Meet Kaamya Karthikeyan, the 16-Year-Old Girl Who Made History Scaling Mount Everest

Kaamya Karthikeyan, a 16-year-old student in class XII at Navy Children School in Mumbai, along with her father, Cdr. S. Karthikeyan of the Indian Navy, made history by scaling Mount Everest (8849 M) on May 20th. Kaamya becomes the youngest Indian girl to ascend the world's highest peak. Tata Steel Adventure Foundation provided both financial and technical support for Kaamya's Everest expedition. 

Kaamya's mountaineering journey began at the tender age of nine when she scaled Mount Stok Kangri (20,187 feet) in 2017. In 2016, she climbed more challenging and higher peaks like Har-Ki-Dun (13,500 feet), Kedarkantha Peak (13,500 feet), and Roopkund Lake (16,400 feet). In May 2017, at the age of nine, Kaamya trekked to Everest Base Camp (17,600 feet) in Nepal, becoming the second-youngest girl in the world to achieve this feat. In May 2019, she successfully trekked to the Bhrigu Lake (14,100 feet) and crossed the Sar Pass (13,850 feet) in Himachal Pradesh.

Under the guidance of the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation, Kaamya climbed Mount Kang Yatse I (21,000 feet), showcasing her exceptional technical mountaineering skills. She has been honored with the prestigious Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Shakti Puraskar, the highest civilian award for individuals under the age of 18. 

Kaamya's name is included in several records:

The youngest woman to ascend peaks over 20,000 feet

The youngest girl in the world to ascend Mount Aconcagua

The youngest girl in the world to ski down from the summit of Mount Elbrus

The Indian Navy extends its congratulations to Kaamya Karthikeyan, the youngest to climb Mount Everest on X, with caption, “#IndianNavy congratulates Ms Kaamya Karthikeyan d/o Cdr S Karthikeyan on becoming the youngest #Indian & the second youngest girl in the world to summit Mt Everest from the Nepal side. Kaamya has exhibited immense courage & fortitude in summiting the highest peaks in six of the seven continents. #IndianNavy wishes young Kaamya the very best in her aspiration to summit the highest peaks of all seven continents, becoming the youngest girl to do so.”