15 Year Old Becomes Youngest Person to Scale Mt. Denali

15 year old P. Vishwanath Karthikey adds being the youngest to scale Mt. Denali to his already impressive resume.

February 19, 2022, Healy, Alaska; Views of mountains near Denali National Park from George Parks highway (Alaska Route 3), February 19, 2022. Mandatory Credit: Jessica Koscielniak-USA TODAY / Jessica Koscielniak-USA TODAY

At just 15 years old, Padakanti Vishwanath Karthikey has etched his name into the annals of mountaineering history by becoming the youngest person ever to scale Mt. Denali, the tallest peak in North America, standing at a formidable 6,190 meters (20,310 feet). This feat is incredibly strenuous and challenging for even the most experienced mountaineers, but to Karithikey, it's another notch in the long line of accomplishments for the young climber.

While this climb is impressive, it is nothing new for Karthikey, who already has a dazzling resume of expeditions. In April 2022, Vishwanath reached the Everest base camp and summited Mount Nangkartshang in Nepal, marking the beginning of an extraordinary year. The following month, he conquered Friendship Peak, and by July, he had set records as the youngest person to summit both Kang Yatse 2 and Mt. Dzo Jongo in Ladakh. His momentum continued in August when he became the youngest climber to summit both the East and West peaks of Mount Elbrus within 24 hours. Vishwanath then set his sights on the highest peaks of each continent, successfully summiting Kilimanjaro in Africa in October and Kosciuszko in Australia in November 2022.

While Vishwanath is now an incredibly experienced climber, his introduction to mountaineering was by chance. In the 2019 lockdown, his sister decided to go to a mountaineering training camp at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute. While he had no real interest then, he didn’t want to be left alone at home, so he convinced his parents to let him tag along with his sister. The experience in the camp was challenging, considering that he had to stop at the first camp due to a headache caused by dehydration. However, the overall experience of being in nature and meeting new people left an indelible impression on him. This experience aroused his interest in and passion for mountaineering, which quickly became a serious commitment as he sought more training and set his sights on some of the tallest peaks in the world.

While Vishwanath’s resume is beyond impressive, he’s nowhere near being finished, as he plans on scaling six more summits by the time he turns 21. Don’t be surprised if you hear his name in the coming years, continuing his incredible feats worldwide.