New Delhi:
Sixteen-year-old Arjun Vajpayee is all set to scale the world's highest peak, Mount Everest. And if all goes according to plan, he will be the youngest Indian to do so, beating the earlier record set by Krushnaa Patil last year.
Arjun, a Class XII student, is part of the 12-member expedition crew that will climb Mount Everest towards the end of this month.
Arjun learnt the ropes two years ago at the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, and has already scaled summits like the one located in the Garhwal Himalayas.
"I developed an interest at the age of 10, in Pune when my friends were out trekking in hills. The view I got from top got me interested," he said.
The young lad will be climbing the Everest with three other Indians. The team will be led by Apa Sherpa who has scaled the summit a record 19 times. If Arjun succeeds, he will be the third youngest person to reach the peak.
His family is strongly behind him, but the equipment and the expedition will cost Rs 30 lakh. Arjun's father Sanjeev Vajpayee, a retired Army officer, is appealing for help.
"At the moment friends and people we know are helping us, but we are still falling short. If corporates could sponsor youngsters like Arjun it would send a very positive message," Mr Vajpayee said.
Arjun is now busy with last-minute preparations. His bags are packed and he's all set to make India proud.