How do you raise $26,000 in this tough economy, especially when you’re a kid? Well, if you’re Rohan Paramesh, 16, you climb a mountain, preferably one which is 14,000 feet high! Not just any old mountain but the iconic Mount Rainier which dominates the skyline in Seattle, Rohan’s hometown.
A year ago Rohan spent a summer in India, serving with AID India which addresses the needs of underprivileged children and came away with a desire to help in any small way possible. Every day he would see Mount Rainier and he decided to attempt a climb and build a fundraiser aro und it for AID India and the Uncompensated Care Fund at Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Rohan set a goal of raising $25,000 and went into training mode. It was tough training which he recounted on the website he set up: “Every week, I do a strength circuit with free weights, lots of cardiovascular exercise, and grueling sessions on the Jacobs Ladder. I also run stairs with 35-40 pounds and at least one long hike up the neighboring hills every week with up to 45 pounds. In fact, I don’t even walk for an extended period of time without a heavy pack!”
The group consisted of 8 climbers and four guides but in the end only three of them managed to reach the summit. The grueling ascent is recorded by Rohan at www.firstgiving.com/rainierforaid along with a tally of all the pledges he received. He says: “Donations ranged from $10 to up to even $1000. I learned that every little bit counted.”
While he reached the summit in August, the money has been coming in over the months, and he finally surpassed his goal, netting $26,000. Funds raised for AID by Rohan are for the tuition of orphaned students at Vinobhaji School in South India, which is being developed as a model school with a holistic approach to education.
ROHAN PARAMESH TALKS ABOUT:
THE WORST PART OF THE TRIP – AND THE BEST
Trip-wise, there truly are several “best parts.” I really loved our pre-race gear check, as I could see all of the equipment in front of me that would eventually carry me to the top of the highest mountain in the region. I could feel the anticipation building.
On the first day, the trip up to Camp Muir, our first resting point, was also a lot of fun. I had done a practice run to Muir the week before, and I found it quite difficult, but on the real climb, it was quite easy. I could feel the weeks of exercise and training paying off, and despite the extended ice in every direction, I was comfortable and happy on the move.
Finally, reaching summit, or rather, standing on the edge of the crater rim and looking down on the snow-covered crater basically was the peak of my emotion, as I was staring at the top of the mountain.
The worst part would have to be clarified further as the most difficult part. This was when I was on the Disappointment Cleaver, a large rocky section on the summit climb. The whole place was webbed with ice, and we had to climb for over an hour on steep, tall rocks and boulders and over slippery, sliding gravel.
Finally, after the Cleaver, we had to do a very long traverse, ending in switchbacks for another 90 minutes or so, without even a break. It was very tough to keep going with knowing how much time was left or seeing the finish.
LESSONS FROM THE TRIP – AND WOULD HE DO IT AGAIN?
From the trip itself, I learned a lot of things about myself. The most important of these would be recognizing my limits. Based on my performance, I don’t think I reached my limits, but I had a much clearer understanding that my limits weren’t at where I had pegged them before; I was in much better mental and physical shape than I knew.
I also learned that a short, concentrated effort really works wonders. Normally, climbers train for 4-5 months in preparation for Rainier, but, due to final exams, I only had about 7-8 weeks to train. I spent my time lifting weights, going on pack-loaded hikes, and doing a lot of stair running. Comparing the before and after, I went from climbing a 2.5-mile hill in 4 hours carrying 25 pounds to a 6-mile hill in 4 hours carrying 60 pounds.
As for doing it again: if I were to do Rainier again, I could face it, since I know that I am more than physically capable. I would probably take a different route, perhaps from the east side (I climbed from the south, starting in Paradise, going up to Camp Muir, than through the Cadaver Gap to Ingraham Flats on the Ingraham Glacier, then to Disappointment Cleaver, and then over to the Emmons Glacier all the way to the top, Columbia Crest.).
However, given the chance, I would be more eager to tackle a different mountain, and perhaps work my way through Mt. Kilimanjaro in order to really experience one of the tallest mountains in the world. I am also interested in training for Denali in Alaska, which is the tallest mountain on the continent.
