Twenty-two-year-old Arjun Vajpai scaled Mount Makalu at 12.24 p.m. on May 23. At 8,485 metres, the peak is the fifth highest mountain in the world — located in the Mahalangur Himalayas, 19 km south-east of Mount Everest. The mountaineer, who is presently on his way home, is the world’s youngest climber to have conquered as many as four peaks above 8,000 metres.
Over the years, Noida-based mountaineer Arjun Vajpai — an ardent lover of adventure — made it a ritual to be up at 5 every morning and go ahead with an intense cardiovascular workout. About how he prepared for his fourth summit, Arjun said: “Being an outdoor person, I have always enjoyed gruelling activities like tyre pulling, karate, rock climbing and others, which inspired me to perform better by climbing longer, stronger and faster. However, to conquer Mt. Makalu, I trained for 11 to 16 hours a day, while cutting down sleep to just 3 to 4 hours.” All this was aimed at one end — to scale the 14 highest mountain peaks in the world that are above 8,000 meters. “With the latest ascent to Mt. Makalu, I have struck down four of the 14 peaks,” he added. After training for two years at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Darjeeling, Arjun set his eyes on Mount Everest and conquered it at the age of 16 years.
Recalling the expedition, he said: “My instructors motivated me to scale Everest. As opposed to common perception, it is not the most difficult mountain peak to climb. There are far more technically-challenging peaks, like the Lhotse.”
Fourth attempt
The mountaineer conquered Mt. Makalu on his fourth attempt. “It was surely disappointing, but I refused to give up. Instead, I mustered all my courage for the fourth expedition. Earlier, I faced a near-death experience during my ascent of Mount Cho Oyu in Tibet. The left side of my body was paralysed and I was left battling hostile weather in sub-zero temperature for two days. With every expedition, I learn a new lesson. I have to protect my dream,” Arjun emphasised.
Arjun, who was very close to scaling Mt. Makalu on the third attempt, suffered a setback after witnessing the fury of the Nepal earthquake. He said: “Avalanches have been a common sight during expeditions. But when this occurred, I almost lost focus. At such altitudes, there is very less oxygen flowing into your brain. I saw the Himalayan mountain range dance in front of me.”
About the toughest moment in the journey, he said: “The journey from Camp 2 to Camp 3 was difficult.”
The view, he added, was undoubtedly worth every bit of the climb that lasted 13 hours. The support Arjun gets from his parents is only confirmation that he made the right choice. Priya Vajpai, his mother, told The Hindu : “The moment he called us, I could not control my emotions. My son is fulfilling my dreams. I am just waiting for him to come back so that we can celebrate.”
(The author is an intern with The Hindu)
