Noida mountaineer Arjun Vajpai scales sixth-highest peak Mt Cho Oyu

City mountaineer Arjun Vajpai on Tuesday successfully scaled Mount Cho Oyu - the sixth highest mountain in the world. Located on the Nepal-Tibet border, Cho Oyu is 8,188 metres above sea level.

“Arjun completed the summit at about 6.15 am. He told us over the phone that it’s very cold up there. It is taking a toll on Arjun’s health and his guide’s. The temperature at night was about minus 40 degrees,” said Capt (retd) Sanjeev Vajpai, Arjun’s father.

He said Arjun and his team are preparing to climb down as soon as possible due to the harsh weather.

“Fear of frost bite is looming on him and his team mates. We hope he returns soon,” said Sanjeev.

This was the fifth ‘eight-thousander’, which Arjun scaled in last six years. There are 14 mountains on earth that are more than 8000 metres above sea level and are known commonly known as eight-thousanders. All are located in the Karakoram and Himalayan mountain ranges.

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He is the third youngest Indian to scale the Mount Everest at the age of 16 years and 11 months in 2010.

“This summit was a total no garbage expedition. Arjun and his team will carry down all the garbage they created,” said Sanjeev.

He said scaling Cho Oyu was also a challenge for Arjun as he had to return from the summit in 2012 due to partial paralysis caused by the harsh weather on the mountain.

“In 2012, Cho Oyu gave him some hard time. He is a fighter and he finally conquered it,” said Sanjeev.

Arjun had started the final push from his third camp around midnight and reached the peak at 6.15 am. He had started the summit on September 18.

Vajpai had also scaled Mount Makalu, the world’s fifth highest peak, on May 23 this year in his fourth attempt.

“After returning from Cho Oyu, Arjun is planning to prepare for Olympics. Three forms of mountaineering have been included in the Olympics and he will prepare for bouldering, a form of boulder climbing,” said Arjun’s mother Priya Vajpai.

His father said Arjun will again initiate talks with Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav for opening a rock climbing institute in Noida after returning from Cho Oyu.

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