Seven-year-old Aadhya Mukhi’s Himalayan adventure

For most children, the Himalayas may be associated with holidays, photographs or stories. For seven-year-old Aadhya Mukhi, they have been part of her life from an early age. The daughter of mountaineer Wing Commander Rajesh Mukhi, Aadhya began accompanying her family on mountain journeys when she was very young. Her experiences include treks in Uttarakhand and, at the age of three, a journey through the Adi Kailash region that included the Lipulekh Pass and Om Parvat area.

In March-April this year that interest took her to Nepal’s Everest region. Aadhya was seven at the time and travelled with her father and elder sister, 15-year-old Aaradhya Mukhi, as part of a family high-altitude Mount Everest Area Odyssey expedition, their mission being a tribute to the Indian soldier.

The journey included trekking to Mount Everest Base Camp, at about 5,364 metres, and Kala Patthar, a high point in the Khumbu region known for its views of Mount Everest. The expedition also included an objective towards Ama Dablam Camp 1, at approximately 5,700-6,000 metres.

For a child of Aadhya’s age, an expedition at such altitude requires considerably more than an interest in adventure. High-altitude travel involves acclimatisation, careful planning, appropriate equipment, weather awareness and close supervision. Her participation was therefore part of a structured family expedition rather than an independent undertaking.

A mountain journey that began early

Aadhya’s connection with the mountains can be traced to her early childhood. At around three, she undertook the Adi Kailash parikrama in Uttarakhand, including the route towards Lipulekh Pass and the Om Parvat region.

The experience introduced her to high-altitude terrain at a young age. Subsequent trekking experiences in the Himalayan region have gradually built her familiarity with mountain trails and conditions.

Her father has been central to this journey. With his own mountaineering experience, including expeditions in the Himalayas and Antarctica, Wing Commander Rajesh Mukhi has introduced his daughters to the mountains while emphasising preparation, discipline and respect for the environment.

For Aadhya, that exposure has progressed from early trekking experiences to more demanding high-altitude routes.

Following in her sister’s footsteps

Aadhya is not the only young member of the Mukhi family to develop an interest in mountaineering.

Her elder sister, Aaradhya, now 15, began exploring the mountains through trekking experiences around Gulmarg in Jammu and Kashmir. At nine, she undertook the Adi Kailash trek, including the Lipulekh Pass and Om Parvat region in Uttarakhand.

Aaradhya has since continued to combine her interest in the outdoors with her studies and training as an NCC cadet. Her experience in trekking and mountaineering has given the sisters a shared interest, while their father’s background has provided a common link between their respective journeys.

The March-April Everest-region expedition was, in that sense, a family undertaking, with Aadhya and Aaradhya experiencing the high Himalayas alongside their father.

More than a destination

For Aadhya, the Everest-region expedition provided an opportunity to experience high-altitude conditions at an unusually early age. Reaching Everest Base Camp and trekking to Kala Patthar also brought her into the Khumbu landscape, surrounded by some of the best-known peaks of the Himalayas.

The experience adds to a growing record of Himalayan trekking that began several years before the Everest expedition.

The Mukhi family’s association with the mountains also brings together their connections with Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala, alongside their experiences in Uttarakhand and Nepal.

Gulmarg has been part of Aaradhya’s early trekking experiences, while Uttarakhand introduced both sisters to some of their first significant high-altitude journeys. Nepal’s Everest region has now added another chapter to the family’s mountain activities.

For Aadhya, however, the Everest expedition is still only one stage in a much longer journey. At seven, she is too young to define what role mountaineering will eventually play in her life.

What she already has is considerable exposure to mountain terrain and the discipline that comes with it. Her experiences have introduced her to environments where patience, preparation, acclimatisation and respect for nature are essential.

Whether she eventually chooses to pursue mountaineering more seriously will be a decision for the future. For now, her journey offers a glimpse of a childhood shaped, in part, by the mountains — and of a family that continues to return to them.