Bokaro mountaineer raises Tricolour on South America’s highest peak

Bokaro: A native of Padi village in Gomia block, Shashi Shekhar, raised the National Flag atop Mount Aconcagua, South America's highest summit, on January 13 at 4pm.Mount Aconcagua, measuring 6,961mt (22,837 ft), is located in Argentina. It is the highest outside Asia and the Southern Hemisphere. The expedition presented numerous challenges, including severe snowfall, zero visibility conditions, and blizzards. Temperatures dropped below -20°C, accompanied by strong winds. Shekhar said, "The whiteout, where visibility dropped to zero, was the toughest challenge. However, my confidence and the unwavering support of my parents gave me the strength to overcome it."Shekhar's mountaineering achievements include scaling Europe's highest peak, Mount Elbrus (5,642 metres), reaching Mount Everest's balcony area (8,430 metres), climbing Mount Lobuche East (6,119 metres) in Nepal, and reaching Mount Manirang's summit camp (5,500 metres) in Himachal Pradesh, India. He aims to scale the highest peaks of the remaining five continents and all recognised peaks above 8,000 mt. Shekhar said, "I am deeply thankful to my parents, Ranchi-based Lambada Adventure, and everyone who believed in me. Their encouragement motivates me to pursue my dreams tirelessly."Shekhar is the second son of former Ajsu-P MLA Lambodar Mahto and Kaushalya Devi. Lambodar said, "Shashi has always been passionate about mountaineering. As a father, I feel immense pride in his success and the recognition he has brought to Jharkhand and the nation." Shekhar did his intermediate from Vikas Vidyalaya, Ranchi, before obtaining a B.Tech in Automobile Engineering from Sharda University, Delhi.