Sidharth Routray, a resident of Odisha, accomplished a remarkable feat by successfully scaling Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe. This challenging task took place at approximately 9 am today. Located in Russia, Mount Elbrus stands tall at 18,510 feet (5,642 meters) and presented Sidharth Routray with extreme difficulties due to the harsh weather conditions, with temperatures plummeting to -35 degrees Celsius.
Accompanied by two other climbers, one from Kazakhstan and another from Russia, as well as their guide Sasha, Routray embarked on his journey to conquer the mountain on April 25. However, they faced continuous snowfall and the severe cold, making their ascent three times more challenging. Sadly, the climber from Kazakhstan had to abandon the journey midway due to health complications on April 29.
Routray, the Russian climber, and their guide were just 1 km away from reaching the summit on May 1, but the adverse weather conditions forced them to retreat. Heavy snowfall and cold winds hindered their progress, leading the Russian climber to exhaust and quit the expedition on May 2. Nevertheless, the weather improved later, enabling Routray to reach the summit point successfully at 9 am today.
In preparation for the extreme cold, Routray wore multiple layers of clothing to survive the challenging conditions. Notably, he showcased his Odia identity by donning a shirt made from Sambalpuri fabric, a textile from Odisha, and a cotton towel from Khurda district at the mountain peak.
Expressing his gratitude, Routray thanked Lord Jagannath and Lord Lingaraj for his successful expedition. He also paid homage to Odia jawan Debashis Biswal, who lost his life in a terrorist attack in Poonch district, Jammu and Kashmir, recently. The achievement of scaling Mount Elbrus marks a significant milestone for Sidharth Routray and brings pride to the people of Odisha.
Prasanta Patnaik