He may be a software engineer by profession but Jagatsinghpur boy Satyaprakash Nanda has turned an ace mountaineer. He recently scaled Mt Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa.
Working in Oregon, US, Nanda has always been an outdoor person. But it was in 2014 that he was introduced to mountain climbing by some friends.
"I fell in love with mountaineering immediately. I even did some basic climbing programmes and successfully climbed the highest mountains in Oregon, Colorado and Washington. But they were around 14,000 feet. Kilimanjaro was 19,000 feet and scaling it has given me a great sense of accomplishment," said Nanda.
His Kilimanjaro trip began on November 13 and he, along with a friend and two local Tanzanian guides, reached the highest point on November 17 and returned the next day.
When asked what's the toughest part about climbing such high mountains, he shared that the journey is not only physically challenging but also mentally testing.
"You start getting headaches, feel dizzy and nauseatic mid way as the altitude increases. But it challenges you mentally and you have to make the decision to either forego the adventure or complete the climb. This mental exercise helps to grow as a human and to learn decision making in different situations," he said.
The techie keeps in touch with his family back home in Odisha through online platforms and also visits them almost every year. While he wishes to share his experiences and give tips to the Odia youth, many of whom have gone on major mountain climbing expeditions, Nanda said his next mission will be Mt Aconcagua.
"But climbing Everest is my ultimate dream. I will prepare for it well and pursue that dream in a few years from now," he said.