Hyderabad: Hyderabad-based orthopaedic surgeon and mountaineer Dr Rajshekhar has successfully scaled Mount Denali, the highest peak in North America, marking a major milestone in his ongoing Seven Summits challenge.
With the achievement, Dr Rajshekhar has become the first doctor from South India to summit Denali as part of the challenge, which involves climbing the highest mountain on each continent.
Conquered Alaskan peak in 2nd attempt
He conquered the peak in Alaska, United States, on his second attempt. His first bid to scale the mountain in June 2025 was unsuccessful due to adverse weather conditions, forcing him to retreat after suffering frostbite.
An orthopaedic surgeon specialising in hip and knee replacement surgeries, Dr Rajshekhar has spent years working alongside leading specialists in Hyderabad while also mentoring young doctors entering the profession.
His mountaineering achievement comes after overcoming significant personal challenges. Following a COVID-19 infection, he was hospitalised and faced a difficult recovery. The doctor has said that prolonged fatigue and a loss of motivation compelled him to take a year-long break from his medical practice before gradually returning to both medicine and mountaineering.
Determined to regain health, the surgeon set himself an ambitious goal. He turned to mountaineering, a sport that requires exceptional endurance, physical fitness and mental resilience, and began training systematically.
How the journey began
His Seven Summits journey began with a successful ascent of Mt Kilimanjaro in Tanzania on January 26, 2022.
Rajshekhar followed that with a summit of Mt Elbrus, Europe’s highest mountain, in August 2022. After suffering multiple injuries, the doctor took a year-long break before returning to the mountains.
He climbed Mt Kosciuszko in Australia in August 2023 and reached the summit of Mt Aconcagua, South America’s highest peak, on February 4, 2024. Rajshekhar also scaled Mount Everest on May 23, 2024.
Follow on Twitter | Edited by Mohammed Baleegh | 
