UAE: 14-year-old Indian boy is the youngest expat to reach Africa’s highest mountain

Dubai - Shashwat and Shobha Mahalanobis are the first-ever mother-son duo to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro.

A 14-year-old boy from Dubai scaled Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa, and the highest single free-standing mountain in the world, becoming the youngest UAE expatriate Indian to climb the mountain.

Shashwat Mahalanobis, a 14-year-old Gems Modern Academy Dubai student, along with his mother, Shobha Mahalanobis, a fitness enthusiast, are the first-ever mother-son duo to summit Mt. Kilimanjaro.

The youngest Emirati to reach the summit was Seif Saleh Al Shunnar, who achieved the feat in 2018 at the age of 14.

Reaching a height of 5,895 metres, (19,341 ft) from sea level, the Tanzania-based peak is 16,100 ft above its plateau base.

Starting on July 4, the mother-son duo scaled the peak on July 9 and returned the next day.

Before starting the journey and braving the challenges of high altitude, extremely low temperatures and strong winds, Shashwat and his mother attended three to four weekly personal training sessions. They frequently climbed mountains in the UAE, carrying with them a 10kg backpack and specialised mountaineering equipment.

These instructor-led training sessions helped build physiological and psychological strength in the duo for the climb. In addition, Shashwat used to walk 5-7 km daily, along with his mother and father to boost stamina and improve fitness.