Indian Army set to scale Mount Everest, to bring down tonnes of trash

KATHMANDU: A mountaineering team of the Indian Army is set for the challenging journey to scale the Mount Everest from where they will bring down 4,000 kg of trash left behind by climbers, marking the golden jubilee of the first Indian conquest of the world's highest peak.

The thirty-member team, which will depart from Kathmandu tomorrow towards the high mountains, will summit the Mt Everest and the fourth highest peak Mt Lhotse and will also clean the Everest region by bringing down non-biodegradable mountaineering waste left by generations of climbers.

The mountaineering team comprises of five officers, three JCOs and 22 other ranks and will be led by Major Ranbir Singh Jamwal, who has scaled the 8,848 metres Mount Everest twice.

Fifty years ago, an Indian Army team led by Lt Commander MS Kohil conquered the coveted Mt Everest for the first time creating history. Major AS Cheema became the first Indian to conquer the summit.

During a press briefing organised at the India House in Indian Embassy ground in Kathmandu today, Indian Ambassador to Nepal Ranjit Rae wished good luck to the expedition members.

The team will be split into two groups. One group will attempt to climb Mount Everest while the second will set out to scale Mount Lahotse.

The team members will also participate in the extreme high-altitude Everest Marathon on May 29.

"The expedition will not only help relieve the glories of the past, but also help to keep India's and Indian Army's name in the fore front of the field of mountaineering," a statement said.