The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Aiming for new heights!

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 05, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Aiming for new heights!

Suresh Krishnamoorthy

B. Shekhar Babu

HYDERABAD: When he scaled the world’s highest peak - Mount Everest, at 29,035 feet, this Assistant Manager in the Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC), moved a step higher and was made the Joint Manager.

A determined Bachinepally Shekhar Babu is off again. This time, he is gearing up to conquer Mt. Cho Oyu (26,906 feet) , the world’s sixth highest peak located on the Tibet - Nepal border and Mt. Shisha Pangma (26,335 feet) in China which is the world’s 14th highest, in one go for a 70 day-long expedition from September 5 to the first week of November.

What is interesting is that once he scales Mt. Shisha Pangma, he will be the first Indian to climb three peaks that are over 8,000 metres in a four-month span.

Youngest

He will also become the youngest Indian to do so. Another significance of his expedition is that he will be undertaking all these tasks as a loner.

On the logistics front, this expedition will cost Mr. Shekhar Babu around Rs. 12 lakh. And till D-minus One (D-Day for him is the day he sets off from this City), he was going around, meeting prospective sponsors.

There are several people and organisations behind this gritty 27-year-old mountaineer and city-based Tanla Solutions has come forward to sponsor him to the tune of Rs. 2 lakh. It is understood that the APTDC has agreed to fund his expedition substantially.

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