Mountaineer Ravichandran sets sight on 14 tallest peaks in three years
Mountaineer T Ravichandran, who became the first Malaysian to reach the summit of the world’s second highest peak on July 22, said he has set his sights on hiking up 14 of the world’s tallest peaks over the next three years.
Ravichandran said conquering 14 peaks is a dream and if completed, Malaysia would be the first Southeast Asian country to have completed this feat.
“I will start with Manaslu at 8,163m in Nepal this September but...
Mountaineer T Ravichandran, who became the first Malaysian to reach the summit of the world’s second highest peak on July 22, said he has set his sights on hiking up 14 of the world’s tallest peaks over the next three years.
Ravichandran said conquering 14 peaks is a dream and if completed, Malaysia would be the first Southeast Asian country to have completed this feat.
“I will start with Manaslu at 8,163m in Nepal this September but since China has not lifted its Covid-19 precautionary restrictions, I will postpone my ascend of Cho Oyu which reaches 8,201m and Shishapangma which reaches 8,012m.
“Next spring in between March and May, I will climb Annapurna which reaches a height of 8,091m and Dhaulagiri, standing at 8,167m tall, both in Nepal,” he said, adding that these were the few “eight-thousanders” that he had already mapped out for the immediate future.
Setting multiple records
Apart from being the first Malaysian to conquer the world’s second highest peak - Mount K2 - last month, Ravichandran was inadvertently party to a few other records, including being the first Southeast Asian to reach the world’s top two highest peaks within 72 days.
The 57-year-old mountaineer who reached the top of Mount Everest on May 12 and summited the peak of K2 on July 22, told an online press conference today that he was among 100 hikers to have reached the peak of K2 on the same day.
He said between 7am and 11.30am, on July 22, mountaineers took turns hiking up to the peak.
This was a new record set for a mountain with statistical notoriety for claiming one life for every four hikers who reached her summit.
He was speaking to the media from the Malaysian High Commission in Islamabad, accompanied by the High Commissioner of Malaysia there Deddy Faisal Ahmad Salleh.
Big plans afoot
Ravichandran is also the first Malaysian disabled person to have ascended Mount Everest. He spoke to Malaysiakini before leaving for K2 about losing a considerable portion of all eight fingers during his maiden ascent of the world’s tallest mountain.
Describing his K2 expedition as three times more challenging than all three of his ascends of Mount Everest, Ravichandran said he will be returning to Pakistan next year to complete the Broad Peak ascend standing at 8,047m as the 12th tallest peak in the world.
“I hope to complete at least two of three of the tallest mountains every year to complete the challenge of the 14 ‘eight-thousanders’ in three years.
“Of course, as a guide, I will be returning to Mount Everest next year with other Malaysians,” he said.
Meanwhile, in December this year, Ravichandran has plans to hike and ski 1,030km from the beaches of the South Pole continent for 60 days right to the base of Mount Vinson to set another record for Malaysia.
Ravichandran said he will be accompanied by a Malaysian South Pole explorer for this expedition.
He added that Mount Vinson was the tallest mountain on the continent, standing at 4,892m which they will ascend.
He explained that the Antarctica mission would also gather data on the impacts of global warming for the Universiti Putra Malaysia.
‘K2 was the most challenging’
Expressing a mixed review of his performance, Ravichandran said the K2 expedition was one of his worst experiences because the elements had tested his resolve.
Mountaineers typically complete the last stretch on a day with the best weather and during this climb, all the teams had to make the ascent on July 22.
“We walked for 24 hours. I spent 15 minutes at the peak. Hoisted the Jalur Gemilang there and returned,” he said.
Ravichandran said his climb up Mount K2 via the Abruzzi Route was by far the most arduous climb of his career and he broke down in tears at least three times during the last day.
“I urinated in my suit because there was no time to stop for breaks.
“The terrain was so tough that I tore my gloves.
“Every step was two to three breaths and a fight not to give up,” he said, adding that their mental strength was put through their biggest challenge.
But Ravichandran said it was his resolve and that of his climbing companions that helped him make it to the peak and back.
He also attributed his success to his family who has been supportive from day one.
“I am very thankful to my family who has been very supportive.
“My wife Leela and my daughter Sangeetha always help me with my packing and planning of the expedition,” he said, adding that friends and sponsors, too, have been very supportive.
Amputation needed
Holding up his hands to the screen, Ravichandran said: “I lose a millimetre of my fingers every time I hike up a mountain that is over 8,000m tall.
“There is tissue and bone loss, and this is because I had not done an amputation since I lost my fingers to frostbite on my maiden hike up to Mount Everest in 2006.
“I am considering having the amputation done if I can find a specialist in Malaysia who can perform the surgery,” he said.
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