Indian boy successfully climbs Kalapatthar peak

Image
Press Trust of India Kathmandu
Last Updated : Oct 19 2014 | 4:51 PM IST
A five year and 11 month old Indian boy claimed to have set a new world record by successfully climbing Kalapatthar peak, some 200 metre above the base camp of Mount Everest in Nepal.
Harshit Saumitra, the son a famous mountaineer from India, reached 5,554 m high Kalapatthar on October 17.
Harshit's climbing team included his father Rajeev Saumitra and two Sherpa guides.
Harshit had embarked towards the Everest base camp on October 7, when he landed at Lukla Airport by a helicopter.
It took the boy 10 days to reach the base camp, for which ordinary people take 7 days.
"I had taken special precaution for his safety and his health condition is perfectly sound," said his father.
Harshit was moving towards the base camp located in North-East Nepal at a time when dozens of people, mostly foreigners, lost their lives in the Himalayas, due to snow blizzard in North-West Nepal.
"We took two days' rest at a tent on way to the base camp to protect from the blizzard," Rajeev said.
He has not shown any symptoms of headache or high altitude sickness during the climbing, despite his young age, he added.
"Jay Hind, India is the great," Harshit said waving the Indian tri-colour after reaching Kalapatthar.
The peak is higher than the highest peaks of three continents, Europe's Mount Blanc (4,810 m), Antartica's Vinson Massif (4,892 m) and Australia's Punack Jaya or Carstensz Pyramid (4,884 m).
Harshit has set a world record by breaking earlier records, claimed his father Rajeev at a press conference in Kathmandu.
The boy had broken the record set by seven-year-old Aryan Balaji, another Indian boy, who had reached the Everest base camp and Kalapatthar in May 2012.
Harshit's father said that he will start the process of registering the name of Harshit for Limca Book of Records from tomorrow.
"We will provide all the evidences including his birth certificate and the video clippings of the climbing," he said.
"We are also considering to apply for Guinness World Records for our claim of setting a world record shortly," he added.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 19 2014 | 4:51 PM IST

Next Story