Trekking to the top of Mount Kun, Amit Kumar, a 36-year-old bank employee from Lucknow has triumphed over one of India’s most daunting summits. Scaling up one of the highest peaks of the Himalayan Range along the LOC in Ladakh, the banker-mountaineer outwon all atrocities and hoisted the Indian flag at an altitude of 7077 meters. Currently working with Bank of Baroda as a Senior Manager, the passionate individual aims to conquer Mt. Everest now.
Fitness, mental endurance & a positive attitude fuel Amit’s voyage
Hailing from the Chhapra District of Bihar, Amit is an alumnus of Patna University and developed a keen interest in trekking after visiting the Roopkund stretch of Uttarakhand in 2017. The Indira Nagar resident further claims that he was 115 kgs back then, which made the expedition even more challenging for him. Later, he went to Darjeeling’s Himalayan Mounting Institute for training, in 2019 but fate had its own way. Due to his father’s untimely demise, he had to leave the training and return home.
After rigorous training and practice, Amit stepped on to his recent journey. Despite being affected by COVID, the young man did not let it dampen his spirits and moved forward fully motivated for his goals. He said, “I worked on my fitness which is essential for such difficult expeditions but it is mental endurance and positive mind-frame that is the toughest. Enduring harsh weather conditions is another factor needed.”
Onwards & upwards to the ultimate goal & glory
Part of a seven-member team led by Baljeet Kaur from Himachal Pradesh, Amit had Major Chirag Mukherjee of Kolkata, Bharat from Hyderabad, Palkesh Kalma of Gujarat in his team. While they encountered multiple predicaments on their way, nothing could break their will to reach the mountain top.
He informed, “Initially, we had planned to hoist the Tricolour at Mount Kun peak on August 15 to mark the Independence Day but extreme cold weather and unpredictable climatic conditions over 20,000 feet forced us to advance our expedition. In fact, just 10 hours after reaching the summit, the climate deteriorated to an unbearable level.”
Besides, the group also faced hurdles on the first day itself. While the flashlights stopped working at 11 PM, Amit lost his right-hand glove amid the strong force of the winds. Given the precarious nature of the circumstances, they might have troubled anyone but the spirited individuals did not lose their focus and forged ahead. Though the group wished to reach the summit on Independence day, they had to prepone their plans and the flag was finally hoisted on August 13.
Knock Knock
Despite being a full-time employee at a bank, Amit did not hesitate from exploring his innate interests. With his latest winning, he is surely encouraged to dream big and convert his dreams into reality. Besides, he has also become a source of inspiration for those hoping to take up new adventures in life!
