When 11-year-old Dubbo boy Hemish Solanki returns to school after the holidays and his friends ask what he did over the break, he certainly will have a very “cool” tale to share.

The Year 6 Dubbo Christian College student climbed Australia's highest mountain peak, Mt Kosciuszko, with his father and two adult family friends, Mahesh and Rajan, on Friday, July 10.

While not the youngest person to have summited the 2228-metre peak in the Snowy Mountains – that record reportedly belongs a three-year-old Indian boy, Raghav Goyal, who summited in November 2022 – Hemish's feat was completed during winter when the walking tracks are covered in snow and ice, and ascending the mountain is much more difficult.

His achievement has astonished family and friends and inspired the young man so much, he plans to take on further mountaineering challenges in the future.

Dubbo Photo News sat down recently with Hemish and his very proud dad Saupriya Solanki to talk about their mountain adventure.

They began their journey at Thredbo, taking the chairlift to the beginning of the walking track. Hemish ditched his chance to go on the Alpine coaster ride, deciding instead to join his dad and family friends on their planned trek up the mountain.

The walking party all found the wintery conditions on the track difficult to navigate.

‘Walking through the snow was much harder than normal walking. Sometimes my feet sank into the snow, and many areas were slippery and uneven,” Hemish said.

“There were metal railings on the ground for grip and stuff so you don't slip, and most of it was just covered in ice,” he added.

“There was black ice on the track, which was very difficult to see. I slipped four times, and one of my dad’s friends slipped twice. Thankfully, no one was injured.”

With much of the walking track covered in snow and ice, the trekkers carefully followed the track markers and footprints left by other walkers. Trekking in such conditions is much more difficult than during warmer weather, expending much more energy, and Hemish surprised his father when he began shedding some of his outer layers of warm clothing as he worked up a sweat.

The last two kilometres of the trek was the most difficult, Hemish said, as though they were climbing “a straight wall of ice.” His father and friends encouraged him to keep going, taking small steps, but also said it was okay if they stopped the climb at that point.

“Hemish was struggling, and I said ‘we can go back,’ but he was determined to keep going,” dad Saupriya said.

Something climbing partner Mahesh said during the trek stayed with Hemish, imparting an important life lesson.

“He told me, ‘Hemish, our life journey is also like this climb. Sometimes it is difficult but every step is important. When we keep going and finally achieve something, it becomes a great experience,’” Hemish said.

“Those words stayed in my mind while I was walking,” he added.

The trek was a great bonding experience for Saupriya, 42, and his young son. The senior case manager at Macquarie Correctional Centre, Wellington, who is also an immediate past vice chair of ORISCON and current secretary of Orana Gujarati Samaj NSW in Dubbo, enjoys doing things with his son, playing sport and encouraging him to explore the world around him and be active.

“It was a proud moment for me to see Hemish make it to the top of the mountain,” Saupriya said.

“When I grew up, I didn't get a chance to do this kind of stuff, so I felt very proud,” he added.

So were other family members who received a video call from the trekkers when they made it to the summit of Mt Kosciuszko four hours after the journey began. Among them, Hemish’s mum Mercy, daughter Aayushi, 13, and grandparents.

“My wife had tears in her eyes,” Saupriya said.

“When we finally reached the summit, it was amazing. Snow everywhere and beautiful mountains all around us. It was a peaceful and special moment,” Hemish added.

“I was proud, happy and excited, and [the trek] taught me that we can achieve difficult things when we stay positive, listen to the people supporting us, and keep moving forward.”

The successful summiting of Australia’s highest peak in difficult conditions and the lessons learnt along the way have inspired Hemish to consider undertaking additional mountain treks in the future.

Two treks in the Himalayas – the Annapurna Base Camp and Everest Base Camp in Nepal – may be possibilities, Saupriya said.

“Both are much higher than Mt Kosciuszko and would be a much bigger challenge,” Hemish added.

“This experience has given me the confidence to dream about my next adventure,” he concluded.