Bargarh: Young mountaineer Ashirbad Mahapatra alias Anup from Kulita Tukura village of Attabira block in Bargarh district has brought pride to Odisha and India by successfully scaling Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m), the highest peak in Africa.
On reaching the summit, he unfurled the Tricolour along with the flag of Maa Samalei, the revered deity of western Odisha. Ashirbad, the only Indian mountaineer in the expedition team, joined fellow climbers from the United Kingdom, the USA, Iran, Brazil, Germany, Australia, the Philippines, Canada, Argentina, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Japan, China, and the UAE during his African expedition that began August 2, 2025.
Having trained at the Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering, Pahalgam (Kashmir), Ashirbad has also undergone advanced training in sky diving, paragliding, skiing, CPR, search and rescue, shooting, and survival skills. He has earlier scaled peaks like Tatakoti (4,760m), Harmukh (5,300m), Trishul (7,120m), Neelkanth (6,596m), Sunset (4,745m), Gol Top (4,420m), and Sleeping Lady Mountain (2,240m). Expressing gratitude, Ashirbad credited Bargarh MP Pradip Purohit for his encouragement and support. “Mountaineering was my childhood dream, and today I am living it,” he said after his successful ascent.
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Looking ahead, Ashirbad has set his sights on climbing Mount Elbrus (5,642m), the highest peak in Europe, located in Russia. His mission is to hoist the national flag there and further elevate India’s name on the global stage. He also expressed a desire to inspire and train India’s youth in mountaineering so that the nation shines worldwide in adventure sports. Congratulations and good wishes have been pouring in from individuals and institutions across the state and country.