Jaipur: Aakansha Sharma, a mountaineer from Kota (Rajasthan), has achieved a significant feat by successfully climbing Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest peak, at an altitude of 19,341 feet.Earlier, in September last year, she had also climbed Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak. Both of these peaks are among the world’s prestigious ‘Seven Summits’.
A civil engineer by profession, the 39-year-old Aakansha is possibly the first mountaineer from Kota to have climbed both peaks. She has also joined the select group of mountaineers from Rajasthan to have accomplished this.Mount Kilimanjaro is considered the world’s tallest ‘free-standing mountain’, meaning its height from base to summit is greater than any other mountain peak in the world. Due to its proximity to the equator, its geographical conditions are different from other mountain ranges, resulting in lower oxygen levels at the summit.Aakansha also faced oxygen deficiency during the climb. She experienced difficulty breathing, and every step was challenging, but she did not give up and completed the climb despite the adverse conditions. The temperature during the climb was -12 degrees celsius, and the wind was blowing at a speed of 20-km per hour.Upon reaching the summit, Aakansha showcased her cultural identity by wearing a Kashmiri Kani saree. She said that this attire makes her feel proud of her Indian heritage and that she has a special connection with Kashmir. She frequently visits Kashmir.Aakansha said that Kashmir has been her training ground for mountaineering. She completed her basic and advanced mountaineering courses there and practiced on several peaks in Kashmir. This is why she decided to wear the Kani saree she brought from Kashmir after reaching the summit of Kilimanjaro. She wore the saree over her T-shirt and trousers, which she described as a very fulfilling experience.Aakansha completed this expedition with the Safari Touch Tanzania company. In this expedition, she was the only mountaineer from her group, accompanied by a company manager and a trek leader.What are the ‘Seven Summits’?The highest peaks of the seven continents of the world are called the ‘Seven Summits’. In the world of mountaineering, climbing all these peaks is considered a great achievement. This includes Mount Elbrus in Europe and Mount Kilimanjaro in Africa.How she preparedAakansha said that to prepare for Mount Kilimanjaro, she regularly ran, did strength training at the gym, and practiced climbing and descending stairs. She lives on the fifth floor, and practicing on the building’s external staircase proved particularly beneficial. She also practiced pranayama (breathing exercises), which helped increase her lung capacity.Mountaineering is my passionFor Aakansha Sharma, a civil engineer by profession, mountaineering is a passion. She has completed the basic and advanced mountaineering courses, as well as a basic skiing course, from the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering.Future goalsAakansha dreams of climbing all the ‘Seven Summits’ in the future. She hasn’t set a specific time frame for this. She says that there are also many other peaks in the Indian Himalayas and other mountain ranges that she wants to climb.
