Hyderabad: Preetham Goli, a 16-year-old student from Delhi Public School, has made history as one of the youngest climbers from Hyderabad to summit Mount Kilimanjaro. He reached the summit on July 17, 2024, after an 8-day expedition that tested his physical and mental endurance.
Currently in Class 12, Preetham began his journey on July 12 with a group of four climbers, guided by the experienced mountaineer Satyarup Siddhanta. Despite facing numerous challenges, Preetham’s determination and perseverance led him to the top.
One of the main reasons I wanted to summit Kilimanjaro was that after finishing Everest Base Camp, I wasn’t satisfied. I wanted to do more, climb more, achieve more,” Preetham shared.
The summit day was especially challenging, beginning at 3 am in freezing conditions. “Right before reaching the summit, I started getting a severe headache, which is common at high altitudes, but I kept pushing through. The feeling upon reaching the summit was magical; all the climbing problems just vanished.”
At the summit, Preetham proudly unfurled the Indian national flag, the NCC flag, and his school flag, describing the moment as one of the best feelings in the world. Although the group had planned to stay at the Crater Camp, bad weather forced them to descend to Barafu Camp the same night.
“I thank my school, Delhi Public School, Nacharam, for all their support, and I especially want to thank Satyarup Siddhanta Sir for helping me reach the summit. Without him, it would have been much harder,” he added.
