Youngest Indian American Summit’s Mt. Kilimanjaro

Aryaa Bhatia who is a 10 year old boy from Dublin, CA, recently returned from a successful expedition climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania. From Sea Level to the Roof of Africa at 19341ft, it was an incredible journey!!!! Along the way he went through all climate zone "Pole Pole" and finally braved all night the sub-zero temperatures to reach the Summit on 1^st February 2018. This strong 10 year old came back with many life lessons in addition to titles of "Simba Mtoto" & 'Chelingau' which in Swahili mean “Lion Baby” & ‘Little Kid’. He achieved this feat along with his mother who was lovingly called "Simba Mama".

Aryaa says “The most interesting part of the hike was being one with nature, and experiencing all seasons in 7 days. The most I enjoyed was climbing the Barranco wall which is about 300m, the trick is to go slowly and make sure of each footing you take. Be cautious and use all four limbs to scramble up the wall.”

During the hike he got opportunity to study the impact of deforestation on the melting glaciers of Kilimanjaro, he hopes to raise awareness on the same. He also spent time with local children in villages sharing school supplies with them.

About the expedition: Aryaa Bhatia is a fifth grade student in Amador Elementary in Dublin, CA. Along with his mother Pawan Sohi, and a group of 18 he hiked the 7-days Machame Route of Mt. Kilimanjaro. The team successfully made it to the Uhuru Peak on the early morning of 1^st Feb under an incredible ‘super moon’ and returned home safely.

The expedition leader Samir Patham from Adventure-Pulse (http://adventure-pulse.com/) is a highly accomplished mountaineer and was an inspiration for young Aryaa.

Over the course of last 4-5 months Aryaa maintained a rigorous training schedule to prepare for the big hike, this included his everyday swimming (@Pleasanton SeaHawks), weekend local hikes and high-altitude hikes in Colorado, in addition to ensuring focus on a balanced diet and strength training. His interest to climb came from having read the book “No Summit out of Sight” by Jordon Romero and he looks forward to continuing this interest and scale greater heights.