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3 min readHyderabadMay 27, 2026 04:28 PM IST
A senior director at an IT firm in Hyderabad, Arun Kumar Tiwari began climbing in his 30s.
There’s nothing that Arun Kumar Tiwari loved as much as the mountains. Having successfully summited Kilimanjaro, Denali and Kanchenjunga over the last two-odd decades, the 53-year-old Hyderabad-based techie recently took on his most difficult challenge, and one that defeated him once before – the Mighty Everest.
It is only fitting — and almost poetic — that after his death on the Everest, he should be left where he loved most: in the lap of the Himalayas. “He loved his job as an IT professional but loved the mountains more. He also undertook climbs in Argentina and Russia,” said his brother-in-law, Sudhir Upadhyaya. “After a failed attempt last year, he became even more determined to summit Everest. It’s where he loved to be, and it’s where we’re leaving him.”
Tiwari and his 47-year-old fellow mountaineer Sandeep Are died of health complications while descending Everest on the same day. According to the expedition organisers, when Tiwari summited the peak on May 21, he had already been weak, and his health took a dramatic turn near the Hillary Step — a vertical rock face at 8,790 metres just below the summit, also known as the death zone.
In 2025, Tiwari had to abandon his summit after he fell sick while climbing at 7,200 metres.
A senior director at an IT firm in Hyderabad, Tiwari began climbing in his 30s. Upadhyaya describes him as a jovial man, very committed to his family and job.
For his wife and two daughters, the decision was a difficult one. “One reason for the decision is that he loved the Himalayas — the abode of Lord Shiva, the Devabhoomi and Vaikhuntdham. He is with Lord Shiva now — he is one with the mountain,” said Upadhyaya.
But there’s another compelling reason: the state in which the body would be if it is brought down. “Because of the snow, a team will have to hack and cut into the ice to recover his body. As the body would have become stiff at minus 63 degrees, it would have shattered, and there would be broken bones. Once the body is found, it would be tied to a sledge and dragged down from camp 4 to camp 1. We do not want him to undergo that kind of disrespect,” Upadhyaya said.
The family conveyed their decision to Bharath Thammineni, co-founder of Hyderabad-based Boots and Crampons, which organised the Everest expedition Tiwari undertook.
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“His family informed us on that day (May 21) itself. They cited his love for the mountains and his beliefs regarding the Himalayas,” Bharath said.
In 2025, Tiwari had to abandon his summit after he fell sick while climbing at 7,200 metres. This time, he insisted on finishing the climb although his Sherpa guides told him to return to camp when he began to feel ill.
A fellow climber, Sandeep Are, also died on Everest. Originally from Andhra Pradesh but settled in Bengaluru, Are had also summitted Everest but, like Tiwari, developed health complications on the descent. He died near camp 2.
Sreenivas Janyala is a Deputy Associate Editor at The Indian Express, where he serves as one of the most authoritative voices on the socio-political and economic landscape of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. With a career spanning over two decades in mainstream journalism, he provides deep-dive analysis and frontline reporting on the intricate dynamics of South Indian governance. Expertise and Experience Regional Specialization: Based in Hyderabad, Sreenivas has spent more than 20 years documenting the evolution of the Telugu-speaking states. His reporting was foundational during the historic Telangana statehood movement and continues to track the post-bifurcation development of both Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. Key Coverage Beats: His extensive portfolio covers a vast spectrum of critical issues: High-Stakes Politics: Comprehensive tracking of regional powerhouses (BRS, TDP, YSRCP, and Congress), electoral shifts, and the political careers of figures like K. Chandrashekar Rao, Chandrababu Naidu, and Jagan Mohan Reddy. Internal Security & Conflict: Authoritative reporting on Left-Wing Extremism (LWE), the decline of the Maoist movement in former hotbeds, and intelligence-led investigations into regional security modules. Governance & Infrastructure: Detailed analysis of massive irrigation projects (like Kaleshwaram and Polavaram), capital city developments (Amaravati), and the implementation of state welfare schemes. Crisis & Health Reporting: Led the publication's ground-level coverage of the Covid-19 pandemic in South India and major industrial incidents, such as the Vizag gas leak. Analytical Depth: Beyond daily news, Sreenivas is known for his "Explained" pieces that demystify complex regional disputes, such as river water sharing and judicial allocations between the sister states. ... Read More
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