PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, May 23: Kaamya Karthikeyan, a 16-year-old mountaineering prodigy, successfully climbed the summit of Mt. Everest on May 20.
Kaamya supported by TSAF
Kaamya was supported by the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) in this expedition and was accompanied by her father, Commander S Karthikeyan, of the Indian Navy, who also summited the earth’s highest mountain above sea level.
Kaamya had trained under the expert guidance of TSAF instructors. She was also part of the Mt Kang Yatse 1 expedition organised by TSAF in Leh-Ladakh in August 2023. TSAF has to date supported 14 individuals to summit Mt Everest.
Chanakya Chaudhary, Chairman, Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, and Vice President, Corporate Services, Tata Steel, said: “We are incredibly proud of Kaamya Karthikeyan’s extraordinary achievement of summiting Mt. Everest at such a young age. Her journey is a testament to the spirit of perseverance, meticulous preparation, and unwavering determination. Kaamya’s success reflects the core values of TSAF, and we are honoured to support her in this historic endeavour. She is an inspiration to young adventurers everywhere, proving that with dedication and the right support, even the most ambitious dreams can be realised.”
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Kaamya’s Everest ascent: Strategic planning and rigorous climb
Kaamya, along with her team, reached Kathmandu on April 6. After extensive acclimatisation and several days of strategic planning to summit at the most suitable weather conditions, her final summit climb began on May 16 from the Everest Base Camp.
After a rest day at Camp 2 on May 17, they progressed to Camp 3 by 9.30 am on May 18 and further to Camp 4 on May 19 under tough weather conditions.
The final push to the summit began in the early morning of May 20. The team, led by an experienced Sherpa, made a strategic decision to start their climb at 4 am, considering weather conditions, especially wind speed.
The team’s exceptional fitness allowed them to start later than the usual 10 pm departure the previous night, providing a safer and more controlled ascent. Kaamya, along with her guide, Lakhpa Nuru Sherpa was the first of the team to successfully ascend to the summit at 12.45 pm Nepalese Standard Time (12.30 pm IST).
Four camps en route to the summit
Having completed all acclimatisation rotations till 6850 metres early in the expedition including a summit of Mount Lobuche East (6113 metres) on April 18, Kaamya and her father had returned to base camp for rest and preparation, awaiting a favourable weather window for their final ascent.
There are 4 camps after the base camp en route to the summit — Camp 1 at 6000 metres after crossing the treacherous Khumbu Icefall; Camp 2 at 6500 metres; Camp 3 at 7050 metres and Camp 4 (South Col) at an altitude of 7950 metres, where climbers have to wait before favourable weather provides a window for the final summit push.
