(February 1, 2022) Standing stop a mountain peak, covered with a blanket of clouds is a fantasy for children. Virat Chandra Telukunta is no different. His favourite cartoon show — Doraemon – a fictitious character in Japanese manga would transport him to the mountains and back, even as he sat comfortably in his living room.
Yet, unlike most children his age, the then seven-year-old decided to live his dream. A video call from his cousins trekking in Uttarakhand triggered his interest, and left a lasting impression. What followed was intense physical and mental training. Finally, he did the unthinkable for one so young. He went on to become the youngest person to conquer the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro – the tallest mountain in Africa. The rare feat not only brought the Indian child mountaineer laurels but also the Pradhan Mantri Bal Puraskar Award, given to children (five to 18 years of age) with exceptional abilities and outstanding achievements.
“The moment I was standing on the mountain peak covered with clouds, the only image on my mind was of Doraemon’s Nobita (a fictional character) and his friends jumping over the clouds,” laughs Virat, now eight. He was the only person from the state of Telangana among 29 others to have been selected for the prestigious award handed over virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, recently.
An Indian child mountaineer finds his ‘calling’
“It was very cold there, my body ached. All I wanted to do is achieve my goal, come what may,” beams Virat in an exclusive with Global Indian. It took six days for the Indian child mountaineer to summit. At one point during his climb, the child confesses, he was bored so he spiced it up with many breaks!
An inspiration to all, Virat is grateful for that video call in 2020 from his relatives in Uttarakhand. “I had just finished my online classes and my mother was feeding me when Karthik anna (brother) and Vaishu akka (sister), who were trekking Rudugaira mountains, call, sharing their experiences and the vista. I was fascinated by the mountains instantly and decided that I too wanted to climb mountains. That’s it, I had a lengthy discussion with my parents who agreed,” informs the Indian child mountaineer, a class III student of Gitanjali Devshala School in Hyderabad.
His father Sharat Chandra approached Bharat Tammineni, a mountaineer who runs Boots and Crampons, a Hyderabad-based academy to train trekking enthusiasts. “Bharat Sir first did a physical evaluation. I started training on December 15, 2020,” informs the excited Indian child mountaineer. Then began the rigorous training. The Hyderabad lad would run for 6-7 km every day, do Suryanamaskars, sit-ups, meditation and breathing exercises (anulom-vilom and kapal bhaati) and mock-climbed the Moulali Fort, supervised by Bharat and others. “I got a chance to prove my mettle when I participated in a 5k run. After successfully completing it, Bharat Sir told me I was ready, and he chose Mount Kilimanjaro,” informs Virat.
The road to Mount Kilimanjaro for the Indian child mountaineer
Training completed, Virat, his parents and coach left for South Africa on February 28, 2021. Once formalities were done, they proceeded with the trek on March 5. The first stop was Mandara hut at an elevation of 2,720 metres (approximately 28,000 steps). After spending the night there, the next day, they left for Horombo hut at 3,720 metres. “Enroute to Horombo hut, I was bored, and taking short breaks so my parents shared some inspirational stories (to motivate me). We reached Horombo hut by evening, and spent two nights there,” recalls Virat, whose parents accompanied him till Horombo hut. Thereafter, his parents bid the Indian child mountaineer goodbye, and he undertook the arduous trek to Kibu hut at an elevation of 4,720 metres. “This journey was very challenging,” informs Virat, who overcame multiple challenges – extreme weather and body wear and tear.
The following day, Virat woke up at 3.40 am and undertook the last leg of his journey. “It was a foggy day with heavy winds and snowfall. After trekking for hours, we reached the summit. I couldn’t believe what I saw. Clouds everywhere, and I was standing on top of it (images of Doraemon flitting past),” says Virat, eyes bright recalling seeing a rainbow for the first time. The Indian child mountaineer’s descent to his anxious parents waiting at Horombo hut was good. “On seeing me, my mother broke down and hugged me real tight,” smiles the child, whose name has been recorded in the Asian Book of Records and Indian Book of Records for his feat. “Thereafter, I got so many gifts,” smiles the super trooper who stuck to his usual diet comprising Indian food while summiting Kilimanjaro.
Next is Australia for the Indian child mountaineer
Now, the Indian child mountaineer, Virat is enthused, “I am preparing to climb Mount Kosciuszko, the highest mountain in Australia. Bharat Sir suggested it,” pipes Virat, who otherwise likes playing guitar, reading, cricket, skating and even dancing. “My target is to climb all the highest mountain peaks in the world before I turn 10,” pipes Virat, who has participated in many competitions – storytelling, fancy dress, shloka recitation, cycling and running race. One can even find the little lad cooking with his mother on occasion.
Named Virat, the Hyderabad boy says his mother came across the name reading Satyarth Prakasam. “Another reason is that the last letters of my parents name adds up to Virat,” smiles the Indian child mountaineer, an October 2013 born.
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