Girl wonder Kaamya Karthikeyan from Vizag is the youngest girl in the world to conquer the Mt.Everest base camp. At the age of 10, Kaamya has summited one of the highest Himalayan peaks - Mount Stok Kangri, which is 20,187 ft above sea level. Stok Kangri is not recommended for beginners and is considered as a dangerous climb for adults. She reached the base camp after 19 hours of toil - which shows Kaamya’s determination and her grit. In May this year, Kaamya had successfully reached the base camp of Mt Everest at 5,464 metres (18,200 feet). That same month, six youngsters from Andhra Pradesh created history by scaling the Mount Everest, and becoming the first non-Chinese team to open the route in a season.
Starting early, she accompanied her parents on weekend treks to Duke’s Nose in Lonavala where they were posted. At 3 and 4 years of age, she trekked on the Sahyadris and the taxing circuit of Rajgad in Pune later. Most of us at this age would have just started school and here, Kaamya is scaling new heights. Her parents have always been supportive of her love for trekking. She says her inspiration is her father, who is an enthusiastic mountaineer and is a part of the Everest Expedition Team. Back at home in Vizag, she has trekked Dolphin hills numerous times and has recently trekked risky and treacherous mountains like Har ki Dun(11500ft), Kedarnath(12850) and Roopkund(16500) in 2016. She believes that doing what you love not just decreases the obstacles but also pushes you forward beyond the minor problems and falls. Kaamya spends most of her summer holidays trekking but when she is back to school, she focusses only on her academics.
This brave mountaineer started her difficult climb with a group called India Hikes. The hike was from Jiri, the last motorable road to the base of Mt.Everest in Nepal. Kaamya was accompanied by her parents who also summited the mountain. They are her source of support - her mother accompanies her on every trek. Her father said that Kaamya plans on conquering Mount Kilimanjaro and Mt Elbrus next. Meanwhile, Kaamya says she plans to be a Forest Officer and merge passion and profession. So, here’s wishing Kaamya all the best and hope she achieves everything she aspires for and more.
