Telangana mountaineer Gunthala Thirupathi Reddy is aiming at new heights.
This adventure junkie scaled Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest range in Africa at 5,895 metres, on October 25, 2017, and followed it up with Australia’s highest peak Mt Kosciuszko (2,228 metres) in March 2018. Now, he is eyeing a new feat — scaling Mt. Everest (8,848 metres) as part of an expedition team from April 7 to June 5 this year.
Like any spirited mountaineer, 22-year-old Thirupathi is not worried about facing the challenges of extremely difficult mountain terrains and unforgiving weather conditions; he is concerned about mobilising the required resources to realise his “biggest dream”.
“It will cost me about ₹ 30 lakh to scale Mt. Everest as part of the team. And coming from a poor family (his father Gopal Reddy is a shuttle auto driver back in Shankarpally), I naturally look for some sponsorship,” says the youngster.
Why mountaineering then? “Let me be honest. Each one of us has a passion which we try to pursue. Mountaineering, somehow, came naturally to me. As a child, I have been a big fan of all those who used to scale the huge hillocks and that was the reason I completed the A-Grade rock climbing course at Bhongir two years ago,” says Thirupathi. “I want to be remembered as someone special for my achievements,” he insists.
Explaining the astronomical expenses behind Mission Mt. Everest, he says, “Not many may be aware of the intricacies of these expeditions. For instance, climbing Mt. Everest includes paying ₹ 9.14 lakh for climbing permit for one member and one climbing sherpa, among several other things.”
Although unsure about raising funds, he believes that his track record in mountaineering will soon attract a sponsor. “Anyone sponsoring me will not be disappointed as I am determined to script a new chapter,” says the enthusiastic mountaineer.
