Visakhapatnam: A rare feat in four days

Visakhapatnam: When SVN Suresh Babu embarked on a mission to climb Mount Everest Base Camp, he was not sure how long it would take.

Wading through the knife-like chill of winter and Covid-induced challenges, the IT professional from Visakhapatnam was pleasantly surprised to conclude the trek in just four days, reaching an altitude of 5,364-mt above sea level.

Commencing the first leg of his trekking on December 20, 2021 noon at Lukla, the trekker was able to conclude his journey in four days. "Normally, it would take 12 to 14 days to complete the trek stretching from Lukla to Mount Everest Base Camp. Thankfully, I did not suffer from mountain sickness like many trekkers do. Except for an occasional headache, I was able to pull along continuously for 12-14 hours a day which included an hour-long break at high altitude," shares Suresh Babu, who works as a head of marketing for a firm headquartered in California. He bagged a certificate from Actual Adventure Private Limited for being the first Indian to reach Mount Everest Base Camp in such a short span of time.

After wrapping up his first part of the journey from Lukla to Namche Bazaar on day one, the trekker was able to conclude his last leg of the trek on December 24 by 4:30 pm. "It was only on the day-two, I realised that I covered almost half the distance of my solo trek," says Suresh Babu, who did his BTech (Chemical Engineering) in Andhra University and MBA in Griffith University, Australia.

Sharing his challenges with The Hans India, Suresh Babu says, "It was difficult to get proper food while on a mission. So, I relied on energy bars, processed food and other stuff. In addition, challenges cropped up in the form of rocky terrains and snowy weather conditions."

His marathon was monitored by the Government of Nepal along with the Nepal-based institute.

Mountaineering has been part of Suresh Babu's life for the past five years. Prior to the solo trek to the Mount Everest Base Camp, the trekker has done short term adventure courses. "Apart from trekking along the Eastern Ghats and training in gyms, these short-term courses aided in keeping my body and mind agile," he adds.