Advait Bhartia, after becoming one of the youngest Indian to summit Everest Base Camp at the age of six, has now scaled the Mt. Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, at a young age of 9 years. Advait, who lives in Pune, raised the Indian flag at the peak along with his mother, Payal Bhartia and expedition leader, Samir Patham. They began their trek from the Machame route and reached the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro situated at a whopping 18,652 feet on July 31, 2019. To prepare himself for the same, Advait underwent stringent training over a period of two months. His training included swimming, cardiovascular exercises and practising parkour. "This trek was really difficult but fun at the same time. When I was summiting Everest Base Camp we were living in wooden houses but during the Kilimanjaro trek we stayed in tents and it was a good experience being exposed to snow and the surroundings. I could have completed the trek faster but the mountains were very beautiful and I took a lot of breaks intermittently to take in the beauty of the mountains. I am planning Mt. Elbrus next year but for now, it is back to school for me and I am excited." said Advait Bhartia. PREPARATIONS Advait did treks in Leh & Ladakh and around Pune in preparation for Mt. Kilimanjaro His training included swimming, cardiovascular exercises and practising parkour Advait underwent stringent training over a period of two months During the trek, thin air, reduction in oxygen by approximately 50% and subzero temperatures ranging from about 21 to minus 25 degrees Celsius at times are few of the difficulties that summiteers face. Advait along with his mother also did treks in Leh & Ladakh and around Pune in preparation for Mt. Kilimanjaro. "My journey was cut short 1000 ft. before the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro as I had trouble adjusting to the altitude, however, Advait along with Samir and his Tanzanian guide continued the trek. I am very proud of Advait and his dedication towards completing this trek. On the last day, Advait got emotional and he individually thanked the porters, the tent pitchers and the catering team for all their efforts." says mother, Payal Bhartia. In his young life of 9 years, Advait has proven himself to be a wunderkind. He is an avid skier having skied from Switzerland to Italy over the Easter break. He is also a master surfer. Advait is also internationally certified to plays instruments like the piano, the violin, guitar and drums. He is the youngest Indian to carry an international mandarin language certification.

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