If Harry must conquer Everest

… he could do with chatting up Mollie and Arjun. Anuradha Varma speaks to the 21-year-old who wants to become the youngest Brit woman to climb Everest, and the Noida-boy who reached the summit when he was just 16, on what it’s going to take.
Handy tips from Arjun to Harry
- At 27, it’s the perfect time for you to attempt conquering Everest. Train your mind.It’s not the mountain but yourself you have to conquer.
- Indulge in intensive cardiovascular training to build stamina. I would pull heavy loads or tires on my back for a couple of hours, walking around Delhi’s roads.
- Gather quality equipment. Winter temperatures drop to -15 degrees. Keep your body warm.
- Build your fat reserves and gain weight. You will lose close to 15 kgs in the two months that the climb will take. I’d recommend a high calcium-protein diet.
- Get first-hand experience. The most seasoned mountaineers haven’t made it back alive. Try conquering smaller speaks of say, 7,000 m to check how your body reacts to low temperatures.
They say it’s Prince Harry’s long-held dream to stand at the summit of the highest mountain in the world. And it looks like he is going to attempt getting there this year. The third-in-line to the British throne, Harry has hinted that he was keen on joining the group of wounded servicemen on their next challenge, after wrapping up a trek with Walking with the Wounded, a charity for maimed soldiers, to the North Pole last May.
Also attempting to scale the peak that stands at 29,029 feet above sea level, at the edge of the Tibetan Plateau on the border of Nepal and Tibet, is 21 yearold Britisher Mollie Hughes, who dreams of becoming the youngest British woman to achieve the feat.
Hughes set off on her first expedition to Mount Kenya when she was 17, and has spent several months scaling peaks in the Himalayas since then. It was while working on a college thesis in the first year of University that she decided Everest would be her next challenge. “I began training for it actively only last April, met Kenton Cool, the expedition leader, and began fundraising,” she says in an email interview. Excerpts:
How did your family take to the news?
They were slightly apprehensive but once they figured I was serious and passionate about it, they did all they could to help. They should be used to it — I have been climbing mountains for some time now!
How have you been preparing?
I am undergoing a training programme with sports specialists at the University of West of England. It involves indulging in high intensity cardiovascular sessions based on current sports physiology literature, resistance sessions specific to Mount Everest, and frequent progress tests with the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the University. Physical fitness is crucial, as is mountaineering experience on high altitudes. I went on two warm-up climbs in preparation for Everest — the French Alps in July 2011, and Ama Dablam in November. I draw spiritual and psychological strength from yoga. It helps me relax and stay focused.
Does it leave you any time for friends?
I returned from Nepal only last month after scaling Ama Dablam, a peak close to Everest. Since I graduated from University last summer, academics are out of the way. I still make time for friends. They are incredibly important, and supportive of my plans.
Whose advice is going to see you through?
Uhhh.. my grandmother’s, I think. She used to say, ‘Nil desperandum’, meaning ‘never give up’. I think I’m going to be saying that a lot to myself.
Press reports have said Prince Harry is scheduled to make the trip too. Do you think he will make it?
I am afraid I don’t know of his plans, and was misquoted in The Telegraph. Then again, anyone is capable of climbing Everest, with the right experience, training and mental attitude.
What would you tell him?
Respect the mountain. Mountains can be dangerous places. Enjoy the experience. It’s an incredible peak, and those lucky enough to climb it should take away everything they can. And interact with and learn from locals. The Sherpas, porters and people living in the Kumbu are deeply interesting. They have a generous take on life.
Arjun Vajpai ‘Dear Harry... you will see the sun at your feet’
I was 10 when my father’s friend, an armyman, took me for an evening walk when we were visiting the Sahyadri Hills in Maharashtra. I saw the sun set and wondered how beautiful the view would be from Everest. That was the start of my dream, one I didn’t tell anyone about. Over the years, I trekked and took to adventure sports before enrolling in a professional mountaineering course. Since I didn’t seem to face highaltitude problems, my instructor suggested I attempt the highest peak in the world. My parents were shocked but then we laughed about how crossing Delhi’s roads was far more dangerous. They came around, and on May 22, 2010, it happened!
As we climbed, I felt my body shut down — your stomach muscles tend to contract, and you have to make do with low levels of oxygen. But my team leader egged me to go on faster. When I reached the summit, I fell to my knees, and heard the Sherpa tell me to look up. It was 6.18 am. I could see shooting stars dart across a half-lit sky. I began walking towards the main summit. Once there, I couldn’t help but say thank you to God. We are used to seeing the sun at eye level, or above. Here, I was looking down at it. It was at my feet, just around the earth’s curvature.
anuradha.varma@timesgroup.com