To mark India's 75th Independence Day, an all-women team of mountaineers belonging to the nation's tri-services unfurled the national flag at Himachal Pradesh's highest mountain peak, Mt Manirang at 21,625 feet. The expedition that was flagged off on August 1 from New Delhi comprised a 15-member team, out of which only four scaled up to the peak.
According to reports, the tri-services all-women mountaineering expedition organized by the Indian Airforce (IAF) reached its destination on August 15, with four members successfully scaling the peak on I-Day. The members who scaled the peak were Wing Commander Bhavna Mehra, Wing Commander Nirupama Pandey, Wing Commander Lalita Mishra and Major Saumya Shukla.
The other members of the contingent included Wing Commander N Linyu, Wing Commander Vyomika Singh, Flight Lieutenant Komal Pahuja from IAF; Lieutenant Colonel Geetanjali Bhatt, Major Veenu Mor, Major Usha Kumari, Major Rachna Hooda from the Indian Army and Lieutenant Commander Nandini Damroy, Lieutenant Commander Sino Wilson, Lieutenant Commander Chham Kumari and Lieutenant Commander Renu Ramdurg representing the Indian Navy.
A remarkable feat
Located at the border of Kinnaur and Spiti districts of Himachal Pradesh (HP), a hike to Mt Manirang is considered a difficult climb. Manirang pass is considered one of the least explored and remote high altitude pass due to its rough terrains. Before the motorable road was built, this pass was known as one of the early trade routes connecting Spiti and Kinnaur in HP.
Responding to the cheerful news on social media, Bindu Pillai, ex-IAF officer shared on Facebook, "Great going... Brings back great memories being the first serving Woman officer to have undergone the Basic Mountaineering Crs frm NIM (course from Nehru Institute of Mountaineering) in April 1994."
