Expedition ‘Vijay’ to a Virgin Peak in North Sikkim Flagged Off

DIG K.D. Dwivedi of ITBP Gangtok sub-headquarters today flags off a mountaineering expedition from ITBP camp, at Lingdum, Ranka. The expedition to a virgin peak in North Sikkim is being named as ‘Vijay’ and the Eastern Frontier mountaineering expedition is to comprise 34-members in it.

Deputy Commandant Parikshit Shah will be leading the expedition team and will attempt at reaching at the virgin peak at a height of 6,270 metres. As scheduled, the team aims at reaching the peak between September 30 and October 2.

The base camps of the expedition team ‘Vijay’ will be made at Rangma Range, Chhaten, Thangu and Tashla Base in North Sikkim. Of the total 34 members in the team, there are 16 mountaineers, 9 rescue members, 2 medical officers, 2 porters, 2 cooks and a photographer. The team is being designed to be capable of acclimatizing with every situation. In order to make the team capable of taking up any climatic challenge and hurdle, they are being acclimatized for the last 45 days and are being given proper training at ITBP camp at Lingdum. During the training, the team is given height training exercises, hiking and other training in the nearby locations.

DIG Dwivedi, while addressing the gathering of expedition team along with ITBP jawans said, "Expedition Vijay is not to win the mountain but win over the fear of expedition. This is also part of ITBP training as it induces a change in the behaviour of the jawans. I urge the team to not exert a force on the expedition beyond their capacity and not to leave anyone behind. They must take the weather into account before making the summit attempt. We are hopeful that the expedition will be successful and wish them courage and confidence in their expedition.”

As the expedition starts, a team of 8 rescue personnel and an additional 14 personnel will be based at the base camp and the Thangu Post, respectively. Notably, 16 members of the expedition team have been insured Rs. 10 lakh and 18 other members are insured Rs. 5 lakhs which are the mandatory norms of the Indian Mountaineering Federation.