Jaipur: Aakansha Sharma from Kota, Rajasthan has recently successfully climbed Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, located at an altitude of 18,500 feet.This peak is one of the Seven Summits (highest in each continent) of the world which includes Mt. Everest in Asia. The 38-year-old is the first mountaineer from Kota and one of the few from Rajasthan to have scaled this peak.When she reached the summit, the temperature was below -25°C, and icy winds were blowing. At that time, there were no other Indians present there. She was alone in her group. Due to extreme colds, very few people attempt climbing during this season.One of the biggest challenges was communicating with people in Russia. Very few people there speak English. Her guide was also Russian. Communication was only possible with the help of Google Translate.Because of the high altitude and low oxygen levels, there is a risk of mountain sickness on this peak. The temperature is so low that it feels like walking inside a freezer. Fingers of hands and feet begin to go numb. At several points, the climb is steep, and one must use ropes to ascend.What are the Seven Summits?The Seven Summits are the highest mountains on each of the seven continents. Climbing all seven is considered a prestigious achievement in the world of mountaineering. Mount Elbrus is the highest peak in Europe and part of the Seven Summits.How Aakansha preparedTo prepare for Mount Elbrus, she practiced running with a backpack. She trained by running with 8–10 kg of weight in her backpack.She did strength training in the gym. She lives on the fifth floor and practiced climbing up and down the external stairs of her building, which helped her a lot.Mountaineering is my passion: AakanshaAakansha is a civil engineer by profession, but mountaineering is her passion.She has completed both basic and advanced courses in mountaineering, along with a basic course in skiing from the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering.What’s next for Aakansha?Aakansha dreams of climbing all the Seven Summits including Mount Everest in Asia. She hasn’t set a specific timeline for it. She says there are many peaks in the Himalayas and other mountain ranges in India that she would also like to climb.“My schooling was from Kota, Rajasthan. I did my engineering from Engineering College, Kota and MTech in Structural Engineering from IIT Roorkee in 2011. I started trekking in 2017. I did Mountaineering Advance and Basic courses in 2023 and 2024 respectively from Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering, Pahalgam. I also did skiing course from the same institute in 2025. No one in my family is from Mountaineering. I liked mountains and wanted to climb them,” said Aakansha Sharma.
