PANAJI (GOA)

Mountaineering is not for the faint hearted and climbing the Everest is near death. However, a son of Goan soil is set to change the sussegad image of Goa and is going to attempt to scale the highest peak in the world. At 8848 meters (29,029 ft.) Rahul Prabudessai is going to attempt to make it to the top of the world this April by attempting to climb Mount Everest in the April-May 2018 season. Rahul is set to be the only one from Goa to have attempted the epitome of herculean tasks in the world of Mountaineering. Rahul has already accomplished the Dhaulagiri peak, which is 28 thousand 300 ft. tall.
Rahul will begin his journey on 21st March as a part of the American team called International Mountain Guides from Seattle. The team will Trek for about 10 days to reach the Base camp. This will be followed by a month long acclimatisation programme on the Everest during which we will ferry our gear to higher camps. During 1st or 2nd week of May, depending upon the weather window, the team shall attempt the summit in a 5-day rotation from the base camp. The climb involves setting up 4 camps between the base and the top of Everest.
As a kid, Rahul was encouraged by his parents to take up sports. Rahul took to semi-professional swimming and went on to represent Goa at the National Games from 2007-10. He has also played football U-21 for Vasco Sports Club.
Rahul got his Masters of Science in Sport Management from Loughborough University, UK in 2015-16 and has been the recipient of Goa Scholar Award in 2015.
After his Basic Mountaineering Course at Nehru Institute of Mountaineering in 2012, since then, Rahul has been on over 6 expeditions in the Indian and Nepal Himalayas as well as in Russia. Rahul has attempted and climbed 5 peaks over 6,000 m from 2012-2016.
In September 2017, Rahul summited Dhaulagiri 7, a mountain of height 23,800 feet in Nepal after a 35 day expedition. It was the first and only summit of the 2017 climbing season. It is the highest altitude mark a Goan has ever been to.
Rahul informed, “The Everest climb including year-long training for Everest and expeditions in 2017 has entailed a total cost of Rs.70 Lakhs. However, I’ve been privileged to be supported by the Govt. Of Goa by a generous grant. The CM and TCP Minister have both taken personal interest in ensuring that the first attempt of Everest by a goemkar is recognised and supported,” said Rahul.
“Also, I have received tremendous support from Goan Corporates and fellow Goemkars towards making the expedition possible,” he said.
The Government and the TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai has taken the opportunity and has already committed all the Government support for Rahul’s Everest summit attempt. Rahul will be spending nearly Rs.70 lakhs in total for the trip and Minister has informed that the Government will devise a scheme to support this maiden endeavor of a Goan.
TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai while congratulating Rahul said, “This is the first attempt by a Goemkar to scale the highest peak of the world the Mount Everest and we are very proud of this attempt,” said TCP Minister Vijai Sardesai. “This also goes to tell that the Goans are not Sussegad and have now begun inspiring people to accomplish the summits which are impossible and is something worth getting motivated with,” said Vijai.
Vijai in a special mention has congratulated the Parents of Rahul, Babita and Dilip Prabudessai for having the courage and to support him in such an endeavor.
Dilip Prabhudessai maintained that he is going to go all out to support his son in his Everest feat, while Babita said that she is slightly worried about her son’s safety but said that he will definitely achieve what he has aimed at.