Who is Rihanna Sambyal, the 6-yr old Mountaineer? All About Her Mt. Fuji Expedition

Rihanna Sambyal, a 6-year-old girl from Delhi climbed Mt. Fuji, the tallest peak of Japan. She conquered this miraculous ascent along with her father Praguna Sambyal on July 2. The father-daughter duo completed the 14 km loop hiking via the Yoshida trail within exceptional 9.5 hours. This no-rest hiking called “bullet hiking”, refers to the ascent and descent on the same day without any rest in any mountain huts. 

Who is Rihanna Sambyal?

Rihanna was born on 10 April 2017 to Praguna Sambyal and Samita Sambyal. She studies in class 1st at Mother’s Global School, Preet Vihar. From her early years, Rihanna was fascinated by natural landscapes like beaches and mountains, volcanoes in particular.  She used to watch videos of volcanoes and how they erupts during her early years which interests her a lot.

Rihanna loves to dance and draw.

The young one took inspiration for the Mt. Fuji expedition from her father. Her father, Praguna Sambyal, an avid amateur hiker strongly believes that for any such unusual endeavours, mental strength and physical endurance go hand-in-hand. Rihanna didn’t take any formal training except for staying physically active during her summer holidays, and her mother, Samita Sambyal, ensured to get her around 5-6 km of walking and running regularly. 

All About the Mount Fuji Trek

Mt. Fuji is the tallest mountain in Japan, and the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia. It is considered one of the popular recreational destinations for hiking, camping and relaxation. Rihanna began her ascent at 7:30 AM from the Fifth station of the Yoshida route Subaru to allow ample time to reach the summit and descend before nightfall. She took breaks whenever needed to, and avoided overexertion and altitude sickness by ascending gradually as parts of the Yoshida Trail also involved some light bouldering.

Rihanna and her dad unfurled the tricolour at the summit.

The trek is considered challenging because of Mt. Fuji's serious elevation gain, rapidly changing extreme weather, steep inclines, and long switchbacks. At around 2:00 PM while traversing the 6th, 7th, 8th, Old 8th and 9th Station, amid gusty wind, the father-daughter duo passed through the stone white lions and reached the Mukaekusushi Shinto Shrine. With the sense of achievement to be at the top of the mountain, they hung out on the summit for about an hour to enjoy the mystique surroundings of the volcano’s crater. 

Rihanna enjoys the picturesque from the top of Mt.Fuji.

Rihanna video-called her mother, Samita Sambyal, at home in India to share her extraordinary feat while enjoying her share of chocolates. Her successful hiking of the volcano at such a young age is the epitome of dreams come true not just for her but for her family as well.

The young mountaineer Rihanna concluded her bullet hiking in just 9.5 hours, much before the official estimated time for ascent i.e., 6 hours 10 minutes, descent for 4 hours 5 minutes.

Here are some of the tit-bits of our conversations with Rihanna and her father:

Ques: What inspired her to take on this tough endeavour at such a young age?

 Ans. Rihanna since her childhood was attracted by mountains and nature. In 2018, when she was 14 months old, her elder brother, Pradyumna Singh Sambyal, hiked Mt Fuji along with his father when he was in class 1st, this strengthened her belief also to be a climber. 

Ques. What does she feel about hiking?

Ans. Rihanna has been an admirer of natural landscapes and as she has been travelling since she was a toddler, high mountains/ volcanoes and beaches never ceased to amaze her. She believes in herself to be a born climber and is excited to explore the highest volcano on each continent.

Ques. What are Rihanna’s future goals? 

Ans. The 1st standard student looks forward to stretching her hiking spirit to conquer Cotopaxi, Ecuador (5,897m) followed by Ojos del Salado (6,900m), the highest volcanic summit on Earth near the Argentine-Chilean border in the heart of the Andes Mountains in the coming years. Unfortunately, the eligibility age for the majority of Mountaineering courses in India begins at 17 years and above.

 The trail leading down to Mt.Fuji is made up of loose rock and pebbles and could be a hazard for slipping and falling flat. Such a gruelling route can put anyone to the test but the young mountaineer's passion stood strong. This indeed is a marvellous accomplishment considering her exemplary ‘never-say-die attitude’. And at such a tender age with no formal hiking training or trekking along rocks, sands and gravel, Rihanna’s passion is an inspiration for many.