Malavath Poorna, aged 13, scaled the highest peak in the world and succeeded. Accompanied by ten Nepalese guides, Shekhar Babu, a known mountaineer, and her close friend, a 16-year old named Anand Kumar, the teen reached the top on Sunday.
Speaking via satellite phone from the peak of the Everest to BBC for her first interview, Poorna expressed her thrill for having reached the summit. As the youngest girl to have scaled Mt. Everest, she tells BBC that she hopes to become a role model for children. Upon reaching the top, Poorna erected the flag of India and left a photo of Dalit Buddhism leader, BR Ambedkar at its foot.
At the age of 13 years and 11 months, Poorna is the youngest female to have reached the top of Mt. Everest and the second youngest climber of all time. She is preceded by Jordan Romero, an American teen, who reached the peak in 2010 at the age of 13 years and 10 months.
When asked what she saw at the top, she said, "All around me were mountains. It was very beautiful."
Poorna recalls that the aim of her climb was "to inspire young people and students from my kind of background." She later adds, "For a tribal like me, opportunities are very rare and I was looking for one opportunity where I could prove my calibre." Young Malavath hails from a tribal village in the southern state of India known as Andhra Pradesh. She lives with her parents who are both farm laborers.
Malavath recalls that she was encouraged by her family and school teachers in her village to take the challenge despite her age. She enrolled in a training program for the climb and practiced further by ascending the nearby mountains of Ladakh and Darjeeling.
Speaking about her intensive training, she said, "I was initially afraid, but the training I received helped me overcome my fear. I never thought of giving up." Even the deadly avalanche which claimed 16 lives on April 15, this year, did not discourage her from making the climb. However, she notes that the most difficult part of the challenge was the non-fresh, packed food which she had to take with her, as most climbers do when ascending the Everest.
Nepalese and Indian officials who reported her success also added that her starting point for ascending the Everest was at the Tibetan side, which is notorious for its difficulty and rough environment. Usually, climbers start their journey from the Nepalese side which is considered much easier. Poorna's decision to start at the Tibetan side might have been influenced by the age limit imposed in Nepal: only climbers aged 16 years old and above are allowed to climb Mount Everest.
