Dubai boy, 15, conquers Europe’s highest peak weeks after youngest Emirati climbs Elbrus

Dubai: At just 15, Dubai student Rayyan Patel has scaled Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe at 5,642m above sea level, when it was –25°C at the peak, a feat even seasoned climbers struggle to achieve.

Rayyan’s recent feat comes just weeks after Fatima Abdulrahman Al Awadhi, a 17-year-old, became the youngest Emirati to reach the summit.

What makes this achievement even more extraordinary is the emotional weight behind it. Rayyan was part of a father-son climbing expedition, but his father, Ashfaque Patel, had to turn back just 150 metres from the summit due to altitude sickness.

Rayyan, however, pushed on, becoming the youngest and the only member in his group of 10 international climbers to reach the top, according to his father.

“It was a rollercoaster of emotion, from moments of happiness to moments where I wanted to give up,” Rayyan told Gulf News.

“Over five days of the expedition, I was tested both physically and emotionally. The thinning air and steep slopes stripped everything down to willpower and discipline,” he recalled.

Journey of bonding

Born in Dubai, Rayyan is an Indian-origin British expat student at Hartland International School. He was inspired by his father’s late start in mountaineering.

Ashfaque began climbing in 2019 after a health scare at age 40. “You hit your forties and suddenly you want to make changes,” he recalled.

That is when mountaineering entered his life and later became a hobby for the father-son duo to bond over.

Elbrus was Rayyan’s first summit, though Ashfaque has climbed a couple of other peaks, including Kilimanjaro, the highest in Africa, two years ago.

“Elbrus makes Kilimanjaro feel like a walk in the park. This was extremely tough. We were walking up steep 45–50-degree inclines with crampons and mountain boots weighing five kilos and temperatures at minus 25 degrees.”

The father-son duo had trained both indoors and outdoors, often hiking in the UAE’s Hajar Mountains and strength training through a partnership with a popular gym owned by Ashfaque’s employer.

Rayyan’s training spanned across nine months. He juggled school and weekend mountain treks.

“We’d start climbs at 4am during summer months just to beat the heat,” he recalled.

The final climb

Their European expedition took five days, starting July 16 in Russia. Over time, members of their group of 10 began dropping out as they were struck by exhaustion and altitude sickness. On the summit day, only three remained with the guide, and in the end, it was Rayyan alone who made it to the top with the Russian guide, said Ashfaque.

Describing his experience of stopping near the summit, Ashfaque said: “It was quite shocking… You prepare for months and turn back just 150 metres away from the peak… But when your body gives out, what is important is you listen to it.”

It was one of the hardest moments of the climb for Rayyan. “My dad had trained with me and shared the same dream. We were supposed to reach the top together. But somehow, I had to keep going.”

Surreal experience

When he finally reached the summit, it felt surreal. “I was freezing, exhausted, and completely overwhelmed. Stillness greeted me at the top… a strange kind of quiet after such a chaotic climb. I was not just standing on top of a mountain in Europe… I was standing on top of all the fears I had conquered and every doubt that had been silenced.”

Above the clouds, he said he found something personal. “…a version of myself I had been chasing, not just the summit. It was humbling and emotional. I felt incredibly grateful for the strength to keep moving, for what the mountain taught me about resilience, and for the chance to experience something far greater than myself. That moment reminded me that even when you feel alone, belief and purpose can carry you further than you ever imagined.”

Meanwhile, Ashfaque experienced “the most anxious moments of his life” when Rayyan went ahead with the guide.

“We had no radio contact. I had to wait in silence for hours, not knowing if he had made it or if he was okay. When he finally returned after around seven hours, I was more relieved that he was back safely than that he had climbed the peak.”

And it was only when Rayyan got back to the base camp that he could pose for photos with the UAE flag, and banners of his school and the Beat Diabetes campaign in Dubai, since they were all stacked up in Ashfaque’s backpack.

Safety first

Despite the challenging nature of the expedition, Ashfaque said they had ensured safety was never compromised. He carried an oximeter to track both their oxygen levels and heart rate regularly.

“It is not about fame. It’s about reaching there and coming home safely. That’s the real victory.”

The pair’s climb was also tied to a cause close to the family’s heart: raising awareness about fitness, especially in beating chronic health conditions like diabetes, a cause championed by Ashfaque’s workplace.

“Just like climbing a mountain, managing your health is about small, determined steps. It is about trying to reach your goal and doing your best for that,” he said.

Having conquered his first summit, Rayyan has now set his sights on the rest of the Seven Summits challenge. But for now, he is enjoying his vacation and preparing for a new school year.