T J Marce, 74, braves -20C cold and 65 kmph winds to climb Mt Elbrus
74-year-old T.J. Marce has become one of the oldest Indians to summit Mount Elbrus, Europe's highest peak. He completed the challenging climb alongside a team from Kerala, marking his second successful ascent of a 'Seven Summits' mountain.
Why it matters
The achievement highlights the growing trend of senior citizens engaging in extreme endurance sports and mountaineering.
At an age when many people begin slowing down, 74-year-old T.J. Marce was preparing to climb Europe’s highest peak. The retired Kerala State Road Transport Corporation employee, Marce (74) from Wayanad has now summited Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, reaching its 5,642-metre (18,510-ft) summit on August 15, 2026. The ascent was part of an eight-day expedition by a five-member team from Kerala that faced temperatures of around minus 20°C and winds of nearly 65 kmph during the climb.According to the Hindu and various media, Marce, who is from Kavumannam in Thariode grama panchayat, completed the expedition along with S. Seshadri, M.P. Muraleedharan, G.J. Aghina Soorya and P. Athif. Seshadri led the expedition, while Soorya was its co-lead and the only woman in the team.
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