Noida resident will attempt to scale Cho Yu peak this September
City mountaineer Arjun Vajpai, 22, is planning to scale Cho Yu, the world’s sixth highest peak, in September this year. If he succeeds, he will become the youngest Indian to reach the summit.
City mountaineer Arjun Vajpai, 22, is planning to scale Cho Yu, the world’s sixth highest peak, in September this year. If he succeeds, he will become the youngest Indian to reach the summit.
Vajpai, the third-youngest Indian to climb the Mount Everest, had also scaled Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth highest peak, on May 23 this year in his fourth attempt.
Vajpai said this will be his second attempt to scale the 8,201-metre Cho Yu peak, located at the Nepal-Tibet border in the Himalayas.
“During my last attempt in 2013, I suffered a partial paralysis on the left side of my body and had to be rescued midway to the summit. The terrain is rough and I have been preparing to complete it this time,” he said.
Vajpai had climbed the Mount Everest in 2010 at the age of 16 years, 11 months and 18 days. He said he has been working hard to become the youngest Indian to scale Cho Yu.
“My last attempt was life threatening. However, I am preparing hard and have been working out for six to seven hours a day. I have also changed my diet as I will have to survive on minimal food and water for 30 to 40 days,” said Vajpai.
“After my last attempt, my weight had fallen by seven kg and feet had remained numb for a long time. Now I have recovered completely,” he said,
He is also preparing to launch a campaign – Climb for Climate – to scale the untouched peaks of India and spread awareness about climate change.
“Due to climate change, mountaineers’ schedule has also been affected. The crucial time when mountaineers go for the final push to complete a summit has become unpredictable. I am preparing a campaign to spread awareness about climate change among Indians. It will also promote domestic tourism as there are a number of untouched peaks in our country,” Vajpai said.
His last summit was a ‘no-garbage’ expedition and he said he will not leave any garbage behind at Cho Yu either.