A NIMAS Ladakh peaks expedition team has completed the first recorded summits of 20 unclimbed peaks above 6,000 metres in the Ladakh Range, climbing all of them in 23 days. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flagged in the team at a ceremony at Kartavya Bhavan-2 in New Delhi on Friday.

The 20 member team belonged to the National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS), Dirang, and was led by Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal, Director of NIMAS. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and other senior Ministry of Defence officials attended the ceremony.

Twenty summits above 6,000 metres

The peaks climbed lie across the Chamser-Lungser, Gyama Nala and Chokula areas of the Ladakh Range. A Ministry of Defence statement described the ascents as the first-ever recorded summits of 20 such peaks in the range, and credited the expedition to exceptional planning, technical expertise, endurance and teamwork by the climbing party.

The statement said the climb reflected the country's capabilities in high altitude mountaineering and strengthened its presence on the global mountaineering map. It added that the expedition was organised to promote adventure and exploration in the high altitude frontiers and to inspire future generations of mountaineers.

The Defence Minister's message

Interacting with the team, the Defence Minister commended the courage and determination of the climbers in accomplishing the feat, describing the expedition as a demonstration of India's mountaineering excellence and leadership in adventure sports.

He called the climbers a source of inspiration and said the ascents had set new benchmarks that would encourage young mountaineers across the country to pursue adventure and exploration.


The NIMAS Ladakh peaks expedition and its record

NIMAS is an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Defence, based in Dirang in Arunachal Pradesh, and is the country's first institute mandated to conduct adventure training across land, air and water disciplines.

A veteran expedition leader

Col Jamwal has led more than 50 expeditions over his career and is among a small number of Indian climbers to have summited Mount Everest more than once. His institute has previously run the Har Shikhar Tiranga campaign, hoisting the tricolour on the highest points of Indian states.

Part of a wider run of expeditions

The NIMAS Ladakh peaks expedition adds to a steady run of expedition milestones through the year. The Army fielded a team that set a single day summit record on Mount Kun in the Suru Valley, and marked the first all women tri-service circumnavigation aboard IASV Triveni. Ladakh has featured before too, among them an ascent of Point 5140 above Dras.

The flag in ceremony was detailed in a release from the Press Information Bureau. NIMAS lists its mountaineering, aero and aqua courses on its official site.