Altitude sickness, harsh weather conditions, torrential snowfall, dead bodies-nothing could dent the determination of Moradabad-based Raghav Joneja, the youngest Indian (15 years and seven months) to have scaled Mt Everest, after a 56-day long journey.
“I was taken aback for some time when I reached the top and my first thought was, ‘Oh my God! Have I really done it?' It was a moment of exhilaration to be the youngest Indian, but honestly, it was the team effort that made the task easier,” says Raghav, a student of Lawrence School, Sanawar.
Talking about the strict regime he followed prior to the climb, Raghav says, “Before starting our journey, we did full-fledged preparations to acclimatise ourselves to the harsh weather conditions and other hardships that we were expecting. We underwent an eight-month long training before starting on the expedition. We did a basic and advanced course in mountaineering followed by cycling across the tracks of Rajasthan and trekking for hours around our school premises.“
Like other adolescents, Raghav is an ardent fan of footballer Wayne Rooney and loves reading action thriller novels. “I am excited to share my experience with my buddies. I keep updating my pictures and proud moments of the journey on my Facebook account. I wouldn't mind making a girlfriend when I re-join school,“ smiles the shy Raghav, who is currently reading The CHERUB and Henderson's Boys Adventure series by Robert Muchamore.
Apart from his passion for mountaineering, Raghav reli giously follows hard rock music and loves collecting cool merchandise of Linkin Park, Pink Floyd and Green Day.
While excelling in extracurricular activities, Raghav also manages to strike a fair balance in academics. “With support of my parents and teachers, I manage to devote equal time to studies and sports,“ he says.
He also enjoys watching cool action and comedy movies with his friends.
While other children his age love binging on fast food, Raghav ditched the same and focused on his fitness routine. He says, “I used to wake up at 5 am and go for running and do other exercises. I was very particular about my diet and had bananas, eggs and milk on a regular basis. I joined a gym to build my calf and thigh muscles, as there were miles to be covered.”
The journey was a mix of happy and challenging moments and a great learning experience for Raghav. “We had to walk for 20 hours straight, stay awake for 36 hours at a stretch, which was really difficult. During our journey we also spotted some dead bodies. There were deep crevices, steep walls and points where our oxygen masks were frozen, but all this could not stop us from climbing further,” says Raghav.
Recalling some of the most memorable moments, Raghav says, “The breath-taking view from the top is now registered in my photographic memory. I miss the camaraderie I shared with my Sherpa (trained mountaineering guide). He supported me emotionally, physically and mentally.”
Raghav now has a new dream, that is one of the biggest mountaineering challenges-of scaling the Seven Summits. “I want to work further on my passion for mountaineering and would like to take my twin brother along with me to scale the Seven Summits. I would also like to open an adventure club for mountaineering enthusiasts in the long run,” says Raghav.