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Reaching her peak, one step at a time

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Roopa Vemulapalli, M.D., in front of the Rebmann glacier near the summit of Uhuru Peak.

In 2021, Roopa Vemulapalli, M.D., found herself in the Andes Mountains in Peru, spending the night in a glass pod suspended 1,312 feet above the earth on the face of a sheer cliff. Feeling as if she were floating, she recalled thinking: “You know what? I really like this. Maybe I should do something even more exciting.”

Dr. Vemulapalli poses at peak marker sign on Mt. Kilimanjaro
At the summit of Uhuru Peak on day 7 after hiking from 15,000 feet to 19,341 feet, which is physically demanding and can take up to 12 hours. While it is snow-capped from December until April, this trip occurred during the summer, so there is no snow.

Dr. Vemulapalli, Medical Director of UT Southwestern’s Digestive Disease Clinic and Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, has always been goal-oriented, so in spring 2024 she set her sights a little higher and climbed Mount Kilimanjaro, the fourth-highest peak in the world.

“I’ve never been a beach person,” Dr. Vemulapalli said. “But I am very much a mountain and park person. I had this thought that one day after I retired, I would do these things. But then the COVID-19 pandemic happened, and, suddenly, my perspective changed. Time doesn’t wait for anyone, so I need to do whatever I want to accomplish now while I am healthy because you never know. There may not be a tomorrow.”

Stepping up

That pandemic-era epiphany led to a series of goals: First was the trip to Peru where she had that spectacular glass-pod view of the Sacred Valley, followed by a four-day hike to the ancient Incan citadel of Machu Picchu, which sits at an elevation of 7,972 feet. Then she scaled nearby Rainbow Mountain, elevation 17,060 feet.

As she climbed higher and higher, the aspiring mountaineer made an important self-discovery: She was prone to altitude sickness. Upon her return to Texas, she began to strengthen her lungs by working out on a stair stepper and treadmill incline set to 13.

photo of the night sky showing the Milky Way star cluster
The African night sky with a spectacular view of the Milky Way at one of the group's camping sites.

The payoff has been life-altering.

According to the physician, who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of small bowel diseases, there’s nothing like ascending one of the tallest peaks in the world and seeing the Milky Way in the darkness of night far away from city lights. Soon after her Peru trip, she latched onto an even loftier aspiration: the Uhuru Peak of Mount Kilimanjaro, the tallest freestanding mountain on earth, at 19,341 feet above sea level. The idea took hold after she was approached by a group of friends who had made a trip to Everest Base Camp in 2023.

Without hesitation, she began prepping for the grueling test of endurance that would inspire her to rethink what she is capable of.

Testing her limits

The landscape of Kilimanjaro swings dramatically among five different climate zones, including tropical rainforest (9,200 feet), alpine desert (13,000 feet), and the inhospitable Arctic ecosystem of the summit.

group of mountain climbers cling to a rocky cliff face during ascent
The Barranco Wall, about 850 feet high on Mount Kilimanjaro. It’s known as the “Kissing Wall” or the “Hugging Wall” because it borders a narrow ledge and climbers must press their bodies flat against the wall with their arms outstretched in order to pass. Some climbers kiss the wall for luck as they navigate the intimidating obstacle.

“The tree line becomes shorter, and you are taller than the trees above the clouds at 15,000 feet,” Dr. Vemulapalli said. “At this elevation, you’re exposed more to the sun and its ultraviolet rays. The terrain becomes rocky.”

By day three, she said, the trek leveled out for a while, providing a false sense of security as she made her way to one of the highest plateaus (11,800 feet).

“The terrain is slippery with loose soil and gravel, and the air is filled with fine volcanic dust clogging your sinuses and lungs,” Dr. Vemulapalli said. “And you must walk 8.5 miles for about seven to eight hours.”

The mountain offered no pretense: The final push to the summit would require maximum effort.

At 11 p.m. her group started the last three miles, a rock-filled, physically intense journey that takes at least four to six hours, even for an experienced hiker. Counting the time spent at the summit and the six hours it takes to descend, the mountaineers would spend as many as 17 hours of that day on foot.

2 mountain climbers pose on each side of a strange tree in the rocky terrain
Dr. Vemulapalli poses next to a giant groundsel tree on the Barranco trail. These rare alien-looking plants are unique to harsh conditions at high elevation. They can only be found on Mount Kilimanjaro above 14,000 feet.

And then there’s the temperature. As you hike above the glacial zone toward the summit, Dr. Vemulapalli recalled, it drops to minus 20 degrees.

“You’ve got four layers of clothing on. It’s pitch dark and freezing cold,” she said. “That’s when you really start to question your life choices. I’m thinking: ‘What am I doing? I’m already at 15,000 feet. This is an accomplishment by itself. Do I really need to go out in the freezing temperature?’

“I did not want to come out of the tent,” she continued. “But you must because you can’t give up your dream after you have come this far. As the saying goes, your body will go wherever your mind takes you. And it is truly mind over matter.”

Casting doubts aside, she said reaching the summit was well worth it.

“It was amazing. At the very top, you are surrounded by glaciers with a sea of clouds below you, which is spectacular,” she said.

Dr. Vemalapalli stands on the peak above the clouds holding an American flag
Finally above the clouds at 13,800 feet up Mount Kilimanjaro.

Beyond the summit, the doctor loves the aftermath of a great adventure, sharing stories with students and colleagues who cheer her on, discussing how she defeated her anxiety and trepidation, and encouraging them to conquer their own fears and limitations.

She is already thinking about the next mountain she’ll climb. Pikes Peak in Colorado, Mount Whitney in California, and the Everest Base Camp are all on the list of candidates.

“It’s something I’m trying to do once a year,” Dr. Vemulapalli said. “You do it, and it makes you feel rejuvenated with a unique perspective on life.”

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