Narendra Singh Yadav, India’s youngest male mountaineer to conquer the Seven Summits, has urged the government to promote mountaineering in the country and value climbers for their contributions beyond natural disasters.
Yadav scaled Antarctica’s highest peak, Mount Vinson Massif, on December 25, braving temperatures as low as -52°C, to complete his conquest of the highest peaks on all seven continents.
The 30-year-old asserted that India’s culture of risk aversion poses a major barrier to the development of mountaineering and other adventure sports.
“The value of mountaineers is often understood by the government only when natural disasters like earthquakes or floods strike. At the district level, a dedicated rescue force needs to be created,” Yadav told a news agency.
“We train our children to be risk-averse from the start. We always stress on striving for those things that can are easily available. Mountaineering should be promoted not just as a sport, but as a way to connect with nature, appreciate it, and learn how to preserve and protect it,” he said.
Yadav’s passion for mountaineering was ignited by his cousin, Santosh Yadav, the first woman to conquer Mount Everest twice.
His father, an Indian Army veteran and an instructor at the High Altitude Warfare School (HAWS) in Gulmarg, also guided his mountaineering journey.
When asked about his most challenging peak, Yadav named Mount Denali in Alaska.
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He explained, “Every mountain presents unique challenges – altitude, weather, and terrain. While peaks exceeding 5,000-6,000 meters can be extremely difficult, Mount Denali proved the most challenging for me, both technically and physically.”
Yadav also warned aspiring mountaineers to ensure they are technically astute and physically and mentally fit before attempting high-altitude climbs.
