No mountain too tall for 13-year-old Amey
ADILABAD: A resident of Adilabad, Amey Sanjay Gawale recently became the youngest person at 13 years and one month to reach the south base camp of Mount Everest. A student of Class 8 at a private school, Amey was determined despite the clear obstacles on his path. Accompanied by his adventure-junkie parents, he started the trek towards the Everest Base Camp (EBC), situated at an elevation of 17,598 feet (5,364 metres), from Lukla in Nepal on April 4. From there, he proceeded to Namche Bazaar (elevation of 11,290 feet) and then to Dingboche (elevation of 13,980 feet).
During the trek, he took breaks to get acclimatised to the high altitude and low oxygen in the atmosphere. Surrounded by snow-clad peaks in the background and halts at traditional monasteries in Gorakshep, Kala Patthar (elevation of 18,192 feet) and Mount Pumori, Amey reached the EBC on April 12, taking a total of nine days. He spent a night at the base camp near the Khumbu glacier before starting his descent.
Undeterred by the lack of proper training facilities, Amey was resolute in his goal. He battled against the low oxygen saturation, chilling cold and the difficult Himalayan range terrains to complete the trek. His inspiration is Malavath Poorna, who in 2014, became the youngest girl to reach the summit of Mount Everest. Amey also credits his parents’ constant encouragement for his success in the endeavour.