CHANDIGARH: Six-year-and-nine-month-old Teghbir Singh, hailing from Ropar in Punjab, has become the youngest ever in the world to scale Mount Elbrus, the highest peak of the European continent, located in Russia at a staggering height of over 18,510 feet (5,642 metres).
Teghbir began his trek to Mount Elbrus on June 20 and walked all the way to reach the summit, the highest point of the mountain, on June 28.
It is worth mentioning that this is a low-oxygen trek, and one needs preparation to tackle problems associated with altitude sickness. However, conquering all these challenges, he finally reached the summit, where the normal temperature is -10°C, and fulfilled his dream.
After reaching the peak, he received the Mountain Climbing Certificate issued by the Mountaineering, Rock Climbing and Sports Tourism Federation of the Kabardino-Balkarian Republic (Russia). “It is to certify that Teghbir Singh from India, the world’s youngest summiter on Mount Elbrus at the age of 6 years, 9 months and 4 days,” states the certificate.
Elated over the achievement, Teghbir said, “I knew where I was to reach and finally I reached and had a picture with my father there. I was walking first time on snow, my shoes were heavy but I had practised it back,” added the second standard student of Shiwalik Public School, Ropar.
With this feat, he sets a new world record of summiting Mt Elbrus at the age of 6 years and 9 months, surpassing the previous world record held by Wagah Kushagra of Maharashtra, who set the record last year at the age of 7 years and 3 months.
In August last year, he became the youngest Asian to scale Mt Kilimanjaro (the highest peak of the African continent), and his name features in the Asia Book of Records and the India Book of Records. He also reached the Mt Everest Base Camp in Nepal in April last year.
Delighted over the new achievement of scaling Europe’s highest peak, his father Sukhinderdeep Singh said, “Teghbir started preparing for this feat almost a year back. He was trained by Bikramjit Singh Ghuman, a retired coach, who used to help him with the exercises related to increasing cardiovascular health and lung capacity to deal with altitude sickness. He used to go on weekly treks with me and the coach to different hilly locations.”
“Our stays were in mountain huts and it took eight days to scale the summit. Due to bad weather and a fierce snowstorm, the summit push was cancelled twice,” he said, adding that Teghbir shall return to India on July 1.
“The climb was different as compared to Mt Kilimanjaro and other treks he did before. It was the first time he was walking in snow with high boots, crampons, harness and oxygen support on. It increased the weight on his feet by almost three to four kilograms. He walked and stayed in a low-oxygen altitude in minus-grade temperature for almost a week,” said his father, who accompanied him during the journey.
In a brief safe window, when the wind speed lowered, they set off for the summit on June 27 night at 1 am in freezing temperatures around -20°C. It was a challenging moment for the entire crew, which consisted of his father, two guides and one support staff. They reached the summit at 7:56 am on June 28 after walking for around six hours in the freezing temperature.
A gynaecologist, Teghbir’s mother Dr Manpreet Kaur said, “Diet played a very major role in his journey and he followed a strict diet schedule as laid by his coach.”