Archive · 17 Aug 2026
72-Year-Old Indian Climbs Elbrus With Grandson, Eyes Seven Summits
An adventurous grandfather named Lingam Ravindra Rao is 72 years old.
That is very old, but he still loves big adventures.
He climbed a very tall mountain called Mount Elbrus in Europe.
Mount Elbrus is the tallest mountain in Europe, standing 5,642 metres high.
He reached the top on August 14.
He is the oldest Indian person to ever climb this mountain.
His 17-year-old grandson, Anuraag, came with him.
Anuraag climbed the mountain's two peaks one after the other very quickly.
Now the grandfather wants to climb the Seven Summits, the tallest mountains on all seven continents.
Lingam Ravindra Rao, 72, from Vijayawada, scaled Mount Elbrus West Peak, Europe's highest peak at 5,642 metres, on August 14.
He is the oldest Indian to have climbed Mount Elbrus as of the date of his ascent.
His 17-year-old grandson Anuraag Pokuri climbed both the West and East peaks back-to-back in 3 hours and 44 minutes.
Anuraag is the youngest citizen of Indian origin to have summited both peaks back-to-back.
Rao previously climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in 2024 and Mount Labouche, and is aiming for the Seven Summits.
- Who
- Lingam Ravindra Rao, a 72-year-old from Vijayawada, and his 17-year-old grandson Anuraag Pokuri from Hyderabad
- What
- Scaled Mount Elbrus West Peak, Europe's highest peak; Anuraag climbed both West and East peaks back-to-back
- When
- August 14
- Where
- Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest peak (5,642 metres)
- Why
- Rao is pursuing his goal of climbing the Seven Summits, the highest peaks on all seven continents
- Climber
- Lingam Ravindra Rao
- Age
- 72 years, 1 month and 13 days
- Mountain
- Mount Elbrus West Peak
- Elevation
- 5,642 metres
- Ascent date
- August 14
- Grandson
- Anuraag Pokuri, 17, from Hyderabad
- Grandson's feat
- Climbed both West and East peaks back-to-back in 3 hours 44 minutes
- Previous climbs
- Mount Kilimanjaro (2024) and Mount Labouche