NEW DELHI, 25 Sep: Dirang (West Kameng)-based National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports (NIMAS) created a new world record by achieving 20 first recorded summits on unclimbed peaks, all above 6,000 mtrs, in Ladakh, in just 23 days.
The expedition was flagged in by Defence Minister Rajnatch Singh here on Friday. Singh commended the NIMAS, its Director Col Ranveer Singh Jamwal and the team for the feat.
The defence minister appreciated the institution's commitment to exploration and excellence and commended Col Jamwal's leadership in undertaking and successfully leading challenging and pathbreaking mountaineering expeditions.
"For NIMAS, the recognition by the raksha mantri is particularly significant as it acknowledges not only the record itself, but also the institutional capability, preparation, technical expertise and team effort that made the achievement possible," the NIMAS said.
Prior to the commencement of the expedition, the unclimbed status of the identified peaks was verified with the Indian Mountaineering Foundation.
The team operated in some of Ladakh's most remote and demanding high altitude terrain, where altitude, weather, terrain and logistical complexity demanded meticulous planning, technical proficiency, endurance and exceptional teamwork.
According to the NIMAS, the achievement marked the institute's third consecutive world record in the last three years, reflecting the institution's growing capabilities in expedition planning, high-altitude mountaineering, exploration and adventure sports.
"From undertaking major expeditions across the Himalaya to exploring previously unclimbed terrain, the NIMAS has continued to expand the scope and scale of its mountaineering activities," the release said, adding that the expedition further demonstrated the institute’s ability to conceive, plan and execute complex high altitude expeditions in some of the most demanding environments in the country.
Col Jamwal, who led the expedition, has two decades of mountaineering experience and an extensive record of high-altitude expeditions. He has summited Mount Everest three times, completed the Seven Summits, and is the only mountaineer in the world to have completed the highest peaks of all seven continents as well as the highest points of all 28 states in India.
He is also the only Indian to have been awarded all three major adventure honours - the Tenzing Norgay National Adventure Award, the IMF Gold Medal, and the MacGregor Memorial Medal.
Over the years, Col Jamwal has continued to lead expeditions that have ventured into demanding, remote and previously unexplored or unclimbed mountain terrain. His leadership has been instrumental in building NIMAS into an institute capable of undertaking large-scale and technically demanding expeditions.
The NIMAS is a premier government institution dedicated to the development of adventure sports, outdoor leadership, exploration and high altitude skills. It conducts training and expeditions across land, aero and aqua disciplines, including mountaineering, sport climbing, mountain biking, white water rafting, kayaking, scuba diving, paragliding, paramotoring and paramotor trike operations.
