Hyderabad teen makes history, among India’s youngest to scale 7 summits

Hyderabad: It is a record of endurance and perseverance that has taken 16-year-old Padakanti Vishwanath Karthikey, a Hyderabad teen, to etch his name into mountaineering history. He has become the youngest Indian, reportedly the youngest in the world, to complete the Seven Summits challenge.

The challenge, which includes climbing the tallest peak on the seven continents, a feat many seasoned mountaineers dream about.

Vishwanath’s journey reached its climax on May 27, when he climbed the top of Mount Everest (8,848 meters) at around 5:30 am, according to The Himalayan Times.

This climb represented the last part of his Seven Summits adventure, which started in 2022 and featured the following mountains:

• Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa, 5,895 m)
• Mount Elbrus (Europe, 5,642 m)
• Mount Kosciuszko (Australia, 2,228 m)
• Mount Vinson (Antarctica, 4,892 m)
• Denali (North America, 6,190 m)
• Aconcagua (South America, 6,961 m)
• Mount Everest (Asia, 8,848 m)

It is pertinent to note that the Hyderabad teen’s remarkable achievements include climbing Europe’s tallest mountain, Mount Elbrus, from both its east and west sides in a span of 24 hours, testifying to his great stamina and expertise.

Vishwanath Karthikey’s fascination with mountaineering was sparked at the age of 11, when he joined his sister on a hike to Mount Rudugaira in Uttarakhand. Though they did not reach the top on that first try, the experience ignited a fire that would make him climb some of the toughest mountains in the world.