Most 12-year-old children would find it difficult to even put a finger on Mount Patalsu on a map let alone climb it. But not Sai Sudhir Kawade, who last week scaled the 4251-metre peak near Manali which not only offers a thrilling trek to the summit but also a splendid view of surroundings.
Sai Sudhir Kawde, from the Pimple Saudagar area of Pimpri-Chinchwad, has been fond of mountaineering since childhood. A student of Bharati Vidyapith School, Balewad, he has already trekked through the Sahyadris multiple times. He successfully climbed the Stoke Kangri Peak in the Himalayas in 2018, the Kilimanjaro peak in Africa in January 2019 and the Elbrus peak in Europe in August 2019. Sai is the youngest mountaineer in Asia to climb these peaks, according to the family.
Sai has summited Mount Friendship and Mount Patalsu in Himachal Pradesh recently. The journey started on October 30 from Pune to Manali via Delhi.
A camp was planned at Solang Valley, Manali. On the first day, two small treks of Hidimba Devi Temple and Anjani Mahadev Temple were completed.
On day two, Sai and the team left for Mount Patalsu from Solang Valley. The climbing in the rocky patch of Mount Patalsu was completed on October 1 by hoisting the Indian flag at the peak and blowing a conch shell from there.
“I could have completed the trek faster but the mountains were very beautiful and I took a lot of breaks to take in the beauty,” Sai said.
He added that thin air, reducing atmospheric oxygen by approximately 50 per cent, and sub-zero temperatures, ranging between -21 and -25 degrees celsius at higher altitudes, were some of the challenges he braved during his expedition.
“I am very proud of Sai and his dedication towards completing this trek. On the last day, Sai got emotional and he individually thanked the porters, the tent pitchers and the catering team for all their efforts,” said his father Sudhir Kawade.
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The entire expedition was arranged by Dream Adventure which included a total of 16 participants. For this expedition, Sai has received immense support from advocate Nitin Landge, standing committee chairman of Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation and Arvind Pawar Mhalunge, police inspector, MIDC police station, his family said.
Sai’s achievements have found a place in World Book of Records, Asia Book of Records, India Book of Records, Incredible Book of Records’ High Range Book of World Records, said the family.
