice, potatoes, pasta, noodles, dry fruits, nuts, nutrition bars, electrolytes and energy powders, soy, oatmeal cookies and a few local snacks,” says Kuntal.
The multitalented Kuntal is also a photographer whose works have featured in the National Geographic, BBC Earth and Himalayan Journal among others. He has also been named one of India’s top 30 fitness influencers.
“During my journey of trekking and climbing, which spans over a decade, the mountains have been a great mentor to me and have transformed me. I request all the youngsters aspiring to climb the world’s toughest and tallest peaks to train hard, stay humble and above all respect the mountains, climb safely and enjoy being with nature,” he says.
Solo at Mt. Manaslu, sans supplementary oxygen
Anurag Nallavelli, a 29-year-old techie from Hyderabad who works in the US, first took to the mountains when he got stuck in a farm during the pandemic-induced lockdown in March 2020. The mountains induced a massive metamorphosis in his lifestyle. On 28 September 2021, Anurag became India’s first mountaineer to summit Mt. Manaslu (the 8th highest mountain in the world at 8,163 meters or 26,781 ft. above sea level) solo, without a Sherpa guide or even supplemental oxygen.
