At 70, this Hyderabadi conquers 12,000 feet Himalayan range amidst freezing cold weather

Former CEO of NIIT Middle East turned serial entrepreneur, Reddy amidst bone chilling weather with temperatures touching -7’ Celsius and harsh winds, journeyed to reach 12,000 feet altitude through rugged terrain with a 10-kg backpack. For him, it was not just reaching the summit, but also breaking barriers, which come with age

Hyderabad: Seventy summers and yet, he is neither tired nor retired. And neither diminished is his yearning to scale new summits.

Dr. A Babu Rajendra Prasad Reddy, the 70 year-old Hyderabadi, decided to trek the breathtaking Himalayas, a challenge for trekkers even half his age, and he did.

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Former CEO of NIIT Middle East turned serial entrepreneur, Reddy amidst bone chilling weather with temperatures touching -7’ Celsius and harsh winds, journeyed to reach 12,000 feet altitude through rugged terrain with a 10-kg backpack. For him, it was not just reaching the summit, but also breaking barriers, which come with age.

He drew motivation from his daughter Sindhu, who already completed five treks in Himalayan range. An avid runner who completed a full marathon and three half-marathon, Reddy along with 24 member trek group started from the base camp at Raithel, Uttarakhand.

“Sensing our enthusiasm, organisers increased the target by a few more feet to make it 12,000 feet and we took about 36 hours to hit the summit. The trek was beautiful with Gangotri and Yamunotri ranges providing us a scenic background,” he recalls.

Initially, Dr. Reddy’s age seemed an obstacle. The trekking organisation, Indiahikes, which this septuagenarian joined, had an upper age limit of 62 years for trekking. However, Dr. Reddy came out with flying colours in the fitness test including heart parameters.

The serial entrepreneur’s preparation included training in the gym for a month and climbing 20 floors with a backpack of 10 kg three times a day. “Apart from a severe winter cold, scaling the last stretch that was at 75’ angle was the most difficult part of the trek. Descent was also challenging as it was slippery,” Dr. Reddy adds.

The achievement has now the challenger raising the bar and planning another trek for 18,000 feet above the mean sea level!