74-year-old man from Keralam’s Wayanad conquers Mt. Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe

For T.J. Marce, ageing has been less about slowing down and more about reaching new heights. The septuagenarian from Wayanad in Keralam has scaled two of the peaks in the Seven Summits in less than a year, adding a new dimension to life after retirement.

Mr. Marce recently summited Mount Elbrus, the highest peak in Europe, as part of a five-member team from Keralam.

He, along with S. Seshadri, M.P. Muraleedharan, G.J. Aghina Soorya, and P. Athif summited the 5,642-metre (18,510 ft) peak on August 15, 2026, India’s 80th Independence Day, following an eight-day expedition during which the team braved extreme weather conditions.

T.J. Marce during his Mount Elbrus expedition in August 2026.
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Mr. Seshadri led the expedition, with Ms. Soorya, the team’s only female member, serving as co-lead. Mr. Marce, Mr. Seshadri, and Mr. Muraleedharan are from Wayanad, while Ms. Soorya is from Kozhikode and Mr. Athif from Malappuram.

The highlight of the expedition was Mr. Marce’s achievement at the age of 74 years, six months, and 26 days. The expedition team said that based on records available online, he is believed to be the oldest Indian to summit Mt. Elbrus in Russia’s Caucasus range.

The expedition also featured 66-year-old Mr. Muraleedharan, highlighting the participation of ageing mountaineers in high-altitude pursuits. Mr. Marce and Mr. Muraleedharan had previously climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro (5,895 meters), Africa’s highest peak, together in September 2025. They had also jointly completed the Everest Base Camp trek. Mr. Athif had summited Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2019.

With the Elbrus ascent, Mr. Marce, Mr. Muraleedharan and Mr. Athif have now completed two of the Seven Summits- the highest mountain on each of the seven continents

“From a young age, I have been interested in trekking and sightseeing. I have always been fascinated by the wild and wanted to experience it more. When I summit a mountain and look down, it gives me a different kind of satisfaction. The expedition itself gives me a lot of energy. I want to summit more mountains, but that requires a lot of planning and preparation. Maybe, I will undertake my next big trek next year,” said Mr. Marce, a retired Kerala State Road Transport Corporation employee and a native of Kavumannam in Thariode grama panchayat.

The five-member team with another foreign climber during their Mount Elbrus expedition in August 2026.
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According to the team members, they attempted the summit in challenging weather conditions, with cold winds reaching about 65 km/h. The strongest conditions were encountered after the saddle point during the final ascent and descent.

“The summit is only one part of the journey. The preparation, the people, the challenges, and the safe return are equally important. The journey to the mountains on foot is transformational, and we want more people to experience that transformation. From the first trail to the highest mountains, we believe everyone must trek,” Mr. Seshadri said.