Daijiworld Media Network – Madikeri

Madikeri, Aug 30: Kodagu mountaineer Preeth Appayya has added another milestone to her seven-continent mountaineering dream by scaling Australia’s Mount Kosciuszko, the continent’s highest peak.

Preeth reached the 2,228-metre summit on Independence Day, braving snow, biting cold and thick clouds. At the summit, she proudly unfurled the Indian national flag and Karnataka state flag, marking the achievement with a patriotic gesture.

Hailing from Anandapura-Amathi village in Kodagu, Preeth aims to climb the highest mountain in each of the world's seven continents and hoist the Indian and Karnataka flags at every summit.

Her mountaineering journey has already taken her to Africa’s Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania in 2023 and Mount Elbrus in Europe in 2024. With the successful ascent of Mount Kosciuszko, she has now completed three of the seven continental summits.

Mountains have been a part of Preeth’s life since childhood. Growing up amid the hills of Kodagu, she regularly climbed local hills, initially without considering it an adventure.

Around a decade ago, her interest shifted towards the Himalayas. She began with the Bhrigu Lake trek and gradually went on to scale several Himalayan peaks. On one occasion, she climbed three mountains in a single year.

Her first major international expedition was to Mount Kilimanjaro, followed by Mount Elbrus. She proudly displayed the Indian and Karnataka flags at both summits as well.

Mount Kosciuszko marks another significant step towards Preeth’s ambitious goal of completing the highest peaks of all seven continents.