Malli Mastan Babu, an illustrious Indian mountaineer hailing from Nellore, Andhra Pradesh, left an indelible mark on the world of adventure sports through his extraordinary feats and inspiring spirit. Born on September 3, 1974, in Gandhi Janasangam village, Nellore district, Babu was a trailblazer in his farming family, becoming one of the first to receive a formal education [1, 2].
Early Life and Education
Malli Mastan Babu’s academic journey was as impressive as his mountaineering expeditions. He held a B.Tech in Electrical Engineering from NIT Jamshedpur (1996), an M.Tech in Electronics from IIT Kharagpur, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management (PGDM) from IIM Calcutta [1, 2, 3]. It was during his time at IIM Calcutta that he reportedly discovered his true calling in mountaineering, inspired by a tragic incident involving a school friend during an Everest expedition [3]. He decided to pursue his passion, eventually setting up a company promoting adventure sports for personality development [3].
Mountaineering Achievements
Malli Mastan Babu is best known for setting a world record in 2006 by climbing the “Seven Summits” – the highest peaks on each of the seven continents – in a remarkable 172 days [1, 2, 4]. This achievement made him the first Indian and South Asian to conquer all Seven Summits. He was also the first Indian to summit Vinson Massif (Antarctica) and Carstensz Pyramid (Oceania) [1, 3]. Uniquely, he completed each summit on a different day of the week [1, 2, 4].
His Seven Summits journey included:
- Vinson Massif (Antarctica): January 19, 2006 (Thursday) [4]
- Aconcagua (South America): February 17, 2006 (Friday) [4]
- Mount Kilimanjaro (Africa): March 15, 2006 (Wednesday) [4]
- Mount Kosciuszko (Australia): April 1, 2006 (Saturday) [4]
- Mount Everest (Asia): May 21, 2006 (Sunday) [4]
- Mount Elbrus (Europe): June 13, 2006 (Tuesday) [4]
- Mount McKinley (Denali) (North America): July 10, 2006 (Monday) [4]
- Puncak Jaya (Carstensz Pyramid) (Oceania): October 28, 2006 (Saturday) [4]
Beyond the Seven Summits, Babu undertook numerous other challenging expeditions. In 2007, he completed a high-altitude traverse of the four major Hindu dhams of Uttarakhand. Later that year, he ran 14 half marathons in 14 days across 14 different Indian states, and also completed 8 full marathons and 3 half marathons in 13 days spanning 10 Indian states [1, 2, 5]. In 2008, he completed a 75-day high-altitude trek from the Mount Everest region to Kanchenjunga, covering approximately 1,100 km of Himalayan terrain and crossing high passes [1, 2].
He also developed a special affinity for the Andes mountains in South America, where he scaled many of its highest peaks and became fluent in Spanish [2, 6]. His goal was to climb the 10 highest peaks of the Andes [2].
Legacy and Demise
Malli Mastan Babu was not only an accomplished mountaineer but also a motivational speaker, sharing his experiences and inspiring countless students and corporate employees [1, 5]. He received several accolades, including the Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIM-C in 2011 and the Conjee Rustumjee Cohoujee Bey Award in 2006 [1, 5]. His life history was even decided to be included in the Class 8 textbook by the Andhra Pradesh Government [7].
Tragically, Malli Mastan Babu passed away at the age of 40 on March 24, 2015, in the Andes mountains [1, 2, 8]. He went missing during a solo attempt of Tres Cruces Sur Summit (6,749m) and was caught in exceptionally bad weather [1, 2, 6, 9]. His body was found on April 3, 2015, at an altitude of 5900m [1, 2, 9]. The cause of death was determined to be cardiovascular arrest due to severe hypothermia [9]. His passing was widely mourned, with thousands attending his burial in his hometown of Nellore, where he was accorded a state funeral [1, 9].
Malli Mastan Babu’s adventurous spirit, relentless pursuit of challenges, and dedication to inspiring others cemented his legacy as one of India’s most celebrated mountaineers.
Citations
- Malli Mastan Babu – Wikipedia
- Birth anniversary of Malli Mastan Babu: Remembering the legendary mountaineer – Times Now News
- MALLI MASTAN BABU – IIM Calcutta
- Indian Malli Mastan Babu record: Seven summits in 172 days, both versions in 281 – 7 Summits Club
- Tribute to Mountain’s Child – The New Indian Express
- Malli Mastan Babu’s journey across the Seven Summits – Times of India
- Indian Mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu Life History to Include in Class 8 Textbook | HMTV – Google User Content (YouTube)
- Ace mountaineer Malli Mastan Babu perishes in the Andes – The Hindu
- Malli Mastan Babu’s body retrieved from the Andes – The Outdoor Journal
Disclosure: This article has been written and edited with help from Google Gemini.