From couches to mountains, 23-month-old Zan looks like being a climber when he grows up.

On Thursday, August 8, Zan successfully and independently made his way up to the Mauao summit.

Climbing and hiking is in Zan Lon Kyaw’s DNA, says dad Oo Aye Nyein.

“He tried climbing the couches in the living room as soon as he learned to stand when he was seven months old.

“He was able to climb pretty high heights at the climbing play spaces at Omanu primary school playground when he was 16 months old.

Dad Oo Aye Nyein says Zan is a kid who prefers to stay busy and spend the whole day doing something. Photo / Oo Aye Nyein

“Looking at his enthusiasm and quick developments, I planned to take him up Mount Maunganui for a hike since then, but my wife was concerned that he was a bit too young for the activity at that time.”

Zan will be turning 2 on Saturday, August 31.

Last week, his mum agreed with the plan, says Oo, so he took Zan for a hike up Mount Maunganui on the morning of August 8 as the weather looked promising.

“He was so excited,” says Oo.

As soon as he managed to get out of the car, the excited little boy ran ahead of his dad as if to say, “Come on, Dad! I can’t wait to climb.”

Oo and Zan at the Mauao summit feeling proud of their accomplishments. Photo / Oo Aye Nyein

Oo says Zan never asked to be carried, “but occasionally I would grasp his shirt from the back at some pretty steep steps to prevent him from falling over on his back”.

Oo didn’t have to say much to encourage Zan to keep going.

“He is a smart little boy. He knew what he was doing. I guess the other hikers’ actions and compliments along the way also kept him motivated to keep going.

“Almost everyone along the way congratulated him and praised him.

“Zan received lots of compliments like ‘Brave boy’, ‘Congratulations’, ‘Good work’, ‘Excellent’, ‘Well done’, ‘Clever’, ‘Wow!’

“There were also heaps of congratulations as he successfully stepped up the summit and a lady praised him that “he will become a climber when he grows up”.

“I am very grateful that our baby grows up in such a lovely community.

“Along the way, he was so excited meeting many people and seeing different leaves and flowers and small animals like sheep and birds.

“Whenever he heard birds tweet, he would say ‘Knock, knock! Hello, birdy!’

Zan sharing his snacks with the birds at the Mauao summit. Photo: Oo Aye Nyein.

“He would stop for a while and observe closely when he saw new leaves and flowers and would say the colours on them.”

It took Zan an hour and 15 minutes to reach the summit. “When he reached the summit, he was rewarded with compliments from the people already up there.

“He enjoyed his snacks looking at the breathtaking scenery from the top as he saw it for the first time in his life.”

Oo says Zan was amused by the birds that came up close to him begging him for food.

“He wanted to get down on his own but, unlike hiking up, there is a risk of falling from steep steps.”

Oo says he carried Zan most of the way back but the boy started crying and begging his dad to let him walk. “I finally let him walk on his own when we were about to reach the base.”

After making their way back down, Oo’s wife rang to remind him of Zan’s lunch and nap time.

Oo was surprised to see that Zan was still very energetic. “We went to the Career Expo at Mercury Baypark later that evening and Zan enjoyed pushing his stroller around the expo and taking part in the activities for almost two hours.”

Oo says Zan slept as usual that night after his exciting day of exploring and independence.

“I thought he would have been exhausted but it was just like a normal day for him.”

Plans for the future

Now Oo says he plans to take Zan up the hill once a week if the weather allows.

Zan as he looks at the view from the Mauao summit. Photo / Oo Aye Nyein

“Once he turns 2, my wife wants to start taking him to indoor rock climbing. After making sure that our boy has grown enough to have sufficient safety awareness ... we are thinking of taking him to Tongariro Alpine Crossing for his next hiking adventure.

“New Zealand has seen golden days of Olympics this year. This is a huge impression for our boy who seems very athletic. We will support him our best if he wants to be able to represent New Zealand in the Olympics when he grows up.

“We are so lucky that our little one is naturally athletic. We are just helping him set his goals for now as he is still too young to actually understand what he wants.”

- SunLive