Gadwal youth sets sights on Everest

Hyderabad: “Scaling the Mount Everest is a gamble of triumph, loss or death. But, I am willing to take the risk not once, but twice,” averred Adem Kishore Kumar Yadav, a 25-year-old mountaineer from Gadwal.

Yadav, pursuing MTech, will become the first youngest Indian climber to have performed the feat after Arunachal Pradesh's 32-year-old Anshu Jamsenpa, who trekked the world's tallest peak twice within five days early in May 2017.

In an exclusive interview with The Hans India, Yadav said, “The Everest summit is my ultimate dream for which I have been preparing my body and mind for the past two years. It is the toughest challenge for every mountaineer. But for me, it is the only way to prove myself and make my parents proud.”

He will also be the second mountaineer from Telangana State to scale the majestic Everest after Poorna Malavath, a tribal girl from Nizamabad, who holds the title for being the country's youngest climber at the age of 13.

“I had begun my research on mountaineering in October 2016, and to my surprise, there were only a few from Telangana to have taken the Everest summit. But fortunately, I got a contact of former mountaineer after days of waiting. He had advised undergoing professional training under Shekar Babu, who had also helped Poorna.

Hence, I attended the basic mountaineering course at Kashmir and one-month advanced course in Arunachal Pradesh, to understand the challenges and dynamics of mountaineering, from where I developed the fascination for snow-capped peaks and glaciers,” Yadav said.

But, unlike other mountaineers who feel training is enough to ascend the deathly valleys of Everest, Kishore wanted to test his skills and put them into practice before he could take on the deadliest summit. So, he decided to embark on the journey to conquer Africa's highest peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro measuring 5,895 meters on December 23, 2017 by raising Rs 2.5 lakh fund all by himself.

“Kilimanjaro summit gave me an idea of how rough mountaineering could get. During this trek to the base camp, we would not get proper food because of which I would fall sick and vomit but, I was determined to complete the summit. The yoga asanas that I regularly practice and my passion for cricket kept me strong and going.

Finally, I was successful in reaching the base camp of the mighty mountain range, but the real difficulty began during my trek up the highest peaks of Kilimanjaro. Weather conditions became harsh dipping to -10 or -15 degree Celsius and regular afternoon rains added to our woes.

On December 24, I finally made it to the top. It was an overwhelming feeling worth all the painstaking journey I undertook. So, I quickly hoisted the Indian national flag and a special flag with slogans against terrorism and human trafficking, promoting world peace on the peak of Kilimanjaro. It truly was a proud moment,” gleamed the mountaineer.

The 25-year-old revealed that he would be beginning his summit to conquer the Everest twice in April and that it would be costing him around Rs 40 lakh to fulfil his dream. Speaking on the occasion, Kishore said, “Mountaineering has taught me a lot, from increasing my concentration levels to boosting my self-confidence, I have gained a lot from it.

But unfortunately, only a handful of people from our State have been successful in understanding its worth. Although many young people are now showing interest in the activities like rock climbing, trekking etc, there is still a great need to promote it on wider sections.”