Thiruvananthapuram, May 19 (). Sheikh Hasan Khan, a 36-year-old employee of the Kerala government, is so passionate about mountaineering that he has even taken a loan for it.
Hasan Khan works in the finance department in the state secretariat and is a resident of Pandalam in Pathanamthitta district.
Till now he has climbed Mount Everest and Kilimanjaro. Speaking to over phone from Denver in the US on Monday, he told that his next tough trek began when he started climbing Mount Denali, the third highest peak in Alaska.
He is accompanied by three Americans, one of whom was with him when he reached the summit of Mount Everest last year.
Khan said, I am planning to take five years off to reach my goal of climbing the highest peaks of 185 countries. Denali will be the third and in July I will reach Russia and in August Japan. For 2023, I aim to scale 15 peaks in different countries.
But then there is a big problem in front of Khan that he needs around Rs 2.50 crore to achieve his target by 2028.
The cost of my Everest trip was Rs 3.5 million and currently it would be around Rs 20 lakh. The biggest part of the cost is the purchase of air tickets and boarding expenses. I am looking for sponsors, not just one, but many.
Khan says he still owes a loan of Rs 2.5 million, which he took for his last two campaigns.
He said, I have a state government job, so getting a bank loan is easy and I don’t need to build a house. I have inherited the house. I also have a good track record in repaying loans taken to pursue my passion. I have bought some equipment which are essential for my trip. So I am sure I will achieve my goal and there will be help from certain circles.
Khan is fully supported by his wife, who is a teacher by profession, and a six-year-old daughter.
Khan makes sure that the tricolor is hoisted on every peak he conquers. Apart from self-satisfaction, their aim is to spread the message of unity as well as to make people aware of climate change.
PK/SKP
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