Man takes marriage proposal to 5,000m above sea level

"Will you marry me?" Kavit proposes to Binita at Lenana Summit on August 21, 2017. PHOTO | COURTESY

What you need to know:

  • Kavit says his 'leap of height' was informed by a desire to break the monotony of proposing at private parties.

  • An accountant by profession, Kavit says his decision was also informed by his love for mountains.

To what heights can a man take a marriage proposal?

One Kavit Shah has taken his request for a hand in marriage to a breathtaking 4, 985 metres above sea level.

PEAK

On a cloudless Monday of August 21, Kavit proposed to his girlfriend Binita Gadhia atop Mount Kenya’s serene Lenana Summit— the mountain’s third highest summit after Batian (5,199 metres) and Nelion (5,188 metres).

Kavit says his 'leap of height' was informed by a desire to break the monotony of proposing at private parties.

An accountant by profession, Kavit says his decision was also inspired by his love for mountains.

The hiking consultant says proposing to Binita on top of Mt Kenya was not only the beginning of a new life but also a moment to relive his childhood memories.

“Mount Kenya was my first big mountain to hike at the age of 14. I belong to the mountains and that is where my heart resides,” the told the Nation on Thursday.

EMOTIONS

“Furthermore, in marriage life there are ups and downs, just like the mountains.”

The mountain-high party was attended by 20 of the couple’s close family members and friends, including Kavit's brother Punit Shah.

What started as a hiking expedition turned into a big surprise for Binita who was overwhelmed by emotions after Kavit posed, “will you marry me?”

It's a love thing: Kavit, Binita and their friends after the couple's marriage proposal. PHOTO | COURTESY

“She was very much excited that she managed to get to the summit of Mt Kenya as it was the first time to climb such a height,” says Kavit.

“Immediately we reached the top, we hugged out of joy then I told her I needed to tell her something.

BIG YES!

“She had gotten a clue but was unsure of what was going on and the moment I went on my knees, she was speechless and in shock.

“She just looked into my eyes and said a big YES!. That was the best moment ever in our life.”

Scaling the heights of the mountain with one of the highest peaks in Africa in the name of love, Kavit says, was not a walk in the park.

We made it!: Kavit, Binita and their friends celebrate after reaching Lenana Summit on August 21, 2017. PHOTO | COURTESY

He had worries about the weather and whether his love would manage to get to the summit of the mountain.

It was Binita’s first attempt to climb Mt Kenya and had she failed, Kavit’s big day would have been ruined.

SUCCESS

But looking back, Kavit says the event was a big success better than he imagined.

He attributes the success to Expeditions Maasai Safaris, a tour company that organises hikes and road trips for lovers seeking adventure

And having tasted the sweetness of hiking, Kavit says he will keep at it.

“Hiking offers a real life experience as one ends up learning how life is important and people too when helping each other to the summit. No tribalism in the mountains nor racism. Only hikers.”