BENGALURU: Two Bengaluru-based mountaineers, Santhosh Devarajappa, a 40-year-old businessman, and Dr Chinmayee Thrishulamurthy, 45, an ophthalmologist, scaled Mount Everest on May 21, marking the 60th anniversary celebrations of the Karnataka Mountaineering Association (KMA).
According to the association, the duo reached the summit of the world’s tallest peak, standing at 29,031 feet (8,848.86 metres), at 12.10 pm IST on May 21 through the traditional southeast South Col route from Nepal.
The climbers had begun their expedition from Bengaluru on April 4 and reached Kathmandu before commencing the arduous ascent. As part of their acclimatisation and preparation for the Everest climb, they had earlier scaled Lobuche East, which stands at 20,070 feet, on April 22.
The expedition was flagged off by Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah at Vidhana Soudha on March 9. A separate send-off event was later organised at Yavanika in Bengaluru on March 22 in the presence of adventure enthusiasts, friends and well-wishers.
The association said the climbers endured extreme weather conditions, high altitude challenges and difficult terrain during the 46-day expedition before reaching the summit.
Speaking to TNIE, S Srivatsa from the association said the successful Everest summit coincided with KMA completing 60 years. He added that the association had played a significant role in promoting mountaineering activities among more than 20,000 members over the years. He also noted that space had been provided at Sree Kanteerava Stadium to help the association continue its training and adventure activities.