Army team summits Mount Everest

An Indian Army team has successfully summited the world’s highest mountain peak, Mount Everest, early morning on Thursday.

“The Indian Army team led by Lt. Col. Ranveer Jamwal successfully summits Mount Everest at 6.07AM today. Chief of Army Staff Gen Dalbi Singh and all ranks congratulate the team,” the Additional Director General Public Information (ADG PI) tweeted.

Concurrently, two members of the team are attempting the Everest- Lhotse traverse and later five members would be participating in Tenzing Hillary Everest Marathon (THEM) on May 29, 2016. The expedition team is scheduled to return to Delhi on June 10, 2016.

Reputed climber

Team leader Lt Col Jamwal is a reputed climber with several successful expeditions to his credit and was also the team leader during last year’s Everest Expedition.

The 30 member team – 5 Officers, 4 Junior Commissioned Officers and 21 Other Ranks — to scale Mount Everest and Mount Lhotse was formally flagged off by the Vice Chief of Army Lt Gen MMS Rai on March 29, 2016 in New Delhi.

Call it the Nepal quake team

This is the same expedition team which was located at Everest Base Camp when an earthquake of 7.9 magnitude struck Nepal on April 25, 2015 causing destruction and triggered massive avalanches on Everest.

The avalanche hit Mount Pumori destroying camps of many expedition teams, killing 22 international climbers and local sherpas, and leaving over 70 injured, some of them critically. The Indian Army team, which was safe, had quickly regrouped and began helping in relief work.

Officials said that, as various agencies gradually moved their mountaineers down, Indian Army team were the last to leave Everest Base Camp.