Heights of confidence

Hyderabad’s Jaahnavi Sriperambuduru, who aims to become the youngest girl to scale the Seven Summits, has already scaled four of the highest peaks, has seven records to her credit, has been a TedX speaker, and above all these, is just 15.

Jaahnavi first took to the wilderness when she was just 10. “My father carried me on a backpack and gave me my first experience of high altitude. At nine, I went on my first high-altitude trek (16,000 ft), followed by a Winter Himalayan expedition next year. Later, I got to know about Mission Seven Summits (to scale the highest peaks of seven continents) which became my ultimate goal,” she says.

She decided to start the challenge by summiting Mt Kilimanjaro. Before that, she scaled Stok Kangri when she was 12. The following year, she scaled Mt Elbrus in Europe. “It was very difficult because it was my first in the snowy terrain. However, when I received the certificate and got to know that I was the youngest girl in the world to summit Mount Elbrus at 13, it was the proudest moment of my life.”

The same year, in December, Jaahnavi scaled Mt Kosciusko in Australia. She also went on to complete the Aussie 10 challenge — summiting the 10 highest peaks in Australia.  

Jaahnavi’s recent expedition was to Mt Denali in North America. “It is tougher than Everest; the behaviour of the mountain is so rigid. We cannot hire porters there and had to carry 40 kg on the back and 60 kg on sledges,” says Jaahnavi, who has completed a certificate course in Glacier rescue.

Mountaineering is an expensive sport. But her family has been very supportive. Though the first couple of trips were self-funded, Jaahnavi has been looking for sponsors for her next expedition. “Since I am a minor, the expenses are even higher as I have to be accompanied by someone. Often, the equipment available are not of my size and I have to get it customised.”

She adds, “Besides that, mountaineering is very risky. In every sport, you have an exit button. But over here, even if you are in trouble, you have to find your way down.”

Jaahnavi is leaving to South America to scale Mt Aconcagua in the next 20 days, and has already begun to train hard for it. Her only worry, however, are the funds.

A trained Bharata-natyam dancer, a photographer by passion and also the youngest girl from India to be invited to the White House for the South Asian Youth symposium, the class X student still finds time to study. “My school follows the Cambridge syllabus. So, I get to study online while I am travelling,” she says.

She has a dream too. “I am working towards girl empowerment and starting Jaahnavi Foundation, which will empower girls and also give them exposure to the wilderness.”