Maharashtra: 22-year-old treks Kalsubai in almost 3 hours with prosthetic leg

Pawde started his trek around 2 am and completed it around 4.45 am. “It was one of the most beautiful sunrises that I had ever seen!” said Pawde. PICS/SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

In an inspiring feat of grit and determination, 22-year-old Pramod Pawde from Kuini, a small hamlet in the district of Nanded in Maharashtra scaled the state's highest peak, Kalsubai, in just two hours and 48 minutes recently in January. What makes his achievement extraordinary is that Pawde accomplished the climb using a prosthetic leg.

Kalsubai, standing at 5,400 feet above sea level in the Sahyadri mountain range, is considered one of the most challenging and popular treks in Maharashtra. Thousands of trekking enthusiasts attempt the climb every year, navigating steep rocky patches and uneven terrain.

"Completing the trek in under three hours is an impressive timing, even for seasoned climbers sometimes. For someone who uses a prosthetic leg, it's a speechless achievement. Good support of fellow trekkers, apt planning, good exercise and highest level of determination - a combination of this can make anything possible and Pawde is a living example of that," said Babloo Tarawale, who conducts several treks across Maharashtra.

Pawde started his trek around 2 am and completed it around 4.45 am. "It was one of the most beautiful sunrises that I had ever seen!" said Pawde. However, there were times when Pawde felt like giving up. "But fellow trekkers kept motivating me. The biggest hurdle was the uneven pathway. Kalsubai climbing starts at night only and that's the risk which demotivates many," shared the youngster.

Challenges of climbing Kalsubai

>> It's a night Trek
>> There are no proper steps
>> There is an uneven terrain which made walking with a prosthetic difficult
>> One needs to carry water and food as there is barely anything available in top adding to the weight and pressure on legs

How did Pramod lose his leg?

In 2018, Pawde collapsed while playing cricket. "The doctors noticed a lump just below my knee. After an X-ray they learnt that it's not just a lump, but a tumour. It was Bone Sarcoma (bone cancer) and my treatment at Tata Hospital in Mumbai began in January 2019." While several NGOs and donors helped him get through his treatment at Tata Hospital, it was former health minister Tanaji Sawant that made funds available for his prosthetic leg.