Amgoth Tukaram recently became the youngest person from Telangana to successfully complete three expeditions — to Mt Norbu (17,145 ft), Mt Rudugaira (19,091 ft.) and Stok Kangri (20,187 ft). Apparently, his training officers in NCC inspired him to take up mountaineering as a sport.
Recalling how he took to mountaineering, Tukaram says, “I was a Mallakhamb Nationals player and am an NCC Cadet too. I went for various NCC national training camps, and during the process, learnt that there were selections for mountaineering too. I was the only person from my battalion to be selected for the mountaineering camp at Uttarakasi, and since then, I have never looked back.”
That was in 2015, where Tukaram won three golds at the Uttarakasi mountaineering training course. He later pursued a Basic Mountaineering Course (BMC) at an institute in Kashmir and became the first person from South India to receive a certificate of appreciation in 2016.
The final year degree student of Noble Degree & PG College, Dilsukhnagar feels that the Stok Kangri expedition was the toughest.
“It is the world’s highest trekkable mountain and is extremely challenging. The weather wasn’t good but I waited for three days at the base camp and then proceeded on the expedition. The snow can be as high as 4 ft, and because of the high altitude, the pulse rate goes down. Drinking more water helps to enhance the pulse rate,” explains Tukaram, who believes that self-confidence is the key to success in mountaineering.
“You have to shed your inhibitions and fears, and be confident that you can pull off anything. When we are confident and determined, we can do just about anything,” he says, adding, “Sudhakar Rao (TSREDCO, MD) supported me a lot. Also, my friends in college helped me with study material when I missed out on the classes.”
Astoundingly, Tukaram has won 25 medals, including the Best Sportsman award from the Telangana Government in 2015.
“I am proud but I will feel satisfied only after my Mt Everest submission. First, I wanted to climb all the mountains, after which my next target would be Mt Everest through the South Col route. The reason I picked up the toughest route was because I believe I have it in me. The expedition has to be challenging and I am someone who relishes challenges. But to achieve that, I need a lot of funding which I am currently looking for,” concludes the young adventurer.
