It has taken 7 summits, 7 continents, 7 years of climbing for 17-year-old Kaamya Karthikeyan to become the world’s youngest female mountaineer to climb the highest peaks, reaching a milestone of ‘Mission Sahas’ – a 7-summits challenge
Kaamya Karthikeyan, the youngest to conquer the Seven Summits, shares her incredible journey of challenges, resilience, and triumph. (Image by arrangement)
Having had her first rendezvous with the Himalayan mountains when she was in the womb, as her mother had trekked to the Vaishno Devi shrine, her tryst with the mountains continued right through her early childhood and teenage as thereafter she summitted numerous hills and mountain peaks. At the age of 10, she did her first international summit to Mount Kilimanjaro, (5685 metres) in Africa in October 2017. Her last two expeditions were Mount Everest (8849 metres) on May 20, 2024 and Mount Vinson (4892 metres) in Antarctica on Christmas eve.
Challenging expeditions
For Kaamya, out of the seven peaks, the most challenging expeditions had been to Mount Denali (6190 metres) in North America and Mount Everest (8849 metres). “Though all the expeditions have been equally challenging in their unique ways, but physically I felt the climb to Mount Denali exhausting because there were no porters and we had to carry not just our 20-kg backpack but also a sledge that weighed about 45-50 kgs with all our food, tents, equipment, clothing, everything for the 20-day-long expedition. Also, the climb on Mount Everest was also difficult because we were on the mountains for two months continuously and climbing above 8,000 metres; even with supplementary oxygen it is definitely a huge challenge. However, the more difficult the climb, the more I get to learn from it.”
For Kaamya, out of the seven peaks, the most challenging expeditions had been to Mount Denali (6190 metres) in North America and Mount Everest (8849 metres). “Though all the expeditions have been equally challenging in their unique ways, but physically I felt the climb to Mount Denali exhausting because there were no porters and we had to carry not just our 20-kg backpack but also a sledge that weighed about 45-50 kgs with all our food, tents, equipment, clothing, everything for the 20-day-long expedition. Also, the climb on Mount Everest was also difficult because we were on the mountains for two months continuously and climbing above 8,000 metres; even with supplementary oxygen it is definitely a huge challenge. However, the more difficult the climb, the more I get to learn from it.”
“In comparison, the climb to Australia’s highest peak Mount Kosciuszko (2228 metres) was the easiest because it was only a one-day hike from the base to the summit and back. But we faced some high winds while we were climbing this low-altitude summit. My mom and I were the only people who summited on that day,” adds Kaamya.
Biggest learning experience
“The mountains have taught me how to be humble. They allowed me to reach the summits and being there among those beautiful, majestic mountains really shows how small we are compared to these mighty mountains. I have faced backlashes while climbing, while trying to get permits for these mountains.... But I realised if you are determined, then everything will eventually come together for you.” Recounting memorable experiences, Kaamya said, “Prior to my expedition to Mount Elbrus (5642 metres), in Europe, we couldn’t find any small boots of my size. Finally, I climbed in June 2018 wearing a pair of snowboarding boots, sat on the summit of Mount Elbrus in the freezing cold and changed into my skiing boots to ski down. For Mount Aconcagua (6962 metres, summited on February 2020) in South America, we had to fight a family court case in the Argentinian family court for two weeks before we could even get a permit for me to climb as a minor climber. Also, due to my age, the guides made up a fake issue about my high-altitude sickness and turned us back all the way down to the base camp and from there getting a new guide and then doing the entire expedition a second time taught me a lot about the resilience.”
Thankful for the support
“Jayanti Khan Chauhan from Bisleri Vedica supported me with over `50 lakh to fulfil my expedition dreams. Also, my parents’ support has been very important. Without my father Commander S Karthikeyan getting into mountaineering, I wouldn’t have been inspired to take up trekking and mountaineering. In my later treks, he had always been my best climbing partner along with my mother Lavanya, who took me out for my initial few treks in the Himalayas.
Biggest learning experience
“The mountains have taught me how to be humble. They allowed me to reach the summits and being there among those beautiful, majestic mountains really shows how small we are compared to these mighty mountains. I have faced backlashes while climbing, while trying to get permits for these mountains.... But I realised if you are determined, then everything will eventually come together for you.” Recounting memorable experiences, Kaamya said, “Prior to my expedition to Mount Elbrus (5642 metres), in Europe, we couldn’t find any small boots of my size. Finally, I climbed in June 2018 wearing a pair of snowboarding boots, sat on the summit of Mount Elbrus in the freezing cold and changed into my skiing boots to ski down. For Mount Aconcagua (6962 metres, summited on February 2020) in South America, we had to fight a family court case in the Argentinian family court for two weeks before we could even get a permit for me to climb as a minor climber. Also, due to my age, the guides made up a fake issue about my high-altitude sickness and turned us back all the way down to the base camp and from there getting a new guide and then doing the entire expedition a second time taught me a lot about the resilience.”
Thankful for the support
“Jayanti Khan Chauhan from Bisleri Vedica supported me with over `50 lakh to fulfil my expedition dreams. Also, my parents’ support has been very important. Without my father Commander S Karthikeyan getting into mountaineering, I wouldn’t have been inspired to take up trekking and mountaineering. In my later treks, he had always been my best climbing partner along with my mother Lavanya, who took me out for my initial few treks in the Himalayas.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
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