NRI from US scales Mount Manaslu in Nepal to beat pandemic

Anurag Nallavalli (29) is an engineer by profession in Michigan (USA) and took to mountaineering in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020. In September 202e he scaled Mt Manaslu the world’s eighth-highest peak

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An NRI from the US scaled Mount Manaslu in Nepal without oxygen. Mount Manaslu is the world’s eighth-highest peak at 26,781 feet (or 8,163 metres), the Indian Express reported.

Anurag Nallavalli (29) is an engineer by profession in Michigan (USA) and took to mountaineering in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020.

In India, his base is in Hyderabad. Sharing his story to the Indian Express newspaper, Anurag said he “took to mountaineering to break the monotony of the pandemic-induced lockdown in June 2020. A weekend camping trip to a non-profit animal sanctuary in California changed his life,” he admits.

At the time of camping in a trailer along with a friend lockdown was announced and he was stuck at the animal sanctuary.  He started working part-time on a farm as well as remotely for his regular company.

“Amid all the rescued animals from alpaca, lama and cows to pigs, we found positivity when it mattered. The couple who run the place are like my parents. Even today, that trailer is my address in the US,” he said to the newspaper.

Anurag took to mountaineering to break the monotony of the pandemic-induced lockdown in June 2020

Even after moving from the sanctuary he started researching mountaineering.

After trying some peaks in the US he decided to climb Mt Manaslu.

“It took him 20 days to summit Mt Manaslu in September 2021. Anurag said the plan was to give his best shot, enjoy the experience, and return from what is called the death zone (at 8,000 metres) if he felt uncomfortable without oxygen. At times during whiteouts, I was not sure if I was on the right path. I saw a line of cafes and people enjoying coffee. Of course, I was hallucinating. But I also saw the body of a 37-year-old Canadian climber being taken away. That was for real. At such heights, there is no past or future but only the present. That is what thrills me,” he said in an interview to the newspaper.

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