Aaryan Balaji trekked to the Everest Southern Base Camp on May 13 and stayed there for a night in the tents. The boy climbed atop Mount Kalapattar two days later.
"By far, Aryan is the youngest to have achieved this distinction. He not only trekked to the EBC but spent a night there in tents and took up the challenge of climbing Mount Kalapattar a day later," Balaji's father Commander Balaji told PTI.
He referred to the available statistics and information from the local mountaineering community in Nepal to claim his son's achievements.
"As per the records, before Aryan, there was an over eight-year old American boy who completed this trek. Last year, a South African girl, aged 10, had also successfully trekked to the EBC," he said.
Aryan also carried a tricolour which he unfurled atop the EBC and Mount Kalapattar.
"We ensured that Aryan is acclimatised properly to the cold weather of Nepal and the Himalayas and has the physical strength to take up the trek. Prior to the trek, we spent two months in Nepal and used to take 20-25 km walk thrice a week with him to build his capability," said Cdr Balaji now posted in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
Himself a mountaineering and adventure sport enthusiast, Cdr Balaji had been on many extreme adventures including climbing Mt Everest and skiing to South Pole and North Pole.
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