Surat: “Yes you have done…you are a very strong girl,” exclaimed Dr. Sarika Mehta in a choked voice as she hugged her nine-year-old daughter Dhanshree who couldn’t believe that they had actually scaled Mount Elbrus, Europe’s highest peak at an altitude of 18,510 feet.
There were tears of joy as Sarika, Dhanshree, her 13-year-old brother Janam and their father Jignesh, togther scaled the peak. Dhanshree, a class IV student, made the Diamond City proud by becoming the youngest girl to climb Mount Elbrus in Russia on June 18.
The climb that began on June 13 was the biggest test of the family’s, especially the little one’s, mental and physical grit.
“At one time, we even decided to return after encountering a very violent storm. We were extremely worried for the kids. However, they were determined. They said since we had already scaled 3\4th of the mountain, let’s reach the peak,” Dr Sarika, a doctor, mountaineer and a biker, told TOI over phone from Moscow.
The last day was the most arduous as Dhanshree and family took 11 hours to reach the top, carrying 10-12 kg weight.
Dhanshree and Janam were cheered all along the way by other climbers from across the world who were awed by the kids’ sheer grit.
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