7-year-old Dubai boy sets record trekking Everest Base Camp, Annapurna Circuit

A seven-year-old Dubai student has been recognised as the youngest person to trek both Everest Base Camp and the Annapurna Circuit’s Thorong La Pass within one year, after completing the demanding Himalayan routes before turning seven.

Bloom World Academy pupil Ivan Krasiukov walked the 130-kilometre Everest Base Camp trail in April 2024 at age six, then crossed Nepal’s Thorong La Pass — at 5,416 metres, one of the highest walkable mountain passes in the world — in April 2025. His achievement was certified this month by Official World Record Europe.

Recommended For You

Google to invest $6.4 billion in cloud infrastructure in Germany

UAE-UK flights: Advisory issued for Emirates, Etihad passengers flying to Manchester

Watch: Shah Rukh Khan surprises chefs in a Dubai kitchen; here’s what happened

UAE: National Day or Christmas, which holiday is cheaper to travel on?

Adnic posts 15%  profit surge as strategic partnerships drive growth

 

“It was great to set out in the morning and start walking — we had a real team,” Ivan said. “Sometimes Krishna (one of the guides) would play music on his small speaker, and we would walk like heroes from a cartoon.”

Stay up to date with the latest news. Follow KT on WhatsApp Channels.

Ivan completed both treks with his parents, Alla and Dmitrii, along with a Nepalese guide and two porters. His father said the scale of the challenge only became clear at the finish. “When we reached Everest Base Camp after 12 days, Ivan was upset and said we should have chosen a longer trek,” he said. “That’s when I realised it had all been worth it.”

According to the school, Ivan prepared through regular athletics, swimming, parkour, and acrobatics training to build stamina for the high-altitude routes.

John Bell, founding principal of Bloom World Academy, said the accomplishment reflects determination and resilience. “We couldn’t be prouder to see a Bloom student making history on a global stage,” he said.

• Dubai

Sahim Salim

Staff Writer

• 

sahim@khaleejtimes.com

As Associate Editor, Sahim Salim helps tell the UAE story like no one else does — and leads a team of reporters that asks the questions to get news and headlines that matter.