Kaamya Karthikeyan: youngest girl to scale 7 highest peaks in world

17-year-old school girl Kaamya Karthikeyan became the youngest female in the world to conquer the highest peaks on the seven continents of the earth. By climbing Vinson Massif in Antarctica along with her father Commander S. Karthikeyan on 24th December 2024, she completed the challenge of climbing the highest mountain peaks in Asia (Mount Everest), Africa (Mount Kilimanjaro), Europe (Mount Elbrus), Australia (Mount Kosciuszko), South America (Mount Aconcagua) and North America (Mount Denali).

About Kaamya Karthikeyan

Kaamya Karthikeyan is a student of Navy Children's School, in Mumbai. She is the daughter of 

Commander S. Karthikeyan of the Indian Navy. At the age of seven years, she scaled a peak in Uttarakhand. At the age of 16 years, she climbed Mount Everest, becoming India’s youngest climber and the world’s second youngest to achieve this feat from the South side(Nepal side).

Her achievement was mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann ki Baat and she was also honoured with Pradhan Mantri Rashtriya Bal Shakti Puraskar in 2021.

Her Next Adventure 

Kaamya will now attempt to conquer the Explorer’s Grand Slam. The Grand Slam includes conquering the Seven Mountain Peaks of Mount Everest, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Elbrus, Mount Kosciuszko, Mount Aconcagua, and Mount Denali and reaching the North Pole, and the South Pole. Having conquered all the Seven Peaks she will now attempt to reach the North and the South Pole.

About the Seven Peaks of the Seven Continents

Following are the seven tallest peaks of the seven continents of the earth.

Mount Everest 

• It is the world's highest mountain peak situated in the Greater Himalayas along the boundary of Nepal and Tibet.
• The height of the peak is 8,849 meters (29,032 feet).
• Its height was first accurately measured by the Survey of India in 1852. It was named Peak XV.
• In 1865 the peak was named Mount Everest in honour of Sir George Everest who was the head of the Survey of India when its height was accurately measured.
• In Nepal, the peak is called Sagarmatha (Sanskrit language) and in the Tibetan language, it is called  Chomolungma( “Goddess Mother of the World” or “Goddess of the Valley).

Mount Kilimanjaro

• Mount Kilimanjaro is a volcanic massif (a compact group of mountains) in Tanzania, Africa. It consists of three main extinct volcanoes: Mawenzi (east), Kibo (center), and Shira (west).
• Kibo with a height of  5,895 meters (19,340 feet) is the highest peak in Africa.
• In 1987 the peak was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Mount Elbrus 

• It is an extinct volcanic mountain situated in the Caucasian mountain range in Russia.
• It has twin volcanic cones with the highest cone being 5,642 meters (18,510 feet).

Mount Kosciuszko

• It is situated in New South Wales, Australia.
• Height 2228 meters(7,310 feet).
• It was named in honour of Tadeusz Kościuszko, a Polish patriot and statesman by the 

 Polish explorer Paul Strzelecki in 1840.

Mount Aconcagua 

• It lies in the Southern Andes Mountains of the South American continent.
• It lies in Argentina and is the highest peak in the Western Hemisphere. 
• Height - 6959 Meters(22,831 feet). 

Vinson Massif 

• Height- 4892 meters (16,050 feet).
• It is situated in the Sentinel Range of the Ellsworth Mountains of western Antarctica.
• Antarctica is the highest continent on earth (2,200 meters above sea level) followed by Asia.

Mount Denali 

• Mount Denali is the highest peak in North America located in Alaska, the United States of America.
• It is a block of granite with a height of 6,190 meters (20,310 feet)

Read: Kami Rita of Nepal climbs Mount Everest for record 29th times