“The White Mountain” is counted among the world’s Seven Summits, which refer to the highest point of the seven continents. Of the seven, Mount Kilimanjaro is the fourth tallest.

While it has been assailed before, climbing it is no easy task, requiring strength of both mind and body to conquer it.

Very few Malaysians can claim to have reached its peak; yet, one Malaysian family has recently achieved this, and possibly even broken a record.

Yashodev Yash Ganasan is just 15 years old this year and it is likely he holds the title of the youngest Malaysian to have ever climbed Mount Kilimanjaro.

Just this January, his family, including his father, Ganasan Arumugam, and his mother, Logeswari Shanmugam, began their ascent of the mountain.

Together with his mother and his uncle, Senthilnathan Shanmugam, Yashodev managed to reach the mountain’s summit on Jan 27.

It is quite the achievement for anyone, especially for someone this young. FMT chatted with Yashodev and his parents to learn more of their Kilimanjaro adventure.

According to Logeswari, the family is quite physically active. “We have done family activities together, like the Spartan Race. We have gone caving in Gua Tempurung, we have kayaked.”

Interestingly enough, hiking was something novel for both Yashodev and Ganasan and their hike up Mount Kilimanjaro was their first ever.

Apparently, Logeswari and her siblings have climbed Mount Everest and it was a thrilling experience for them.

The idea to climb Mount Kilimanjaro was hatched when guides at a safari Yashodev’s family visited, within view of Mount Kilimanjaro, regaled them with tales of folks who conquered the mountain.

When Yashodev was asked to join the trip by his parents, he jumped at the opportunity, setting things into motion. “It was my own decision.”

The climb would begin on Jan 21, with the family taking the Lemosho Route, which typically takes eight days to complete.

According to Logeswari, the Lemosho Route is one of six up the mountain and it allows climbers two days of acclimatisation. “It gives some time for your body to adjust to the high altitude.”

Because of its location and height, Mount Kilimanjaro has several different climate zones, ranging from arid desert-like locations to icy Arctic-like areas.

Camping on the mountainside was quite the experience, with the family having to squeeze into a tiny tent. “There’s no hotel up there,” said Ganasan. “No lodge.”

There was also no way to take a shower, though the cold made showers unnecessary, and bathrooms often consisted of bushes.

While the family met many other climbers tackling the mountain just like them, most were adults or senior citizens, with Yashodev being the youngest climber present.

In any case, the final approach to the summit was the toughest part, since one has to start moving at midnight to catch the sunrise at dawn.

“You’ll have to start at 11.30pm and climb for nearly eight hours to see the sunrise at 7am,” said Ganasan. “At midnight, it’s -28°C.”

Logeswari added that fighting the body’s desire to sleep as well as the chilling cold was difficult on all of them.

To survive cold, they wore many layers of clothing, which unfortunately added to the total weight they carried to the top.

Despite the challenges, Logeswari, her brother and her son conquered the peak, while Ganasan and his sister-in-law, Kamaleshwari Shanmugam reached the Stella Point at 5,756 metres above sea level.

Reaching the peak brought tears to Logeswari’s eyes, since it had taken much effort and time for her family to get this far. “We couldn’t believe it. We were up in the clouds.”

After enjoying the gorgeous view from the peak, the family began their descent, which was difficult due to fatigue.

“This is an activity where we really pushed ourselves to the maximum. This is where we realised our strength,” said Logeswari, adding that the entire expedition was worth it.

“For us, it was not so much about physical fitness as much as mental strength. This was the one thing we learnt from this.”

Ganasan added that he has reached out to the relevant ministries and the Malaysian Book of Records in hopes they would acknowledge Yashodev’s achievement.

He said an official acknowledgement would encourage more Malaysian youth to raise Malaysia’s profile on the international stage.

“We’re not asking for money. We’re just hoping the government will recognise this and encourage more young people to come forward.”