The elite Kharga
Corps has achieved another milestone by successfully summiting the Mount Satopanth and conducting Trekking expedition across Lalanti Pass.
Situated in the mighty Garhwal Himalayas Satopanth at
7075 m is considered technically very difficult amongst the mountaineers, world
over. The feat was achieved on 20 Sep
2009 with first team of six members reaching and hoisting the National, Army
and Garhwali flag atop Mount Satopanth. Four members in second team reached the
summit on 22 Sep 09. The team comprising
of three officers including the Commanding Officer Col Ajay Kotyal,KC,SC, two Junior
Commissioned Officers and 17 Other Ranks from the 4th Battalion the Garhwal Rifles set out for this adventure activity on
20 Aug 2009 and came back to Delhi on 01 Oct 2009. An expedition to Mount Satopanth, considering the rigorous and intricate nature of
the climb calls for grit, determination and unflinching resolve of a very high
order. Due to unpredictable bad weather this has been the only expedition
which succeeded in scaling the peak in Garhwal region
this season. Life of a civil porter who was suffering from snow blindness and had got
lost, was also saved by the members of Satopanth
expedition team by evacuating him to safety.
Apart from combating the odds of
nature while summiting, the team also undertook the noble task of cleaning up
the environment and brought back 300 kgs of non-biodegradable waste left behind by other mountaineers and trekkers. This has helped the team to spread a strong
message to save the environment from the bad effect of Global warming leading
to the melting of glaciers at these heights.
The team was also very fortunate to
have sighted the rare species of Mountain Goats called ‘Bharals’,
Mountain Hare, Snow Pigeon and a variety of flora namely Lal
Jari and the famous Bhramkamals.
Another Trekking expedition by Bhagat Brigade across Lalanti
Pass was flagged off by Maj Gen JP Alex, General
Officer Commanding RAM Division on 16 Sep 09 from Meerut. 36
member team was led by Maj Abhishek
Patnaik of 26 PUNJAB. The team carried out 14 days acclimatisation at 15,000 ft. Team left Morang on 04 Oct 09
and after passing through difficult and challenging mountainous terrain of Thangi, Lumbar, Shurtiting, Lalanti Pass (16,500 ft), Charang
Ghati, Nagasti, Chitkul La (18,110 ft) reached Sangla
Valley on 09 Oct 09. Enroute the team projected
amongst the local youth the image of Army and the will to win amongst the
soldiers.
The
Expedition teams was flagged in by Lieutenant General Chetinder
Singh, Sena Medal, Vishisht
Seva
Medal, GOC KHARGA Corps in Delhi on 20 Oct 09. He appreciated these
achievements which manifests the grit, determination and spirit of adventure
imbibed by our soldiers.
******
S Om Singh/Rajendra