On Top of the World : My Everest Adventure

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‘There was a statue of the Buddha at the summit, placed there by the Sherpas. I knelt down and bowed in front of it. I felt complete. When I looked around I felt I ruled the world, with the Himalayas stretching out below me and nothing to obstruct my view.’ A month after he had set out, sixteen-year-old Arjun Vajpai stood on top of the world, having conquered Mount Everest. At that time he was the youngest non-Sherpa person in the world to do so. He remains the youngest Indian to have climbed the peak. It had indeed been a long journey. Arjun’s fascination with mountains began at the age of ten, nurtured and encouraged by his parents, teachers, and close friends. As a trekker and an athlete, he had trained and worked hard to achieve this amazing feat of endurance. This is Arjun’s story in his own words. Accompany him on an adventure of a lifetime; read about his incredible ascent; and learn what it takes to be a mountaineer. On Top of the World is an unforgettable story of inspiration, fortitude and courage; of having a seemingly impossible dream and daring to chase it.

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Arjun Vajpai became at the age of sixteeen, the youngest Indian to scale Mount Everest. Always an excellent athlete and a champion sportsperson, Arjun has represented his school, Ryan International in Noida, in various events such as roller-skating, taekwondo, basketball, football and volleyball and won laurels for his impressive performances. He is now in Class XII and dreams of even bigger adventures: of conquering the two ends of the earth, the North and the South Poles, of climbing the other thirteen peaks that stand above 8,000 metres and then of ascending all the highest peaks located on all continents. He also dreams of becoming an army man like his father. When not climbing or participating in competitive sports, he likes reading stories about adventurers and explorers. Anu Kumar’s most recent novel is The Dollmakers’ Island (Gyaana Books, 2010). Her latest book for children, Atisa and his Time Machine: Adventures with Hiuen Tsang has also been published by Puffin India. Most of her exploring has been of the armchair variety.