Saudi Arabia: Guntur woman scales Europe’s highest mountain Elbrus

Jeddah: A passionate climber, Bandaru Annapurna first started climbing nearby ghats in her native place near Guntur in Andhra Pradesh following a long dilemma over whether girls can also climb mountains which was predominantly a pursuit for boys only according to social norms at that time.

Annapurna, who works now as a teacher in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, scaled the highest peak of Europe, Mount Elbrus, located in Russia on Monday.  Several Telugu expatriate community members celebrated her achievement.

Determined to climb Seven Summits in the world, Annapurna says it was made possible only after her marriage with Mahesh Reddy, who believes in equal rights for women and, strong advocate of women independence.

Growing up in a rural environment where women were subject to limitations and often curtailed her adventurous spirit. She said that it was her husband’s courage while living in Saudi Arabia that she decided to trek Europe’s largest mountain.

“Started trekking by climbing the hills around Tadepalli in Guntur, I summited mountain Kedarkanath in peak of Himalayas in Uttarakhand, 12, 500 ft high, in 2020,” revealed Annapurna. Last year, she ventured into Africa where she climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, 19,341 ft high. Mount Kilimanjaro is the largest free-standing mountain in the world and is one of the seven summits, she said.