PETALING JAYA: Imagine having a yen for hiking at the tender age of eight, and climbing up Mount Kinabalu at 11. For Kalirra Isis Athelage Don, hiking to the summits of mountains is a passion.
Kalirra said she enjoyed the challenging activity as it pushes her to her limits.
In March this year, Kalirra, now aged 14, hiked to the base camp of Mount Annapurna in Nepal.
The Sri Kuala Lumpur International School student told theSun that her first hiking trip was at Wawasan Hill in Puchong, Selangor, back in 2008.
“I started hiking at Wawasan Hill with my parents and younger brother when I was eight. I then developed a love for hiking due to the challenges it presents.
“Also, I feel a strong connection with nature and beautiful surroundings.”
She said she wanted to embark on something more challenging and that’s when her parents signed her up for Mount Kinabalu.
“I summited Mount Kinabalu after training with Ravichandran Tharumalingam, who was Malaysia’s first solo Mount Everest summiter in 2006.”
Her parents accompanied her for the successful climb. “That was my first experience climbing a mountain and from that day onwards I wanted to attain new heights. That’s why I climbed Mount Annapurna, which is 8,091m in height.”
Kalirra said she practised yoga every week as part of her preparation for hiking up Mount Kinabalu.
She now looks forward to summiting Mount Annapurna again and climbing up to the Everest base camp as well as conquering Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895m), and other mountains in the Annapurna circuit and the Himalayan range.
She said one of the hardest aspects of hiking is saying goodbye to friends she makes during her hiking trips.
“They become like family to me, and we maintain a permanent bond after facing hardships together.”
Kalirra said she sometimes gets discouraged when she feels that it might be difficult to ascend to the top of a mountain.
“Among the many experiences I have had were meeting local mountain people, savouring new cultures and crossing dangerous suspension bridges.
“During climbs, I would also think about food and what I would eat, while wrestling with the negative side of my mind, which would cast doubts whether I could make it to the top.
“At the end of the hike, we would all gather and sing and dance.”