Sixteen year-old Arjun Vajpai, a class 12 student from Delhi, became the youngest Indian to scale Mount Everest, on May 22, 2010. The story of how he got to 27,940 feet finds itself in a new book
Sixteen year-old Arjun Vajpai, a class 12 student from Delhi, became the youngest Indian to scale Mount Everest, on May 22, 2010. The story of how he got to 27,940 feet finds itself in a new book
George Mallory, who died tragically on an expedition to the Everest, once famously answered the question, "Why do you want to climb Mount Everest?" with, "Because it's there."
Young Delhi-based mountaineer Arjun Vajpai is motivated by this line. 
For the class XII student of Ryan International, Noida, trekking was first fun, and later, addictive. Colonel Jodh Singh Dhillon, his father's friend, and a seasoned mountaineer,u00a0 regaled him with stories and took him along on treks. His parents realised Arjun was no rookie climber, and enrolled him at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi for formal training.
It was while pursuing the advance course that he realised his potential. "I performed well at high altitudes. While training, we scaled peak DKD2 (18,892 feet). I felt no altitude sickness. That's when my instructors suggested I give scaling Everest a thought."
Called 'Himalaya putra' (son of the mountains) by his pals, Vajpai had to spend a fair bit of time convincing his parents. "They were reassured after my instructors convinced them I was different from the rest, that I needed a chance."
What ensued was a task tougher than scaling a mountain. Raising funds. Like in most such stories, support from friends and relatives buoyed Vajpai's expedition.
Being a multi-disciplined sportsperson helped, but his training schedule was another ballgame altogether. "My personal trainer put me on muscle strengthening and cardio exercises. Every morning, I practised pranayam to increase my lung capacity.
I followed a controlled diet, packing in high protein and calcium. My parents looked after the logistics, clothing and equipment. The media was intimated. I appeared for my class XI final exams just before the trip," he recounts.
That he had a terrific set of international professionals as team members, including the inspirational Apa Sherpa, was a plus. His personal sherpa Daju ('big brother' in Nepalese), base camp manager Steven Dawa, Eliya, Mika, and Marshall ensured his historic mission was smooth. "Apa briefed me with information and advice about the mountains. He would check my gear before every climb. Daju ensured I was well rested and focussed. Steven posted us about the weather, food and health requirements. Everybody except me was over 25 years old," he adds.u00a0
New obstacles surfaced every day. In fact, Vajpai even contemplated quitting. "The Lhotse Wall, at 27,940 feet, lies between Camp 3 and Camp 4. It's a frozen, straight, hard ice wall, approximately 30,000 feet long. It was the most difficult bit. We couldn't dig in our crampons (spikes in shoes) for a foothold, and whenever we banged our feet on it, the hard ice would crash. And oxygen was rare." Vajpai encountered dead bodies, garbage and avalanches that no camera could capture.
When he reached Mount Everest, a month after setting out, he says, he "looked up to God and thanked him. I walked up to the small Buddha statue that is placed on the summit by the sherpas. I knelt down, cried and laughed. I looked up and saw the sunrise, but from a different level. It felt as if I owned the world!"
At that time, Vajpai was the youngest non-Sherpa to scale Everest, and remains the youngest Indian to do so.
But that's an old story. He wants a new feather in his cap. "With timely funding, I hope to reach the North Pole in April-May 2011, and the South Pole by October-November 2011." The teenage achiever has rock-solid advice for fellow aspirants: "My mum says, 'Aim for the sun to get the moon'. If you aim for the moon, you will find yourself hanging from a tree!"
On Top Of The World: My Everest Adventure, Arjun Vajpai with Anu Kumar, Puffin Books. Available at leading bookstores for Rs 175
He has a genuine love for mountains
Children's book writer Anu Kumar helped Vajpai compile his unforgettable story. "The immediate challenge was logistical; we met four times a month. We had to make the experience come alive. Arjun's story is also the story of Everest, desired by mountaineers of every kind.
I allowed him to tell his own story, the dangers he faced, and the excitement he shared with his teammates,"
says Kumar. Practical and focused, with supportive parents, is how Kumar describes him.
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