Jawahar Institute of Mountaineering and Winter Sports, Pahalgam in collaboration with Nehru Institute of Mountaineering, Uttarkashi has undertaken a joint expedition to Mt Everest 2021(8848m). This is the first of his kind joint expedition by the two national institutes of mountaineering under the leadership of Col IS Thapa SM, VSM, MD, Principal of JIM&WS and deputy leader Col Amit Bishit, SM, Principal of NIM.
The expedition, which marks the first international expedition by JIM&WS, was flagged off on April 1, 2021 at Delhi by Joint Secretary (Armed Forces). The seven-member team to Mt Everest included Col IS Thapa, Col Amit Bishit with the instructors of JIM&WS Mohammed Illayi, Hav Iqbal Singh and Hav Chander Negi along with the instructors of NIM Deep Sahi and Hav Anil Dhankhar.
The team reached Everest base camp (5364m) on April 12 and after proper acclimatisation went for submitting Mt Lobuche east (6119m) as part of acclimatisation rotation. The team successfully summited Mt Lobuche, which is technically a tough peak on Nepal Himalayas, on April 24. For the first time, the flags of both the national institutes along with the national flag were hoisted in an international peak. The team now is at Everest Base camp and will be doing further acclimatisation rotation in the days to come. The final summit to Mt Everest will be attempted in the 3rd week of May.
The expedition was supposed to take place in 2020 and had to be postponed to this year due to last year’s Covid-19 restrictions.
Col IS Thapa has previously also led an army expedition to Mt Everest from north face in 2007 for which the officer was bestowed with Vishit Seva medal.
