Scaling Everest to fulfil dad's dream
Like Mount Everest, 18-year-old Ashish’s dreams are also high and ambitious. The perseverance and passion to achieve his goals pushed him to become Chennai’s youngest mountaineer to summit the majestic world’s highest mountain;
Ashish after reaching the top of Mount Everest
CHENNAI: The journey of Ashish U is always defined by ambition, endurance, and grit. It was in 2022 when the young mind encountered the concept of mountaineering. As he was already interested in cycling, his passion for the sport was immediately ignited.
“After conducting in-depth research, I realised that the financial requirements to summit were quite substantial for me. But the urge to reach the highest point of the world kept lingering in my mind,” begins Ashish, who then enrolled in a training programme in Uttarkashi. After completing the 15-day basic course, he gained support from his school correspondent Vel Mohan. Unfortunately, Ashish’s father succumbed to blood cancer in 2024. As he was emotionally unprepared to take on the monumental task of summiting, he decided to postpone the expedition until 2025.
Ashish with his father's picture
A curious Ashish completed the advanced course in West Bengal. “For my Mount Everest summit, 90 to 95 per cent of the cost was sponsored by my school, and the Tamil Nadu government financed the remaining amount,” he says. Ashish departed from Chennai on April 5 for the Khumbu Glacier. The 18-year-old led a team of five members, who waited at the camp for the ropes to be fixed. Ashish is recognised as the youngest team leader to summit Mount Everest in the world.
“Climbing Mount Everest is not as easy as it sounds. The reason is that it is a test of body, mind, willpower, and courage. We gauged our condition by summiting to the oxygen point and returning to base camp with the help of a sherpa, who is a guide. For the uninitiated, the journey towards Mount Everest begins at night from base camp because there are risks of ice melting in the morning. This could be life-threatening if the ice blocks fall on us,” he adds.
The expedition was not an easy path for Ashish. Early on, he lost energy after getting stuck in a jumar, a hand-held climbing device. By the time the team reached Camp 1, he was completely exhausted.
The team learned that weather conditions might worsen after the first window (the initial opportunity of the season to start). Therefore, they opted for the first window despite the challenges and risks for first-timers. As Ashish had a fever and high-altitude sickness, he became weak by the time they reached Camp 3.
Upon reaching Camp 4, another challenge arose as Ashish missed his food due to heavy winds. But starvation did not deter him. “I reached the summit, climbing 8,849 metres, by 9.05 in the morning with a picture of my dad,” shares the emotional Ashish. But descending from the peak was the most arduous part.
Ashish U
One of his teammates, Rakesh, had to stay back at Camp 2 due to health issues but later went on to climb Lhotse, the fourth-highest mountain in the world. “Even after knowing his body was not fully supporting the journey, Rakesh went ahead and reached the top. He has more than a decade of experience in mountaineering but didn’t know when to stop. That hasty decision led to his death while coming down,” Ashish states.
A deeply emotional moment for Ashish, fulfilling his father’s dream. “More than me, it was my dad who wanted me to reach the peak. It was an ecstatic moment to make his soul proud, and my whole journey is a tribute to him,” says the young achiever. There was also trauma involved. “The sight of bodies and seeing the corpse of my teammate at the base camp was quite traumatising. As we all travelled together, I was unable to cope with the sudden loss and realised mountains don’t spare anyone,” he adds.
Mountaineering is an extreme sport designed to test human limits. After successfully reaching Kathmandu, Ashish has etched his name as the youngest person to summit Mount Everest from Chennai and also the seventh youngest in the world. “People think it is just about climbing rocks, but no. Mountaineering involves risks and playing a dangerous game.”
Reflecting on the most challenging part of the summit, Ashish notes, “Every part of the journey pushes us to quit. Anxiety attacks shake our confidence when we confront the reality of life. One mistake can lead to death. Another big challenge is securing financial aid, as it is an expensive sport. It is disheartening to see many people unaware of this as a sport.”
Carrying enormous dreams and passion, Ashish is planning several initiatives for the coming years, including reaching the top of Mount Annapurna in the future.