Peak Promotion: Everest Conqueror Scales Mountains to Advertise Andhra Govt Schemes, Seeks CM's Help

A mountaineer from Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh has been grabbing eyeballs by advertising the schemes of the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government on the peaks that he has conquered. 24-year-old G Suresh Babu, a self-confessed fan of the YSRCP, scaled Mount Everest when he was 17. He is the first south Indian to scale Mt Manaslu and Mt Lhotse. However, his dream to conquer more peaks has met with a financial roadblock. “Climbing mountains is a costly affair. I have managed to scale 25 mountains in 5 years but don’t have the funds to go further in the journey. That is why, I have been appealing to Jagan Anna to help me out,” he told News18.

Till now, he has unfurled nine posters depicting Navaratnas (nine welfare schemes) of the Andhra Pradesh government on nine peaks. “His padayatra had inspired me to follow my dreams. I like his commitment and dedication to cover such a large distance. I come from a poor family that has benefited from his schemes. I studied at Andhra Pradesh Social Welfare Residential College. That is why, I want to tell the world about them,” he said.

When asked which scheme is the best, the mountaineer replied: “It’s the YSR Rythu Bharosa scheme. My father, who is a farmer, has benefitted from the instalments that are credited regularly.”

Talking about his passion, Suresh said: “Since my school days, I have been interested in adventure sports and had decided to climb as many mountains as possible. It was during my intermediate in Kurnool that I seriously began thinking of taking up mountaineering as a career because mountaineering and adventure sports/tourism has tremendous potential in our state. However, I was aware that it is not given as much respect here as in north India. I went for my basic course to the National Institute of Mountaineering in Uttarkashi and then proceeded to do an advanced course from Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling.”

Suresh is now preparing to scale the Dhaulagiri, Kanchenjunga, and Annapurna peaks this September. He is hoping that the state government will step in to make that dream come true.