The Ultimate Descent

Thirty-year-old Ashok Munne is a well-known name in his village of Murti, about 70 km away from Nagpur. The son of a farmer, Munne lost his right leg, from below the knee, in a train accident in 2009. But in the last few years, he has learnt to ride a bike and drive a car, swim and perform gymnastics—with a prosthetic leg. He also became the first disabled man in the world to climb Nepal’s 6,476 metres high Mera peak in the Himalayas and successfully rode a bike from Delhi to Ladakh, including travelling through Khardung La Pass, the world’s highest motorable road. He runs an outdoors activity firm and leads treks in Maharashtra. Munne now wants to add another feather to his cap. He plans to climb Mount Everest and then paraglide down from its summit.

According to Munne, he has been determined to climb the planet’s highest peak for several years. After he lost his leg, he spent the next two years recuperating from three surgeries, two of which he claims were botched by local doctors. “I was severely depressed,” he says. “I was often sick. I began to lose weight. Everyone thought I was done for.” After his health began improving, after a third surgery, he wanted to prove everyone wrong. “I decided then that I would do what everyone thought was impossible—climb Everest!”

To take on the challenge of his expedition, he has done a pilot course at a paragliding school in Kamshet in Maharashtra. In preparation, he has been hiking regularly, apart from swimming. Also, he says, he runs and cycles for about 3-4 km daily. Munne has been able to raise Rs 11 lakh for the expedition already, and is in the process of securing another Rs 20 lakh from various charities. So far, only three teams have been able to paraglide from Everest’s top. A few disabled individuals have climbed Everest, but none of them tried to fly down. Munne’s point: “If you are disabled, it doesn’t mean you are incapable.”

Ashok MunneMaharashtraMount Everestprosthetic leg