On a chilly morning of January 26, while the world celebrated India’s Republic Day, senior IPS officer from Gujarat, Harresh Dudhat stood atop Mount Kilimanjaro, his hands trembling—not from the biting cold but from the weight of his promise. He unfurled the Indian flag alongside the Gujarat Police flag, their colors vivid against the snow-blanketed African sky. It wasn’t just another summit. It was a vow fulfilled.
Months before, in the solitude of his training runs and the disciplined rhythm of his swims, Dudhat had made a silent pledge: to hoist the tricolor at the highest peak in Africa. What drove him was not just his love for the mountains but the sheer will to represent his state, his force, and his country on foreign soil.
In an exclusive conversation with Indian Masterminds, he shared details about the same.
THE ROAD TO KILIMANJARO
The journey to Kilimanjaro’s Uhuru Peak, the highest point of the Kibo volcanic cone, was no ordinary expedition. It was a challenge marked by grueling terrains, deceptive weather, and the haunting thinness of oxygen. For Dudhat, who serves in the State Intelligence Bureau of Gujarat, physical endurance was not new. But mountaineering? That was an entirely different beast.
His fascination began in 2018 when he embarked on the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Amidst the sacred peaks, surrounded by seasoned mountaineers, Dudhat felt a pull—one that would soon steer him to the Himalayas. He enrolled in the Basic and Advanced Mountaineering Courses at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Institute of Mountaineering and Allied Sports, followed by advanced training at the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute in Darjeeling. Each ascent toughened him, mentally and physically, chiseling his resolve for bigger conquests.
But Dudhat’s tryst with mountains wasn’t always victorious. In 2024, he attempted to climb Mount Everest but could not go beyond the base camp. It would have deterred most, but for him, it was just another step forward.
“Failure at Everest taught me patience and humility. I knew then that the mountains don’t need to be conquered—they need to be respected,” he reflected.
DANCING WITH THE ELEMENTS
Mount Kilimanjaro is often romanticized as a ‘walkable’ peak, but Dudhat’s experience was anything but poetic. He chose the Marangu Route, known for its scenic beauty but also for its unpredictable weather. As he ascended, lush rainforests gave way to alpine meadows, and soon, the landscape turned stark and snow-laden.
At 17,000 feet, the air was thin, every breath a deliberate struggle. But it was the last 12 hours that truly tested his spirit. A brutal snowstorm hit, transforming the trail into an endless white desert.
“I hadn’t anticipated snow at that magnitude. Each step felt like I was sinking into the earth,” Dudhat shared with Indian Masterminds.
The wind howled, mocking his every attempt to move forward. His fingers went numb despite the layered gloves, and his body fought the creeping fatigue.
He had read about high-altitude cerebral and pulmonary edema—silent killers that take down even the fittest climbers. Acclimatization was his only shield. He remembered his training, the deliberate practice of ascending to higher altitudes and then descending to sleep. It was his body’s way of learning to breathe in the thinnest of airs.
“During those final hours, the mind plays tricks. It whispers to you, asking why you’re torturing yourself,” Dudhat admits. But his resolve was unshakable. Each step was a heartbeat, each breath a promise.
A Moment of Quiet Triumph
Nine hours and forty-five minutes later, he stood at Uhuru Peak. The vast expanse of Africa lay below, stretching endlessly beneath a sky untouched by pollution or noise. For a brief moment, there was complete silence. No wind, no voices, just the quiet pulse of the earth.
He unfurled the flags with trembling hands. The Indian tricolor danced proudly with the Gujarat Police flag. Dudhat looked up, the snow-capped horizon reflecting in his eyes. “I had imagined this moment a thousand times,” he says, his voice carrying the weight of a dream realized.
He stood there for forty-five minutes, letting the magnitude of his journey sink in. But summits are only halfway points. The descent awaited—a grueling test of endurance and balance. Each step down was a reminder of gravity’s pull, of how easy it is to fall after a victory.
EYES ON ELBRUS
Back home, his achievement resonated not just with his peers in the Gujarat Police but across the state. Dudhat wasn’t just the first IPS officer from Gujarat to climb Kilimanjaro—he became a symbol of grit and perseverance.
Yet, the journey is far from over. Even before the snow on his boots could melt, he set his sights on Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe. His training continues—daily runs, rigorous swims, and high-altitude drills. Dudhat knows that Elbrus will be harsher, more unforgiving. But that’s precisely the challenge that drives him.
