Express News Service
NEW DELHI: In a first, mountaineers of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh have hoisted the national flag atop the highest points of all 28 states of India under the Har Shikhar Tiranga (HST) mission.
Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal who led the team said on Friday, “The team summited Mt Jongsong (7462m) in Sikkim on 2nd October 2023 amidst heavy snowfall and bad weather conditions. The team even survived the cloudburst in Sikkim.”
‘Har Shikhar Tiranga’ was a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to hoist the tricolour on the zenith of each state to mark the 75th year of India’s independence, aligning with India’s G20 Presidency.
The team summited Mt Gorichen (6,488 metres) in Arunachal Pradesh in October 2022 and by December 2022, the team had touched the highest point of the seven states of the Northeast. This success was a test which Colonel Jamwal, the Director NIMAS, had set for the team to gauge their determination before going ahead with the expedition.
HST as expected climaxed with the summit of Mt Jongsong (7,462 metres) in Sikkim. The peak was technically challenging and has been rarely climbed, with only three recorded summits.
The expedition was planned and executed well in time. The aim was to complete it by October 15 this year, which included the buffer for contingencies related to terrain, weather and other unpredictables.
It was the brainchild of Colonel Jamwal, a veteran of 52 expeditions. One of the most accomplished mountaineers of India, he is the only Indian to have summited Mount Everest three times and completed the Seven Summits, touching the highest points of the seven continents.
ALSO READ | On top of the World: Colonel Ranveer Jamwal clinching records with every new expedition
“It is always a pride to hold the national flag but I dreamt of hoisting the Indian flag on all the highest points of the nation. It took us more than three months to plan this campaign. It’s a movement for my motherland, to do something that has never been done,” said Colonel Jamwal.
“Har Shikhar Tiranga intends to spread the gesture of inclusivity, inculcate and promote the spirit of adventure, and capture the vibrant landscape, unique culture, and unadulterated remote area travel in our states,” he added.
The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Defence. The mission received overwhelming response across the country, with many people joining the team for the expedition in their respective states.
The major challenge was to locate the highest points of all states. Post the research, planning and training, listing of the peaks and their recce was done along with all the necessary permissions.
The team faced many unforeseen challenges. “Each peak had unique climatic conditions and the team faced the challenge of extreme weather conditions from spine chilling cold to zero visibility, navigation issues due to poor connectivity, heavy rainfall, avalanches, steep and slippery terrains, humidity, leeches and fear of wild animals, all in one single expedition,” Jamwal said.
The expedition involved travelling across the country which came up with challenges like unavailability of transportation in some areas, poor roads in many remote areas, security challenges in Naxal affected areas and also interacting with local communities due to language barriers.
Some important discoveries were also made during the expedition and research for the mission. It was found that Mt. Reo Purgyil is actually the highest peak of Himachal Pradesh, while the highest point of the state of Punjab is unnamed, located in the Naina Devi Range. Many of the highest peaks remain unnamed due to lack of awareness. In total, the mission covered around 30,000 km.
The highest peak under Indian control is Kanchenjunga (8,586 metres) in Sikkim but is closed for climbs. The next is Nanda Devi (7,816 metres) but it’s a world heritage site and national biosphere reserve. Thus the highest climbable mountain in India is Mt Kamet (7,756 metres) which the team summited in June. The lowest in terms of elevation is Someshwar Fort in Bihar which is around 800 metres.
Mission HST involved 20 core members including all NIMAS instructors.
The National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) offers training across land, air, and water — a first of its kind that allows civilians to experience challenges across a variety of outdoor surfaces as well as pursue a career in adventure sports. Follow channel on WhatsApp
NEW DELHI: In a first, mountaineers of the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Dirang, Arunachal Pradesh have hoisted the national flag atop the highest points of all 28 states of India under the Har Shikhar Tiranga (HST) mission.
Colonel Ranveer Singh Jamwal who led the team said on Friday, “The team summited Mt Jongsong (7462m) in Sikkim on 2nd October 2023 amidst heavy snowfall and bad weather conditions. The team even survived the cloudburst in Sikkim.”
‘Har Shikhar Tiranga’ was a campaign under the aegis of Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav to hoist the tricolour on the zenith of each state to mark the 75th year of India’s independence, aligning with India’s G20 Presidency.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });
The team summited Mt Gorichen (6,488 metres) in Arunachal Pradesh in October 2022 and by December 2022, the team had touched the highest point of the seven states of the Northeast. This success was a test which Colonel Jamwal, the Director NIMAS, had set for the team to gauge their determination before going ahead with the expedition.
HST as expected climaxed with the summit of Mt Jongsong (7,462 metres) in Sikkim. The peak was technically challenging and has been rarely climbed, with only three recorded summits.
The expedition was planned and executed well in time. The aim was to complete it by October 15 this year, which included the buffer for contingencies related to terrain, weather and other unpredictables.
It was the brainchild of Colonel Jamwal, a veteran of 52 expeditions. One of the most accomplished mountaineers of India, he is the only Indian to have summited Mount Everest three times and completed the Seven Summits, touching the highest points of the seven continents.
ALSO READ | On top of the World: Colonel Ranveer Jamwal clinching records with every new expedition
“It is always a pride to hold the national flag but I dreamt of hoisting the Indian flag on all the highest points of the nation. It took us more than three months to plan this campaign. It’s a movement for my motherland, to do something that has never been done,” said Colonel Jamwal.
“Har Shikhar Tiranga intends to spread the gesture of inclusivity, inculcate and promote the spirit of adventure, and capture the vibrant landscape, unique culture, and unadulterated remote area travel in our states,” he added.
The campaign was supported by the Ministry of Defence. The mission received overwhelming response across the country, with many people joining the team for the expedition in their respective states.
The major challenge was to locate the highest points of all states. Post the research, planning and training, listing of the peaks and their recce was done along with all the necessary permissions.
The team faced many unforeseen challenges. “Each peak had unique climatic conditions and the team faced the challenge of extreme weather conditions from spine chilling cold to zero visibility, navigation issues due to poor connectivity, heavy rainfall, avalanches, steep and slippery terrains, humidity, leeches and fear of wild animals, all in one single expedition,” Jamwal said.
The expedition involved travelling across the country which came up with challenges like unavailability of transportation in some areas, poor roads in many remote areas, security challenges in Naxal affected areas and also interacting with local communities due to language barriers.
Some important discoveries were also made during the expedition and research for the mission. It was found that Mt. Reo Purgyil is actually the highest peak of Himachal Pradesh, while the highest point of the state of Punjab is unnamed, located in the Naina Devi Range. Many of the highest peaks remain unnamed due to lack of awareness. In total, the mission covered around 30,000 km.
The highest peak under Indian control is Kanchenjunga (8,586 metres) in Sikkim but is closed for climbs. The next is Nanda Devi (7,816 metres) but it’s a world heritage site and national biosphere reserve. Thus the highest climbable mountain in India is Mt Kamet (7,756 metres) which the team summited in June. The lowest in terms of elevation is Someshwar Fort in Bihar which is around 800 metres.
Mission HST involved 20 core members including all NIMAS instructors.
The National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) offers training across land, air, and water — a first of its kind that allows civilians to experience challenges across a variety of outdoor surfaces as well as pursue a career in adventure sports. Follow channel on WhatsApp
