Rohit Rao begins to breathe. It is 6000 meters above sea level.

The Dzo Jongo River (6240 meters) in July is still accessible, it cannot be extended. Rohit reached camp 5,800 meters after six high days. He is tantalizingly close to the top.

As the pressure decreases, the tip seems to move forward. It’s dark, too. He left camp around 9.30 pm; time is 2am now. Or maybe 3 am. After all, they have no idea when, where, or where they are going. His traveling guide is concerned about advising Rohit to return.

The latter, however, is at work. He wants to show the picture on the top of the hill. He assures the leader and himself that he can push forward.

Rohit is making progress. At an altitude of 6,150 meters, they have to climb a steep slope to reach the mountain. Looking down can create fear. Running can be dangerous. The next 90 yards were the biggest problem of his life.

Rohit, however, wins. At an altitude of 6,240 meters, he shows a picture of his father, Srinivas Rao Madasu, an Arjuna Prize-winning athlete who died in March from cancer.

Rohit remembers a trip he took three months ago.

Srinivas Rao represented India in the Paralympics, international competitions, and Asians meet in badminton, shooting, table tennis, fencing, and weightlifting. He also participated in various wheelchair competitions.

Srinivas won a gold medal at the 1996 World Championships in London. In 2002, he won gold at the para-badminton international competition. The following year he received the Arjuna Award.

But his interest in the sport did not change even his senior son. “I was lazy. I hated getting up so early. My dad tried to enroll me in badminton and table tennis when I was in fourth grade. I was not interested, ”says Rohit, who seemed to have a mountaineering attitude at the time. When her parents reprimanded her, she would say, “I’m leaving home for the Himalayas.”

Later in his life, he recalled these young people ‘words as he began to climb mountains. Rohit started working at Accenture now. He was the son of a professional athlete. And, he saw that he had no success in his name. He wanted his father to be proud of him.

In December 2018, he signed his first trip to Kedarkantha, 4115 meters high in Uttarakhand. He wasn’t sure if he could pull it off. But when he climbed the mountain, he was happy, proud, and confident. “It gives you a chance to climb. When you get to the top, everything looks small. It’s like you’re on top of the world.”

Rohit knew about long tips. He felt that he could defeat them again. As a result, in 2019, he sailed on the shores of Pangarchulla (approximately 4500 meters) and Stok Kangri (6153 meters). The COVID-19 epidemic halted its voyages around 2020. In December, he climbed Dayara Bugyal (3639 meters). He started 2021 with a Brahmatal tour (3734 meters) before his Dzo Jongo tour in August.

Mount Everest is coming up again.

This will take another three years, says Rohit, who works at Hyderabad. “You have to increase your height slowly. I’m already running and cycling in preparation for the long haul. I’m also looking for financial support for my needs. I won’t rest until I reach the top of Everest.”