Hyderabad: William Joseph, a Class 9 student from Indus International School has scaled summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in the African continent.
Mount Kilimanjaro is also the tallest free standing mountain in the world and stands at an imperious height of 19,336 feet. William was a member of 13 member team comprising two students from Indus Hyderabad and 11 from Indus Bengaluru.
“The instant I set foot on the summit, my joy knew no bounds…the dream that I had nurtured for several months and all the sweat and tears, I had put forth into this project were worth it,” he said. William who aspires to be a marine biologist feels that this experience has taught him that the right mindset can enable any human being to overcome challenges in life.
“Leaders emerge in times of challenges, chaos and confusion, they shine in times of tests and tribulations,” says Captain Mohit, the expedition-in-charge. Mohit is also a trainer at the Indus School of Leadership, an in-house training institute of Indus International School. The main objective of this institute is to impart experiential leadership training to students.
Jayant Buddole, another student from Indus Hyderabad was part of this expedition and reached the summit camp at a height of 16,141 feet, just 3,200 feet short of the summit. “I am very happy with his achievement, yet I felt a sense of regret that I could not summit the peak. I had come so near. And yet was so far,” he said.
The ten-day expedition, ‘Peak to Lead’, was conducted from September 24. The first night halt was at Mandara Hut (2,725m) amid a rich rain forest followed by a two-night rest and acclimatisation at Horombu hut (3,780m) nestled in grasslands.
Later, the team moved to Kibo Hut (4,730m) through alpine deserts and after a rest for few hours they left towards the final lap of their journey. The last lap of 6km was a steep climb, which challenged climbers both physically and psychologically.
After a spirited struggle for upto seven hours, the young team finally conquered the peak, which is located on the rim of a dormant volcano with breath-taking views of the crater in the centre and huge glaciers on the periphery.
The climb was completed in about five days; the team of youngsters endured climatic fluctuations, sub-zero temperatures, and altitude sickness. “In such an environment students become more self-reliant and independent in the process, because in the wilderness, you don’t have any gadgets or any tools, the environment pushes you to help yourself,” opines Mohit.
Says Carol, Principal, Indus International School, Hyderabad, “By providing our students with such opportunities, we seek to inspire and motivate them to face challenging situations in life. By facing these challenging situations students develop leadership competencies which equips them to address life’s challenges.”
