An eight-year-old girl from Delhi named Veera has accomplished a rare feat by trekking to the Everest Base Camp (EBC), leaving many seasoned climbers amazed. Accompanied by her mother Sneh Wadhwaney, who is a noted swimmer, and guide Sanjiv Rai, Veera began her trek on March 3 and reached the EBC on March 12. Many of her co-trekkers were left in awe as she walked eight to nine kilometres daily. Veera’s love for adventure, nurtured by regular treks with her mother, was the secret behind her energy. She began going on treks with her mother from a very young age and has always been excited to join her mother and friends on hikes or treks. Veera’s father, Test cricketer Vijay Dahiya, was overjoyed with her achievement.
Veera, a class III student at The British School in Delhi, prepared well beyond her age by undertaking multiple short treks last year. She also took part in various active sports and training regimes to build her endurance and strength. Veera hopes to go on many more treks in the future and is eager to join the Indian Mountaineering Federation (IMF) to learn essential techniques and tricks. After meeting several inspiring young people during her trek to the EBC, Veera has come back inspired and full of dreams.
When asked about her experience, Veera said that she loved camping in tree houses and walking long distances every day. Some places were great, but at times, they had to sleep on the floor with no mats and shared toilets. The lack of heating, snow, and frozen water made things difficult, but coming back was the most challenging part. However, Veera appreciated the support of her guides and made friends with other climbers who were excited to see a young girl like her on the trek.