Arvind Raturi: The Mountaineer Who Put Tehri Garhwal on Everest's Map

Arvind Raturi is an Indian mountaineer from Uttarakhand, best known for scaling Mount Everest at just 20 years old. He grew up in Rindol, a village in the Pratapnagar tehsil of Tehri Garhwal district, far from any major mountaineering hub, yet he went on to represent the state on the world's highest peak.

His path to Everest began with the NCC. In 2013, Arvind Raturi summited the peak as part of the NCC Mount Everest Expedition, reaching the top at 7:30 AM (IST) on 19 May. That single climb made him the youngest person from Uttarakhand to stand on Everest's summit, a record that put his home state firmly on India's mountaineering map.

• Date of Birth: 6 June 1992
• Current Age: 34 years old (as of 2026)
• Birth Place: Rindol village, Pratapnagar, Tehri Garhwal, Uttarakhand

Rindol is a small hill village in the Pratapnagar tehsil of Tehri Garhwal, far from any established climbing school. That makes Arvind Raturi's rise to the summit of Everest, achieved at just 20 years and 11 months old, even more remarkable for a region better known for farming and forestry than for elite mountaineering.

Reaching Everest is never a single leap. Arvind Raturi's climb was the result of a long, structured selection process built through the National Cadet Corps, and it tested his stamina, discipline, and mountain skills at every stage.

• Initial Shortlist: 108 NCC cadets selected nationwide for training
• Base Training: Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Uttarkashi
• First Cut: 40 cadets chosen for the Mount Deo Tibba expedition (6,001 m), Himachal Pradesh, June 2012
• Pre-Everest Test: 15 cadets selected for the Mount Kamet expedition (7,756 m)
• Final Climb: NCC Mount Everest Expedition 2013, summit reached 19 May 2013

From Rindol Village to the Roof of the World

For a cadet from a hill village like Rindol, each stage of this selection was a test of endurance as much as skill. Mount Deo Tibba's icy slopes run at gradients of 50 to 75 degrees, and the Kamet expedition pushed climbers well above 7,700 metres before anyone was even considered for Everest.

Arvind Raturi cleared every stage of that process, and his selection for the final Everest team reflected months of training in extreme cold, thin air, and technical terrain the same grounding that many Uttarakhand mountaineers rely on when they take on the Himalaya's toughest peaks.

Arvind Raturi's mountaineering journey unfolded step by step, from early training climbs to the Everest summit and beyond. Here's a quick timeline of his major milestones:

Beyond the Everest summit itself, a few achievements stand out in Arvind Raturi's mountaineering career:

• Youngest mountaineer from Uttarakhand to summit Mount Everest, at 20 years and 11 months old
• Successful expeditions to Mount Kamet (7,756 m), Mount Deo Tibba (6,001 m), and Mount Draupadi ka Danda-II (5,670 m)
• Active participant in Search & Rescue operations during the devastating 2013 Kedarnath flash floods
• Certified water sports professional and instructor trained in paragliding and snow skiing
• Awarded the COAS Commendation Card in 2024 by General Upendra Dwivedi for his exceptional service and role in preparing soldiers for high-altitude conditions
• Won a Silver Medal in Water Ski Slalom at the 2024 National Games
• Recognised by the Bhagirathi Foundation for courage, service, and contribution to society

Uttarakhand has long been called the gateway to the Himalaya, home to institutes like the Nehru Institute of Mountaineering and generations of climbers who train in its valleys. Arvind Raturi's Everest summit added a new landmark to that legacy, showing that a cadet from a small village could reach the world's highest point through discipline and structured training.

After Everest, he didn't step away from the mountains. Arvind Raturi went on to train future climbers as a guest instructor, took part in flash flood rescue efforts, and later co-founded Tehri Adventure to introduce more young people to outdoor sports.

Today, Arvind Raturi works as an outdoor educator and co-founder of Tehri Adventure, focusing on water sports, mountaineering training, and adventure education across Tehri Garhwal. His specialisation spans land, water, and aerial adventure sports, backed by certifications from the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering & Allied Sports and the National Institute of Watersports.

Rather than chasing another record, his focus has shifted toward passing on what he learned on the way to Everest training the next generation of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts from the same hills that shaped him.

• A young climber from Rindol village who became Uttarakhand's youngest Everest summiteer
• Summited Mount Everest on 19 May 2013 at age 20, as part of the NCC Everest Expedition
• Cleared multiple high-altitude test climbs, including Deo Tibba and Kamet, before earning his Everest spot
• Now trains the next generation of climbers through Tehri Adventure and outdoor education programmes

From a hill village in Tehri Garhwal to the summit of the world's highest peak, Arvind Raturi's journey shows what disciplined training and mountain grit can achieve. More than a decade after his Everest climb, his focus has quietly shifted from chasing summits to building the next generation of Uttarakhand's mountaineers.