1st Indian to climb 2x8000m wo supplemental oxygen

We seek donations and sponsorships for Anurag Nallavelli, a Portland-based mountaineer from Hyderabad, India. In September 2021, Anu became the first Indian to summit Manaslu in Nepal without supplemental oxygen or personal Sherpa(And 1st Indian civilian to climb any 8000m peak without supplemental oxygen); he also summited Denali in Alaska (the tallest mountain in North America!) and others funded entirely by himself. On top of supporting all his expeditions without major sponsorships, he has raised money for local Nepali organizations with every trip. This next trip is a big deal, and he needs our help!

 

Because of the technical nature of climbing in the Himalayas, there is a lot of specialty gear required and many other expenses to pull off a historic expedition of this magnitude safely. Please donate if you can see even a tiny part of yourself in Anu. He is making history, and we can be a part of this incredible journey with him, cheering him on all the way and feeling these victories as wins for us all.

 

Anu plans to climb Dhaulagiri (8,167m / 26,795 ft.) without supplemental oxygen. This successful summit alone would make him the only Indian to have climbed two 8,000+ meter peaks without supplemental oxygen. But, as you might imagine, he has his eye on a more significant challenge. Dhaulagiri will help him acclimatize to the altitude and prepare for the larger, more technical and dangerous Annapurna (8,091m/26,545ft) without supplemental oxygen. While a myriad of unforeseeable factors will ultimately determine whether Anurag will be able to climb the legendary Annapurna, this is his ideal case scenario since all the momentum will already be so close.

 

Please help us give Anu the chance to realize this dream! Every $5, $10, $100 share helps more than you can imagine. Sharing this campaign is also the ONLY way to reach this ambitious funding goal in six weeks. Anu is such a wonderful and compassionate person; he deserves our support!

 

Please follow Anu's journey and hear the latest expedition updates in his Instagram @ catchmeanurag 

 

Thank you for your time and support!

 

 

ABOUT ANURAG:

 

When Anurag Nallavelli arrived here from India in 2015, he had never so much as stepped a foot on a mountain path or hike on a trail or ever really carried more in a backpack than a few books. And why would he have? Due to the challenging barriers surrounding the outdoor industry, including racism, prohibitive costs, technical knowledge and training, accessing remote locations requires a vehicle, needing 4WD the list goes on and on. Anu grew up in the 4th largest city in India, surrounded by an urban metropolis taking walks around artificial lakes and manicured gardens, working as an engineer. When he finally got a taste of natural wilderness at the ripe age of 26, it was truly and deeply love at first sight.

 

In his own words:

 

"Growing up in India I’d never been on a trail/mountain. I moved to US

in 2015 and got into outdoors (my 1st backpacking experience) in 2018. Since then, I’ve started doing

longer and challenging backpacking trips and by being outdoors more my life has been changed

drastically. I thru-hiked Colorado Trail (500 miles in 28 days) and got into climbing in Pandemic and

realized there is lack of representation in outdoor community. Representation is important because

what people see shapes their perception of reality and what they deem to be possible for themselves

and for people who look like them. It’s also important for people from dominant groups to see what’s

possible for people who DON’T look like them. To me being outdoors and pushing the boundaries is not

just for myself, I like to inspire/motivate people who can relate to me and see themselves being

outdoors. If I can do it anybody can do it."

 

#DiversifyOutside #EveryoneOutside

 

Anu is just a regular person who decided to change his life and has accomplished astonishing things: his wildest, almost unattainably huge dreams. Alpine climbers subject themselves to super-human elite body training, challenge not only the limits of the physical body but also testing the mental strength required to push to the tallest peaks in the world. Self-supported. With NO supplemental oxygen.

 

These are all things we can all get behind. To me, Anu represents all of us. I can tell you I will never climb a mountain in Nepal anymore than I will do so without a sherpa and supplemental oxygen. And yet, he is accomplishing this feat for all of us. It is not a tiny accomplishment what Anu has done and is trying to do again, maybe twice this time. Brown people see themselves in Anurag -- visiting faraway lands and following the deep call of his heart to take these journeys. We can delight in these expeditions and find the inspiration to get outside ourselves in whatever our capacity to feel the magic and connection of nature.

News Articles about Manaslu expedition: 

Indian Express 

Telangana Today

News Meter

Global Indian