At 57-years-old, Ramesh Sharma is making a name for himself.
In May this year, Mr Sharma did what not many his age would ever think of doing – climbing up to Mount Everest’s base camp.
What should have taken him 15 days to complete took him a shocking eight days, setting a personal record that many locals would only dream of.
Mr Sharma is happily married to wife Rosalyn and they have two children.
The former businessman now spends his retirement enjoying new adventures.
Originally from Rewa, he said conquering Mount Everest Base Camp, situated at an altitude of over 5000 metres, had always been a dream of his.
“I’ve done sky jumping at 13,000 ft, I’ve done bungee jumping, bungee swing, skydiving and paragliding,” he said.
“I’ve also trekked up a few mountains in Australia and New Zealand but after all that, I felt that I needed to do something bigger. So, I finally made my dream of climbing Mount Everest Base Camp a reality.”
Prior to making it to one of Mt Everest’s two base camps, he bought himself a pair of trekking shoes and began his daily three-hour walk.
After a few walks the convincing thought that he could trek to the base camp crept into his mind.
Being the avid adrenaline-pumping adventurer that he is, Mr Sharma always succeeds once he puts his mind to somethings.
Without hesitation he did his bookings and after letting his wife know, he was out of the country on his way to Nepal.
“At Nepal, the first obstacle I faced was the weather. Kathmandu was okay, it felt just like Fiji but when we flew to Lukla (north-eastern Nepal), the cold breeze from the Himalayas and Everest really got to me.
“The trek to the base camp takes 15 days max and my guide said that if I ever got tired, we could always skip a day to get some rest.
“I asked him if anyone had ever completed the trek in 10 days and he said the maximum was 12 days. After hearing that I made it my mission to finish the trek earlier and I was able to do it in eight days.”
Mr Sharma said the vibes he experienced when ascending were amazing and every vista on the way up was breathtaking.
“The only difficulty faced was the thinning of the air as we went further up.
“At night I would have hallucinations and I couldn’t sleep well at times because I would often feel like I was suffocating.”
He said a hero he had always admired was Edmund Hillary, the famous New Zealand mountaineer and explorer, who together with Tibetian mountaineer, Tenzing Norgay, became the first humans to reach the summit of Mount Everest in 1953.
“It just so happened that the day I had gone to Nepal fell on the 70th anniversary of his climb.
“His family was there, and I was fortunate to have a conversation with his daughter – it made me so emotional. It felt like I was talking to Edmund Hillary himself.”
Mr Sharma claims he just may be the first Fijian to trek through Cho La Pass before reaching the base camp.
“We walked for 11 hours through Cho La Pass and through Gokyo Lake. Most of the resting places didn’t have free hot water baths, so you had to buy it, and this included Wi-Fi abd phone charging. It was a good thing I had wet wipes with me.”
The aim was to celebrate his birthday at the base camp on May 31 but because he finished ahead of time, Mr Sharma celebrated his birthday at Kathmandu.
Upon reaching the base camp Mr Sharma couldn’t help but feel emotional and proud of his achievement.
“When I reached Mount Everest Base Camp I was overwhelmed with emotions.
“Standing there holding that Fiji flag and wearing a Fiji t-shirt I couldn’t help but be proud. The flag means a lot to us and this country.
“Yes, my great-grandparents came from India, but we were born here in Fiji.”
Next of Mr Sharma’s adventure bucket list is conquer Mt Fuji, Japan and Mt Kilimanjaro, Tanzania.
“I’m training for Mt Fuji now, and I’ve done my research, but I am yet to book and I’m thinking of doing that in either August or September.
“After Mount Fuji, I am planning to climb Mount Kilimanjaro, Tanzania. I also plan to cycle around South Island, New Zealand.”
His advice to youths is “life is not around a basin of yaqona”.
“There are a lot of beautiful places to see around the world and here in our country. There’s lots to see, discover and achieve.
“Life has got more to give to you, so go out and feel the ambiance of nature.”
