‘Started Trekking When I Was 59; Scaled Mt Kilimanjaro at 72’: Here’s How She Does It

Septuagenarian Vidya Singh’s take on the mountains has always been relatively reverential. She scaled Mount Kilimanjaro (5,895 metres) at 72, becoming one of the oldest Indian people to have accomplished the feat.

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But as Vidya shares, she’s always been an athlete at heart since college days when she captained the women’s tennis team at the University of Madras; added gold and silver medals in swimming championships to her ever-growing stack; and aced 19 high-altitude treks — including Mentok Kangri (6250 metres) in Eastern Ladakh and Yunam Peak (6,111 metres) in Spiti Valley.

Born into the erstwhile royal family of Andhra Pradesh’s Vijayanagaram, Vidya’s paternal uncle was the last coronated maharaja in 1945. As a child, she says, sports formed the fulcrum around which most of their lives revolved.

“Everything stemmed from a regime of fitness, which was part of our lifestyle growing up. My parents are both extremely fit and played tennis, golf and were active in horse riding. These were our focus areas.”

Recalling her first trek as a “life-changing experience”, she shares how the spontaneous trip to Ladakh in 2013 with a couple of close friends left an imprint on her adventurous psyche. “I got enchanted by the mountains,” she recalls. Vidya managed to trek to 17,700 feet, then stood and drank in the sweeping views of the Ladakh Valley; in that moment, she knew she was smitten by the mountains.

Scaling Mount Kilimanjaro at 72

The height of a peak doesn’t determine how intrepid it will be, Vidya points out. Take Mount Kilimanjaro, for instance — Africa’s tallest mountain, yet considered the easiest of the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on each continent. The group gazed in awe at its intimidating beauty as its snow-capped arches dominated the skyline.

On 6 March 2025 at 10.30 pm, Vidya and the group began their ascent of the volcanic massif — Mount Kilimanjaro is a long-dormant volcano — with their headlamps steadied and a personal guide to lead the way.

She explains, “There are two summits while trekking up Mount Kilimanjaro: Stella Point (5,756 metres) and Uhuru Peak (5,895 metres). The climb was long and continuous, and after a week, on 13 March 2025, we reached the summit at 7 am. After a round of photographs and seconds to soak in the panoramic view, it was time to go back down.”

Long queues of climbers mean groups can’t hang around for too long.

During the descent, the group realised why the mountain has a reputation for being a sticky slope to navigate. It demanded more than fitness and strength. “We spent five hours climbing down the mountain and reached the campsite at around 11 am,” Vidya shares.

Back at the basecamp, the group was encouraged to take off their warm layers and have lunch and a drink of water. The rest is essential prep for the dizzying incline that will follow.

“We walked for almost two hours down a long and wide, almost alpine desert. Then came the steep and rocky path winding down the mountain,” she says. But it’s the next segment that she found most difficult.

“We came to a path made of whitish rock, where one had to watch every step. You couldn’t take your eyes off; one foot placed wrong and you could slip.” The 12 km route, she shares, required climbers to muscle in with every shred of endurance, eventually ending in the campsite where rest and food await the tired trekkers.

On the final day, the group descended down a 10 km fairly muddy trail. “The path was dangerous. I fell about four times, and had to be helped up on my feet through the mud, gravel and stones,” Vidya recalls.

But as soon as she set foot on solid plane ground and looked back at the winding path she’d left behind, she realised how the mountain’s depth and dimension had left her with so many life lessons.

‘You’re never too old to climb a mountain’

What does it take to trek at 72? Just some solid willpower, Vidya responds.

“I cycle once a week 60 km. For the last 12 years, I’ve been swimming and participating in several national events. Along with this, I do weight training, which is a good way to build muscle. Twice a week, I walk with a weighted vest (around 8 kg) because it builds resilience and lung power,” Vidya shares.

Around 15 years ago, Vidya would routinely participate in half-marathons, which went a long way in building her stamina.

When it comes to diet, hers includes lots of fruits, seeds and nuts, vegetables, salads and eggs around four times a week.

Beckoning people to appreciate the highlands of India — “We are blessed to have the Himalayas and the Karakoram range; there’s nothing that comes close to them,” Vidya says there is something about trekking that seeps into the soul.

“If you’re fit enough, climbing is not that hard. I started when I was 59, but wish I had when I was in my 20s,” she says. This, she believes, would have paved the way for a better understanding of the mountains.

According to her, every trek is like a life lesson in itself. “One of the most important lessons is never to compare one mountain to another because each terrain is different, the atmosphere is different, and the wind is different. Climb with an open mind and leave your ego behind,” she urges.

“If you respect the mountains, they will respect you in return. Whenever I trek, my group is very careful about littering; we never leave a piece of paper or tissue. Everything is put into a plastic bag and brought back to the camp and disposed of consciously,” she explains.

She talks about the mountains with a deep reverence. “I never tell anyone that I conquered a mountain. I climb with the greatest respect for the mountain, the gods of the mountains, and the universe. Before every climb, we pray for perfect conditions,” Vidya explains.

The way she sees it, the best climbs are those guided by the rhythms of nature.

But perhaps the biggest lesson the mountains have taught her is that of camaraderie. “Someone may be strong. Someone may not be as fit. But what matters is the bonds formed along the way and how those help you reach the top.”

Both when climbing a mountain…and in life.

All pictures courtesy Vidya Singh