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October 25, 2009 | IAF flags in Bhagirathi II mountaineering team | New Delhi:
Director General (Administration) of the Indian Air
Force (IAF) Air Marshal Naresh Verma flagged in the Air Force Mountaineering Expedition to Mt. Bhagirathi-II here on Sunday. The expedition was organized as a part of
the IAF’s plan to train women air warriors mountaineering team for Mt. Everest
expedition to be conducted in 2011. This was the second expedition for the IAF
women team after Mt. Stok Kangri (6153metres) carried out successfully in August.
On October 14, the five member team led by Wing Commander Bhavna Mehra successfully
summitted Mt. Bhagirathi-II located at a height of 6512 metres in the Gangotri
region of Uttarakhand. The five brave air warriors who climbed the peak were Flight
Lieutenant Lalita Mishra, Flight Lieutenant Punita Aswal, Master Warrant Officer
Nizzamuddin, Junior Warrant Officer Suresh Pal and Corporal DK Vyas. According
to the IAF, on October 3 the team acclimatized in the area at a rapid rate and
proceeded to set up their base camp at Upper Nandanvan , negotiating the treacherous
terrain of Gangotri Glacier. The team was welcomed with a spell of heavy snowfall
on reaching the abode of Gods. At the first sight of the clear skies after two
days, the team set out to open the route and establish higher camps. Camp-I was
set up at the height of 5060meters. For the summit camp the team could somehow
put up three small tents in a precarious position on a steep slope October 9.
Next few days saw the real toil when the lead climbers of the team with two sherpas
took turns to secure the route to summit by fixing ropes. On October 13, the first
summit party took their position for the final climb and in the wee hours of October
14 saw the team commence its climb in the area with the icy cold temperatures
of less than -10 degree Celsius. After a marathon effort of about 10 hrs of continuous
climb over steep slopes of snow and ice with a dangererous loose rocks looming
large, and ready to fall the team was poised at the summit with the tri-color
and the IAF flag. |
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