Rina Charaniya Aka Rii opens up about her passion for mountaineering

Singer Rina Charaniya Aka Rii says that she always had an interest in mountain climbing. She says that she liked being in nature, even as a child.

“I think it's always been a part of me. When I was a kid, I used to walk around 20 kilometers every day, and I really enjoyed walking back home. I have a deep love for nature and mountains, and I started to think about climbing them after watching idols like Nimsdai and Mingma David Sherpa. It's really inspiring, and it's now one of my life goals," she said.

Talking about her first excursion, she says, “Last April, I visited Nepal with a group led by Nimsdai ( Nirmal Purja). I went there to learn how to climb mountains. It was tough because I had to hike for seven days to reach the Everest base camp. I stayed at the base camp for four days, which was really hard but also very rewarding. We practiced climbing on a part of the Khumbu icefall while we were there."

She recently also went on a trip. “I have just climbed Kilimanjaro located in Tanzania. The highest free standing mountain in the world and highest mountain in Africa. My goal is to climb 7 summits, which are the highest mountains of each continent. Kilimanjaro is the 4th highest,” she says, adding, “After doing such a trip, you have the desire to face nature. I went for 9 days without a proper shower, without home food and comfortable sleep. You realize a lot of things that you may take for granted on a daily basis. Today I am grateful to live such experiences and climb alongside such grounded people.”

Talking about future plans, she says, “I want to climb the 7 summits and take my husband with me for some of the climbs. I want to climb for a cause too.”