In a proud achievement for the state, Gautam Verlekar and Rahul Prabhudesai recently led Goa’s first twin peak expedition success on Mt Kang Yatse 1 and 2 in Ladakh, Himalayas.
Prabhudesai became the only Goan to summit two 6,200-plus meter peaks on August 23 and 27 in less than 100 hours (five days).
The Goa Alpine Club promoted the expedition along with ground support and members of Boots & Crampons who set up base at 5,100 meters at Nymaling.
After five days of acclimatising treks from Leh to Nymaling, the team rested for two days for an equipment check. The team then pushed for the summit of Kang Yatse 2 on August 22 night to touch the peak at 7.43am on August 23 after a grueling nine-plus hour semi-technical climb, followed by a three-hour descent.
After 48 hours of recovery, the team proceeded on August 25 to set up camp high on a ledge at 5700-plus meters and spent the night in windy cold conditions.
On August 26, Verlekar developed high altitude pulmonary symptoms (HAPE) and decided to turn back to safety, while Prabhudesai along with the support staff and other team members continued the upward journey.
After a few hours of rest on August 26 evening, the team mounted a calculated early morning assault on Kang Yatse 1. On 27th morning, Prabhudesai and the team summited at 9.01am.
It has been a pathbreaking year for Goan mountaineers with Pankaj Narvekar becoming the first Goan to scale Mt. Everest, followed by Karishma Verlekar who undertook a solo guided climb for Mt. Mera.
Verlekar is a chartered accountant and an active managing member of Goa State Industries Association (GSIA). He credits Verlekar Sporting culture from a young age and his family for being a strong proponent of sports that has acted as a performance driver in his life.
On the other hand, Prabhudesai, a young entrepreneur, is one of Goa’s top mountaineers who has multiple 6,000/7,000 meter climbs to his name and leads a new generation of outdoor achievers in the state. He was the first Goan to reach the South Summit of Mt. Everest.