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| September 9, 2009 | All-women Army team scales Siachen's highest peak | | New Delhi: Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor flagged in the first-ever women expedition team for army corps of engineers to Indira Col, Siachen,
today at Army Headquarters here. The Indian Army has achieved another milestone
in the history of Indian mountaineering by undertaking an 'All Women Officers
Expedition' to Siachen glacier. The Corps of Engineers in consonance with its
spirit of adventure has organised this unique expedition to the highest and coldest
battlefield in the world, Siachen Glacier, a junction point of three countries
- India, China and Pakistan. The expedition led by Major Megha Astagikar summitted
Indira Col, located at an altitude of 20,187 feet, after trekking 103.10 kilometers
on August 15, which coincided with the 62nd Independence Day. Enroute to Indira
Col, the team halted at eight camps to carry out acclimatisation, training and
build-up of essential logistics. Braving inclement weather and extremely difficult
terrain conditions, Indira Col was summitted well before the planned schedule.
The team traversed across the most treacherous high altitude terrain characterised
by high avalanche-prone snow bound area with deep crevasses, steep ice-walls and
scarce oxygen. The 17 women officers expedition team was flagged-off by the Vice
Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Noble Thamburaj on August 3. Prior to undertaking
the expedition, a detailed planning and rigorous training in basic ice-craft and
mountaineering skills was carried out by the team at the Army Mountaineering Institute,
Siachen Base Camp. Major AR Ramakrishnan, the trainer of the expedition team,
inspite of being a battle casualty during 'Operation Vijay' summitted Indira Col
alongwith the team making the achievement of the expedition spectacular and creditable.
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