Mysuru: Shanaaya Anand, an 8-year-old girl, has proven that age does not matter by summiting the Kedarkantha peak. Through this, she has become the youngest girl to summit the mountain in Uttarakhand.

The Kedarkantha trek is not an easy task. It requires four days of walking through tough hills and peaks. It begins from the picturesque village of Sankri, passing scenic spots like Juda Ka Talab and Kedarkantha Base Camp and culminating with the stunning Kedarkantha peak, which is covered in snow during winter. The trek is physically and mentally challenging and it demands more fitness and endurance with minus temperature and less oxygen as one climbs towards Kedarkantha peak, which elevates 12,500 feet (3,850 meters in height).

Shanaaya Anand prepared herself by jogging with her dad every morning and hiking regularly, even venturing into the Chamundi Hills (3,500 ft) with her parents and friends. Her love for trekking began at age four, when she summited Kumaraparvatha (5,617 ft), one of the toughest treks in the Western Ghats.

The Kedarkantha trek was initiated and led by mountaineer Guruclimber (Mysuru) and local guides Mohan and Narendra from Sankri, Uttarakhand. The event was organised by Hillway Treks Founders Bachan Singh Rawat and Sandeep Rawat.

Reaching the summit, Shanaaya was rewarded with breathtaking views of Himalayan peaks like Bandarpoonch, Black Peak and Swargarohini. Shanaaya Anand is a 3rd std. student at Excel Public School in Mysuru. She is the only daughter of M. Anand and T.S. Bhanumathi, residents of Ramakrishnanagar.